The spirit returns

A rare sight nowadays. The Spirit of Tasmania, which usually plies its trade between Melbourne and our island State, steaming up Sydney Harbour. It has been years since there was a regular ferry link between Sydney and the Apple Isle.

I guessed the Spirit was in town for some R&R (repairs and refurbishment) and sure enough it steamed right into the Naval dockyard at Woolloomooloo.

Lest We Forget

Anzac Day

The Hydro

Photos from a day trip to the nearby Blue Mountains; in particular the Hydro Majestic Hotel where as a child, more than 55 years ago I spent a number of holidays with my mother and grandmother. The hotel seems have gone through various boom and bust periods. I believe it is currently under foreign ownership.

Li Cun Xin

Li Cun Xin is better known as Mao's Last Dancer whose life and achievements in Ballet are the subjects of an exhibition in Brisbane.

Eternal Flame

The Eternal Flame, Anzac Square, Brisbane

Showboat

A showboat berthed on the Brisbane River

Tram

This restored tram ran on the last day of Sydney's former tram network which closed in 1963

Q & A

They don't make discussion shows like this anymore. Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer go hammer and tong on the Dick Cavett Show. The intervention from the unidentified woman on the panel at the 1.35  mark to 2.30 hits the spot.

Bride Wars?

It is not unusual to see wedding ceremonies occurring in Sydney's magnificent Centennial Park. Indeed the Park's website has an entire section on reserving space in the Park for a wedding ceremony, scheduling wedding photographs in the Park and even on staying in the Park in connection with a wedding.

So when I was driving through the Park yesterday and saw this sight at the Belvedere Amphitheatre in the Park my first thought was that a wedding was about to occur.

How fancy. An orchestra in place!

But then I took a closer look.

A lovely setting. Sweeping views towards the South where upper right you see the upper levels of the main Grandstand at Randwick Racecourse. The buildings upper middle belong to the University of New South Wales. The domed building in the centre is Federation Pavilion constructed in 1988 to mark the place where the Proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia occurred in 1901.

But back to the wedding. The orchestra appeared to be a youth orchestra. Unless the wedding party involved teachers and/or students a Youth Orchestra seemed an odd choice for a wedding. And then the Orchestra started to perform; apparently in rehearsal. The first few notes were very much the sounds of young musicians. Not only that but the first few bars of music also clearly were the Star Wars movie theme.

Now, that is an odd choice for a wedding.

When I returned home hours later I checked the What's On section in Park's website. My more considered reactions proved justified. The orchestra was not preparing for a wedding yesterday. They were rehearsing for Classics in the Park; an outdoor family concert performed by 'Sydney Youth Orchestras'.

Interestingly the website advertises the price for this event as $20. I could see and hear the Orchestra perfectly well from my vantage point beyond the loosely roped off area which surrounded the white plastic chairs. Had I attended the concert I think would have joined the early gathering hoi polloi on their blankets and fold up chairs beyond the rope.

Remembrance Day

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them.

Sydney's Harbour Bridge

This Government produced video about the construction of Sydney's Harbour Bridge has some fascinating images from 1920/30s Sydney.

The Glenmore

The Glenmore is located in the Sydney's historic district known as The Rocks; the site of the first European settlement by the British colonisers of the Australian continent in 1788.

The hotel dates from 1921 and so pre-dates the nearby iconic Harbour Bridge by more than a decade. Apart from its maze of various saloon rooms the main attraction of the Pub is its roof top dining/drinking area with glimpses of the harbour and the Opera House. On a personal note, the Pub is located next to a building where I was an employee for several years. I won't confirm or deny whether many lunch hours were spent on the rooftop but, if they were, I'm sure that time spent there did not detract from work performance.

Four of us spent a very pleasant five hours over lunch at The Glenmore today.

Highly recommended for locals and visitors.

Anzac Day

Camp Cove

My parents and I spent many a summer weekend on this inner harbour beach more than fifty years ago. The distant CBD skyline would have been vastly different in those years. Indeed it is vastly different from this photo nowadays too. This photograph was taken on 28 December 2009 whilst showing visitors the sights of Sydney.

Camp Cove

Repulse Bay (Hong Kong)

A photograph of Repulse Bay Beach taken from my apartment in Hong Kong sometime between 1977 and 1980.

They're ba-ack

Fifty-six years after Sydney's extensive tram system closed down tram tracks have reappeared on Anzac Parade in Kensington as part of the construction of Sydney's new south-eastern light rail line. For Andrew's benefit in particular, here are a couple of photos of the newly constructed sections of track.

The Great Wall

 

Foreign mercenaries are captured and enlisted to protect China's Great Wall from attacks by legendary monsters.

'The Great Wall' is a Chinese and multi-national co-production which I understand aims to be the first Chinese international blockbuster in the manner of a Star Wars or similar level hit.

The film relies on epic scenes seasoned with mythological elements. Watching the epic scenes I was reminded of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Beijing Olympic Games and so was not surprised to learn afterwards that the film's Director, Yimou Zhang, directed those ceremonies.

The Beijing ceremonies were highly choreographed and superbly synchronised displaying extraordinary skill and discipline but lacking totally in spontaneity and warmth. This film is a bit similar although to be fair there is an attempt at humour which sometimes but not always succeeds.

✮✮1/2

The Colosseum

My first and only previous visit to Rome was 44 years earlier and one of my memories of visiting the Colosseum was of the heavy road traffic whizzing by on the roundabout that surrounded the ancient structure.

Our approach to the Colosseum this time was very different. The approaches are boarded off concealing the construction of a new subway rail line. No road traffic at all this time, only pedestrian traffic. But, my oh my, the crowds of people once we arrived.

Photos from outside, inside and looking out of, the Colosseum.