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Coastal New South Wales is stunning, especially the south. . My husband says the cows lean into the hills because it's windy most of the time. (and when the wind abates momentarily, the cows fall over! - that's the rest of that story.. Few Sydney residents know how beautiful it is. It's somewhere past Wollongong, which long ago was not a great place to live....
We headed south a week or two back for a weekend with friends in Narrawally. We turned on "navigator" in the new car, and continued to defy the directions being given. "must be something wrong with it - have to take it in and get it adjusted." but when we arrived at Berry for breakfast, and Navigator said 1000 kms to go, we decided to re-set the system, only to discover we'd been heading for Berri in South Australia! Hence the repeated cry of "do a U turn now". I 'd set Berry up as Berri - like in fruit juice! So much for my navigation skills, or is that spelling skills? Berri has become overcrowded.with tourists, but it's still quant and interesting.
Further South, Kiama is very pretty and less crowded, and hosts a world class seafood restaurant at the end of the pier! Milton, near Mollymook, is a small, even more unspoilt historic village, and tipped to be the next Berry! The lush countryside is gradually being "coloured in" by beautiful houses on acreage, wineries, red barns, and black and white cows.
But the reason for the trip was Rick Stein's Bannisters Beach Restaurant, the jewel in the crown for the area. The evening meal was perfect. The service was exceptional, and Len Evan's son was the wine expert. Well worth making a booking a few months out. Not as expensive as some Sydney restaurants, but exceptional - and if you're an abject devotee of Rick Stein on the Food Channel, just being there is euphoric, without $90 bottles of wine. We will go back. It was so special!
Other high points in an eventful weekend were a 4WD on its roof in the middle of sleepy Milton, and Bannisters Beach being closed as the Tsunami was about to arrive!
The coastal journey is amazing - especially the stunning bridge suspended from the cliffs, and the string of old mining villages perched on cliff tops above a bright blue sea. Take the weekend and see just how beautiful Australia is!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
More of Africa - Sun City and Capetown by Mary Helen
I arrived home last night after sleeping most of the way on the flight, felt as if I had missed out on the luxury of the flight but sleeping on the flat bed was a luxury one does not enjoy in 57A - my usual seat!
The trip was amazing and when I do get my head together I will send you the images of your good self with the lion cubs, they are wonderful and something to show the grandchildren. It was lovely spending only a few days with you, I thoroughly enjoyed our chats about such a range of things and yes, age does has its benefits sometimes - actually, most of the time.
The flight back must have been a hoot, I'd love to hear your stories about it - I am sure Sir Richard was the life of the party.
When I left you Pam and I drove to Sun City about 2 hrs from JNB where we stayed for the night. An incredible oasis of four hotels ranging from 5star deluxe to 4 star - I was expecting it to be a tad tacky but was pleasantly surprised - the 5 star deluxe property (The Palace) was amazing and somewhere I could bunker down for a few weeks. Pam then came back to JNB and I went on to a game park for an overnight inspection. Instead of staying at the lodge when I arrived I went out quadbike riding through the villages with one of the boys from the lodge - what an experience. The local children came from nowhere and I gave then a ride - I wanted to take them all home with me! I then did a safari trip at sunset and saw elephants, rhinos and all assortment of animals including a wild dog kill - luckily the "dinner" was already dead but it was a bit confronting for a city chick - my stomach was churning as everyone was marvelling at the near extinct dogs doing their stuff.
We flew to Cape Town and met up with one of Pam's guides, Mark was just wonderful and he took us everywhere. Cape Town is such a beautiful city - you would love it - great setting on the water with Table Mountain in the background, fantastic shopping and restaurants.
The trip was amazing and when I do get my head together I will send you the images of your good self with the lion cubs, they are wonderful and something to show the grandchildren. It was lovely spending only a few days with you, I thoroughly enjoyed our chats about such a range of things and yes, age does has its benefits sometimes - actually, most of the time.
The flight back must have been a hoot, I'd love to hear your stories about it - I am sure Sir Richard was the life of the party.
When I left you Pam and I drove to Sun City about 2 hrs from JNB where we stayed for the night. An incredible oasis of four hotels ranging from 5star deluxe to 4 star - I was expecting it to be a tad tacky but was pleasantly surprised - the 5 star deluxe property (The Palace) was amazing and somewhere I could bunker down for a few weeks. Pam then came back to JNB and I went on to a game park for an overnight inspection. Instead of staying at the lodge when I arrived I went out quadbike riding through the villages with one of the boys from the lodge - what an experience. The local children came from nowhere and I gave then a ride - I wanted to take them all home with me! I then did a safari trip at sunset and saw elephants, rhinos and all assortment of animals including a wild dog kill - luckily the "dinner" was already dead but it was a bit confronting for a city chick - my stomach was churning as everyone was marvelling at the near extinct dogs doing their stuff.
We flew to Cape Town and met up with one of Pam's guides, Mark was just wonderful and he took us everywhere. Cape Town is such a beautiful city - you would love it - great setting on the water with Table Mountain in the background, fantastic shopping and restaurants.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Africa - lessons for us all -
It's a long way, not business class, and just for three days. Grumbling I hear you say!
I wa a guest on VAustralia's inaugural flight to South Afrca and it was fabulous. We flew due West, halfway round the world, as fast as the triple 7 flies into the afternoon sun, departing Melbourne at 1100 and touching down in Johannesburg late that afternoon. Four movies, two meals, and a nap, later! Just a little longer than Sydney LA.
And then the surprises continued. My pre-conceived perceptions about South Africa fell in tatters over three gloirous days. The struggles are well documented, but their immense pride, their passion to make the country great is not as well known! Under Mandela they've made huge strides
And with the glory that surrounds hosting the Soccer World Cup and finally being on the World Stage, they've stepped up and embraced great change.
I wa a guest on VAustralia's inaugural flight to South Afrca and it was fabulous. We flew due West, halfway round the world, as fast as the triple 7 flies into the afternoon sun, departing Melbourne at 1100 and touching down in Johannesburg late that afternoon. Four movies, two meals, and a nap, later! Just a little longer than Sydney LA.
And then the surprises continued. My pre-conceived perceptions about South Africa fell in tatters over three gloirous days. The struggles are well documented, but their immense pride, their passion to make the country great is not as well known! Under Mandela they've made huge strides
And with the glory that surrounds hosting the Soccer World Cup and finally being on the World Stage, they've stepped up and embraced great change.
Chicago - my kind of town!
It's a few years since I was there, but my recollections of this beautiful city are strong and clear. Friends have an upcoming visit planned. So I thought it a good time to record what made that visit great.
The first time I visited Chicago, it was so cold and windy that my luggage blew over as it stood on the kerb outside my hotel!
The second time, it was mild enough that I walked home late at night, alone, under a mild and starry sky, drink still in hand.
And the most recent time, it was windy and freezing. And what did I love?
It's a planned city: It's stylish and different with great stories to tell. In the early 90s, the City developed a redesign plan..and set about implementing it.
The the Chicago River was filty in those early days, and emptied itself into the beautiful Lake. So the forefathers worked out how to reverse the flow of the River. Unbelievable to think that in the upper reaches of this river they changed the layout of the land, so that the water flowed from the Lake through the City!
Go to the Opera House: You will see that there is a solid stone feature wall overlooking the River. No windows, no terraces. No-one wanted to look out onto such a putrid river.
Be sure to take the Architectural Tour by Boat: That traces the origins of all the buildings along the river front. I'm not so good on the original architects, but they were all there, in Chicago, in her formative days. But what I do recall is
* The Fabric Industry building - now owned by the Kennedy family - one whole city block - the largest building in the world until the pentagon was built and the only building to have its own zip code.
* The Jewellery Industry building - beautiful art deco - designed so that each merchant could drive his car into the building, and up ten floors in a huge lift, to park on his floor, for absolute security.
* No wonder Al Capone selected the top floor of that beautiful building, under a stunning cupola, for his speakeasy..... not much chance of being raided without notice. It kind of worked for everyone.
* And it was the first city in the world to sell the airspace to developers! I remember that in the press. The heart of the city is covered in a huge railroad terminal, a left over from the strong commercial early days. However, they sold the "airspace" above the railroads to build high rise buildings. They are there today, but when you peek at the ground floor, its a fully operational Railroad Centre....
* They also built a second high rise on the same basis. However in more recent times the tracks had to be widened, and one of the supports for the building was in the way. No problem.... they cantilevered the second high rise off the first one, and removed the pesky pilon... Nothing seems impossible.
* And there's Bauhaus next to contemporary design... amazing.
** So let me tell you how Australia and Chicago are inextricably linked in my next blog. Labels: Hello Chicago
The first time I visited Chicago, it was so cold and windy that my luggage blew over as it stood on the kerb outside my hotel!
The second time, it was mild enough that I walked home late at night, alone, under a mild and starry sky, drink still in hand.
And the most recent time, it was windy and freezing. And what did I love?
It's a planned city: It's stylish and different with great stories to tell. In the early 90s, the City developed a redesign plan..and set about implementing it.
The the Chicago River was filty in those early days, and emptied itself into the beautiful Lake. So the forefathers worked out how to reverse the flow of the River. Unbelievable to think that in the upper reaches of this river they changed the layout of the land, so that the water flowed from the Lake through the City!
Go to the Opera House: You will see that there is a solid stone feature wall overlooking the River. No windows, no terraces. No-one wanted to look out onto such a putrid river.
Be sure to take the Architectural Tour by Boat: That traces the origins of all the buildings along the river front. I'm not so good on the original architects, but they were all there, in Chicago, in her formative days. But what I do recall is
* The Fabric Industry building - now owned by the Kennedy family - one whole city block - the largest building in the world until the pentagon was built and the only building to have its own zip code.
* The Jewellery Industry building - beautiful art deco - designed so that each merchant could drive his car into the building, and up ten floors in a huge lift, to park on his floor, for absolute security.
* No wonder Al Capone selected the top floor of that beautiful building, under a stunning cupola, for his speakeasy..... not much chance of being raided without notice. It kind of worked for everyone.
* And it was the first city in the world to sell the airspace to developers! I remember that in the press. The heart of the city is covered in a huge railroad terminal, a left over from the strong commercial early days. However, they sold the "airspace" above the railroads to build high rise buildings. They are there today, but when you peek at the ground floor, its a fully operational Railroad Centre....
* They also built a second high rise on the same basis. However in more recent times the tracks had to be widened, and one of the supports for the building was in the way. No problem.... they cantilevered the second high rise off the first one, and removed the pesky pilon... Nothing seems impossible.
* And there's Bauhaus next to contemporary design... amazing.
** So let me tell you how Australia and Chicago are inextricably linked in my next blog. Labels: Hello Chicago
Chicago is my kind of town
Friday, February 5, 2010
Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago
Take the tour to Oak Park, the home of Walter Burley Griffin. It's an outer suburb of Chicago, the perfect place for a young architect to build a house and start a family.
* You can do a walking tour around the houses that he built for friends and family in the late 1800s and very early 1900's.... He started designing houses at a time when Victorian architecture was very formally structured... tall, turreted, each house in the centre of the block, front entrance also centred and always curtains on the windows.
* He had decided that houses should follow the lie of the land, the start of the bungalow house, set on a concrete slab, rather than over basements.... all the trends that we use today, including posiitioning the houses in the most suitable place on the block, with entrances around the side or wherever it works best.
* And the connection with Australia? One of his star young employees was Walter Burley Griffin, designer of Canberra, Castle Crag and many other Australian icons.
* You will want to see the furniture he designed for each house, and buy his books!
* He was fired from his first job, because when the Chicago Real Estate guide was published several years on, it featured houses designed by FLW, unbeknown to his employer. They took a dim view of it, and threw him out. Of course he went on to create history.
* Read Warren Buffits life story and his relationship with Bsrbara, the woman who headed up the Chicago Times... that's a good insight also.
* So, walk the waterfront, see the Aquarium, and the Marshall Field Museium, The Art Gallery, go the top of the John Hopkins building, the tallest building and look across three American states - and enjoy every minute!
" Chicago is, Chicago is... my kind of town!"
Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago
Take the tour to Oak Park, the home of Walter Burley Griffin. It's an outer suburb of Chicago, the perfect place for a young architect to build a house and start a family.
* You can do a walking tour around the houses that he built for friends and family in the late 1800s and very early 1900's.... He started designing houses at a time when Victorian architecture was very formally structured... tall, turreted, each house in the centre of the block, front entrance also centred and always curtains on the windows.
* He had decided that houses should follow the lie of the land, the start of the bungalow house, set on a concrete slab, rather than over basements.... all the trends that we use today, including posiitioning the houses in the most suitable place on the block, with entrances around the side or wherever it works best.
* And the connection with Australia? One of his star young employees was Walter Burley Griffin, designer of Canberra, Castle Crag and many other Australian icons.
* You will want to see the furniture he designed for each house, and buy his books!
* He was fired from his first job, because when the Chicago Real Estate guide was published several years on, it featured houses designed by FLW, unbeknown to his employer. They took a dim view of it, and threw him out. Of course he went on to create history.
* Read Warren Buffits life story and his relationship with Bsrbara, the woman who headed up the Chicago Times... that's a good insight also.
* So, walk the waterfront, see the Aquarium, and the Marshall Field Museium, The Art Gallery, go the top of the John Hopkins building, the tallest building and look across three American states - and enjoy every minute!
" Chicago is, Chicago is... my kind of town!"
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