Harbour

Post #113 Sunday 23 June 2019 – Pretty Balmoral

June 23, 2019 by MG 1 Comment

Posted in: Adventure, Coast, Eating out, Food, Harbour, Letters from America, Sky, Urban landscape

Letters from America

Sunday 23 June 2019

The lovely thing about Sydney, well there are many but this is also one of them, is that even when it is overcast it can be very pretty.

I was at Mosman last week during the week, a bit of an event because I don’t go over the Bridge so much these days. Afterward I dropped down from the steep ridge that Military Road follows, to the pretty harbour beach, Balmoral (surf beach for the under threes). I had a nostalgic and quality fish and chips from the Bottom of the Harbour fish and chip shop, which I think has been there about 20 years, loyally taking cash only and reminding some of us of scandalous tax avoidance schemes from the days of when…

It was an overcast day. A steady number of citizens walked their dogs along the foreshore. I have always liked the somewhat art deco style of the concrete foreshore walkway, complemented by the little bridge across the isthmus which you can just see at the end of the beach here in one of my afternoon snaps.

Bottom of the Harbour – tax schemes from the past

MG xx
Both sides of the Bridge

Post #109 Thursday 14 March 2019 – Aquijo

March 13, 2019 by MG 4 Comments

Posted in: Harbour, Letters from America

Letters from America

Thursday 14 March 2019

This week I could see from my balcony the tops of two incredibly tall masts rising up out Sydney Cove. I couldn’t see what they belonged to so walked down yesterday to have a look. Coming round the West facing edge of Mrs Macquarie’s chair, looking out across the current Opera on the Harbour set for West Side Story, was an enormous ketch. I took a snap, including the dinghy in the foreground on the left for scale.

I searched the web when I got home for “maxi cruising ketch”. After a bit of clicking around I discovered that this is Aquijo, the largest ketch in the world at 85 metres. She is currently cruising the South Pacific and was most recently visiting New Zealand. Her masts and rigging were designed in New Zealand and she was built in the Netherlands in 2016.

I don’t want to be boorish about boats, but this was pretty special.

A couple of links:

https://www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/aquijo-10478 https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/107444289/one-of-the-largest-sailing-superyachts-docks-in-auckland–and-for-800k-you-can-charter-it

xx MG

Post #108 Sunday 3 March 2019 – Neighbourhood charm

March 3, 2019 by MG Leave a Comment

Posted in: City, Harbour, Letters from America, Urban landscape

Letters from America

Sunday 3 March 2019

At the end of Victoria Street, where the road ends and becomes a paved pathway a little lane way joins up with the path. It’s a dead end that meets the last apartment blocks on St Neot’s Avenue (which you can get to only by sandstone stairway). It’s a charming part of the Potts Point neighbourhood. A local wit has added some cats to the traffic sign in the lane way.

And this is a view of the lane way with the sign in place (well it’s a bit obscured in the hedge), looking across to the City. It’s not the best photo of all time but it’s still a lovely evening outlook.

MG xx

Starry silver fantasia

December 18, 2016 by MG 4 Comments

Posted in: City, Harbour, Urban landscape

I took this photo on the phone just now Sunday 18th December 2016. My friends will know this is taken from the balcony here in Potts Point looking across to the City. I am not a great fireworks person myself but these ones were lovely. And so we are bringing the year to a close. I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year and thank you for being such good company. xx MG

Flowering trees – Cape Chestnut

December 6, 2016 by MG 4 Comments

Posted in: Flowering trees, Harbour, Urban landscape

Well I already reported on the excellent Jacaranda season we seem to have had in Sydney this summer. So at the risk of turning into a complete _b_o_r_e_ about flowering trees I’d like to ask you to notice, if you come across it, another beautiful flowering tree that is just coming into full bloom now. It is not as noticeable or as well known as the Jacaranda – it’s the Cape Chestnut.

Here is a Cape Chestnut tree in Rushcutters Bay Park, down near the tennis courts – it’s overloaded with bunches of blossoms. This one may not be the best shaped tree of its kind, but it is still putting on a spectacular display.

This is an individual blossom fallen from the tree – delicate as an orchid.

So it’s over an out from me in the Potts Point botanical studio here this evening.
xx MG