Vivid Festival of Light

The Vivid Festival of light brightens up the dark winter evenings here in Sydney, when each year around sixty light installations and projections are put on display at the Opera House and around Circular Quay.

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The Museum Of Contemporary Art lit up by projected light display

Another projected light display at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Bruce enjoying the show

The Harbour Bridge with Walsh Bay wharf in the foreground

The Sydney Opera House lit up by projected light display

The Sydney Opera House lit up by projected light display

The Sydney Opera House lit up by projected light display

The Sydney Opera House lit up by projected light display

Balmain

As well as visiting Ballast Point Park, I also spent a bit of time exploring the suburb of Balmain last weekend. As an old suburb, Balmain has a number heritage buildings many of them industrial, which have since been converted into apartment blocks. It has a village feel but is very also very close to the city, a bit like Hampstead in London. Can you guess where we are looking for our next apartment?

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Thornton Park, next to the Balmain East ferry wharf

Lovely terrace houses behind Thornton Park

Illoura Reserve looking towards the suburb of Pyrmont and the Anzac Bridge

View of the Harbour Bridge and city from Clarke's Point in Woolwich. Balmain is the suburb in the foreground.

Balmain streetscape

The old Colgate Palmolive warehouse, now apartments

An old Ford Falcon parked in Balmain. Note the Merry Christmas lights!?

Ballast Point Park

Today I visited Ballast Point Park, a redeveloped industrial site which previously belonged to the large Australian oil company, Caltex.  The park not only boasts amazing views of the harbour and of the city, but includes a great design in which the old materials from the Caltex site have been incorporated.

More information on Ballast Point can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballast_Point_(New_South_Wales)

Sorry that we don't appear in any pictures, we will do as soon as Bruce stops working weekends!

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Ballast Point Park entrance

Structures built from the remains of old buildings and oil tanks found on the site

One of the open spaces, ideal for a picnic

Impressive views from most places in the park

Looking towards the suburbs of Wollstonecraft and Greenwich

Looking towards the suburb of Birchgrove

Where I ate my pack lunch!

Another view from the same seating area

Coffee with a view!

I stopped for a coffee in Circular Quay on my way home this evening. As usual, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of the city's most famous landmarks!

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Opera House from an unusual angle

Blues Point Reserve

I took some photos from Blue's Point Reserve, as I happened to be in North Sydney today.

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View from Blues Point Reserve of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

Looking towards the city with Walsh Bay wharfs in the foreground

Anzac day

We spent Anzac day with Chris' childhood friend Julia, her boyfriend Jason and a group of their friends at the Kirribilli Returned and Services League (RSL) Club; we had lunch, drinks and enjoyed a few games of Two-up!

We walked all the way from our apartment in Rushcutters Bay, through the Royal Botanical Gardens and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which took about an hour.

Here is some info on Anzac day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Day


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Sydney skyline from the Royal Botanical Gardens

Bruce having a rest in the Royal Botanical Gardens

View from the Harbour Bridge looking towards the Opera House and the Eastern Suburbs

Julia and Chris on the balcony of the Kirribilli RSL Club

Chris, Bruce and Julia on the balcony of the Kirribilli RSL Club

View from the Kirribilli RSL Club at sunset looking towards the city and Walsh Bay

First morning

Opera House from the Royal Botanical Gardens





Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Royal Botanical Gardens





St. Mary's Cathedral from Hyde Park 







Sydney Tower from Hyde Park





Hyde Park