2024 Highlights

Cape Town, Sydney, Iceland, Carcoar twice

Priceless moments

• Escaping a fire after visiting the caves of Kalk Bay.
• Climbing Table Mountain via Dark Gorge with Russell.
• A hike to the sublime pool of Die Hel in Groot Winterhoek with Ivor and Russell.
• Ascending Devil's Peak  with Russell and Brandon.
• 4 nights in Simons Town with mum and Mike, including some wonderful swims.
• Photographing the sublime waterfalls and other scenery of Iceland.
• Photographing beautiful puffins on Grimsey Island in Iceland.
• Abseiling down Serendipity Canyon, Mount Wilson with the boys.
• Camping at Mermaid Falls with Gavin and Rajesh.
• Berry Island walk with Beata .
• Exploring the new Metro with the Photography Meetup.
• Kanangra walk to Marong Falls, including a glorious leap into a pool, with the boys.
• Camping at Garden of Stone with the boys.
• Tina's 90th birthday in Carcoar, especially the amazing live music at her party.
• Resolute Beach (West Head)  and Paradise Pool with Elna.
• 34 outing with my Photography Meeup group, being a tourist in Sydney and making new friends.
• Exploring Elizabeth House in the Eastern Suburbs.
• Exploring Platypus Submarine Base and getting onto a submarine at the Maritime Museum.
• Photographing fish, penguins and sharks at Sea Life Aquarium in Darling Harbour.
• Creating a web site for Sam's new counselling practice and helping her source her first clients with Google Ads.
• Doing personal development with Xenia, getting clear on our values and what we love.
• Watching Sharon's nice perform at Avalon beach.
• A raunchy Burlesque show with Rajesh and Tania.
• Manly Jazz festival with Lydia and with Beata and John.
• Sublime classical music at Conservatorium of Music.
• Incredible Rene Magritte exhibition at NSW Art Gallery.
• Watching The Substance and Dune 2  at the cinema.
• Liz's 50th birthday and tribute video.
• Playing tennis at Rajesh's new flat.

Not so great

• Jilly passes away in May.
• US election doesn't go the way I'd hoped.

Purchases

• iPhone 16 Pro with 5x zoom
• Smart watch for $40
  
  

Favourite movies & TV

• Poor Things (2023)
• Dune: Part 2 (2024)
• Challengers (2024)
• Longlegs (2024)
• The Substance (2024)
• Society of the Snow (2023)
• Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
• Past Lives (2023)
• One Day (2011)
• All of Us Strangers (2023)
• Sanctuary (2022)
• The Idea of You (2024)
• I'm Your Man (2021)
• The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)
• Rye Lane (2023)
• 500 Days of Summer (2009)
• The Producers (1967)
• Strange Darling (2023)
• Revenge (2017)
• Victoria (2015)
• Remembering Gene Wilde (2023)
• Normal People (2020)
• Sex Education (2019 - 2023)
• Shogun (2024)
• Baby Reindeer (2023)
• The Penguin (2024)
• Silo (2023)

Culinary delights

• Raspberry tart at Harrods, Doha
• Tender beef on Sylvia Earle
• Double thick peanut butter shake (Simons Town)
• Cattle Baron Fillet Madagascar (Cape Town)
• Frozen orange and mango at top of Devils's Peak (thanks Brandon!)
• Kirsten's Kick Ass Icecream: Cherry
• Kalk Bay ice cream: Cinnamon, ginger, cherry
• Salad at Third Rail during fast
• Kolfi with dried fruit (Grace of India)
• Roast chicken meal (Dom in Carcoar)
• Black cherries after tennis
• Plougman's lunch in the Blue Mountains (Thank you Michelle and Petros)
• The Little Snail in Pyrmont: Kanagaroo steak
• Fish Bowl salmon
• Thai Beef Salad at the pub after tennis near St Peters station

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2024 Index of Links

Iceland  (May)

• All Iceland posts
• Iceland diary
• The Seismic Seven
• Landscapes of Iceland
• Glorious Puffins
• Other birds in Iceland
• Singapore team-building on the way to Iceland

Cape Town  (Jan, Feb)

Hikes & Walks

• A walk in the Greenbelt with Russell and Jason
• Park run in the Greenbelt with Russell and Jason
• Kalk Bay caves to Silvermine with Russell and Stephen , escaping a fire
• Die Hel in Groot Winterhoek with Russell and Ivor
• Climbing Table Mountain via Dark Gorge
• Silvermine's "The Bowl" with Jo and the girls
• Devil's Peak with Russell and Brandon

Beach & Lake

• New Year's day swim at Silvermine with the Hurds and Russell
• A swim at St James with Russell, Shane and Kailey
• 4 nights in Simons Town with mum and Mike
• St James with Russell, Carmen and Heather
• Bakhoven with Jo
• Camps Bay with Jo and Allison for a swim, then a walk to Clifton
• Llandudno sundowners with Jo, Ant, Russell and Daniel
• Surf at Muizenberg with Ivor and Russell

Birding

• Rondevlei without water
• Kirstenbosch

Food

• Kirsten's Kick Ass ice cream with Mum & Mike
• Market with Russell, Rob & Dawn, Brandon and Warren
• Tapi Tapi ice cream with Russell, Carmen, the Pater and Kobus
• Dinner with Shirley, Kiera, Jo and Antony
• Cattle Baron with family and Ivor

More

• Watching Wonka at the cinema with Russell
• Matt turns 21: Birthday and party
• Matt in fancy dress
• Playing Mysterium with Russell, Warren and Jo

Hiking

• Paradise Pool, Linden, Blue Mountains with Elna (Dec)
• Kanangra walk to Marong Falls (Nov)
• Garden of Stone with the boys  (Aug)
• Iceland hiking: Coast walk & Climbing volcano (May)
• Evans Lookout to Govett's Leap with the Hiking Gang (May)
• Camping at Mermaid Falls with Gavin & Rajesh (Mar)
• Abseiling down Serendipity Canyon, Mount Wilson with the boys (Mar)
• Devil's Peak with Russell and Brandon  (Feb)
• Silvermine's "The Bowl" with Jo and the girls  (Feb)
• Climbing Table Mountain via Dark Gorge  (Jan)
• Die Hel in Groot Winterhoek with Russell and Ivor  (Jan)
• Kalk Bay caves to Silvermine with Russell and Stephen , escaping a fire  (Jan)

Walking

• Woollahra to Rose Bay (Nov)
• Resolute Beach (West Head) with Elna (Nov)
• Walk around lake in Drummoyne (Sep)
• Manly scenic walk with Lydia and Sharon (Sep)
• Walk from Waverton to Milson's Point (Sep)
• Balmain to Drummoyne (Sep)
• Ball's Head (Sep)
• Katoomba clifftop walk (Aug)
• Berry Island with B (Jul)
• Ball's Head and Berry Island with Shushann (Jul)
• Camps Bay with Jo and Allison for a swim, then a walk to Clifton  (Feb)
• Park run in the Greenbelt with Russell and Jason  (Jan)
• A walk in the Greenbelt with Russell and Jason  (Jan)

Weekends away 

• Tina's 90th birthday in Carcoar (Oct)
• Carcoar  (Apr)

Photography outings in Sydney

• Photography Meetup Xmas party  (Dec)
• Cronulla (Dec)
• Paddy's Market and Darling Harbour  (Dec)
• Wynyard to Town Hall (Nov)
• Woollahra to Rose Bay (Nov)
• Waverton and Wolstonecraft (Nov)
• Avalon Beach (Nov)
• Martin Place (Nov)
• Halloween festival at The Rocks (Nov)
• Sculptures by the Sea (Oct)
• Jacarandas at Milson's Park (Oct)
• Platypus Submarine Base (Oct)
• Classic cars, Wendy's Secret Garden and Luna Park (Oct)
• Green Square (Oct)
• Walk around lake in Drummoyne (Sep)
• Evening city stroll (Sep)
• Town Hall to Wynyard (Sep)
• Sydney Botanical Gardens (Sep)
• Greenwich (Sep)
• Chatswood (Sep)
• The new Metro (Sep)
• Walsch Bay sculpture walk (Aug)
• Edgecliff to Darlinghurst (Aug)
• Italian festival with John and B (Aug)
• Katoomba clifftop walk (Aug)
• City to Surf (Aug)
• Maritime Museum (Aug)
• Elizabeth House (Aug)
• Darling Harbour (Aug)
• Berry Island with B (Jul)
• Sea Life Aquarium (Jul)
• Liverpool (Jul)
• Burwood (Jul)
• Newtown (Jul)
• Maroubra (Jul)
• Waverley Cemetery (Jul)
• North Sydney and Milson's Point (Jul)
• Campsie (Jul)
• Redfern and Chippendale (Mar)
• Glebe (Feb)

Projects: Sam's counselling site

• Photos for Sam's site
• Sam has her 1st official client (Sep)
• Sam's site is ready for launch (Sep)

Service

• Personal development with Xenia (Dec)
• Personal development with Xenia (Dec)
• Helping Shushann with Google ads, then Coogee (Dec)
• Helping Xenia setup her new iphone (Oct)
• Photoshoot for Lydia (Jun)

Shows and concerts

• Watching Sharon's nice perform at Avalon Beach (Nov)
• Burlesque show with Rajesh and Tania (Sep)
• Manly Jazz festival with Lydia (Sep)
• Manly Jazz festival with B and John (Sep)
• Conservatorium of music 2 (Sep)
• Conservatorium of music 1 (Sep)
• Nirvana cover band with Gavin & Rajesh (Apr)
• Comedy Club and Mardis Gras with Gavin and Rajesh (Mar)

Art

• Rene Magritte exhibition  (Dec)
• Mary-Anne's amazing art
• Jordan's epic work of art (Jul)

Cinema

• Watching "The Substance" in Newtown (Oct)
• The Bikeriders  (Jul)
• Banff Mountain Festival (May)
• Watching Dune 2 (Mar)
• Watching Wonka at the cinema with Russell (Jan)

Home

• New Buddha 

Eating out

• Lunch at Thai in Crow's Nest with Shushann (Dec)
• Lunch at The Alchemist with Xenia (Dec)
• Frenchy's for lunch (Nov)
• Jane's birthday lunch at Balmoral (Oct)
• Lunch with Xenia at Balmoral (Oct)
• Lunch with B (Oct)
• My birthday (Sep)
• B's birthday lunch and walk (Sep)
• Frenchy's Cafe with Xenia and Jane (Sep)
• Lunch with Michael and Sue's friends (Aug)
• Chris's 70th birthday (Aug)
• Nepalese dinner and pool with the boys (Jul)
• Frenchy's cafe for lunch (Jun)
• Balmorral for fish with Chris (May)
• Balmoral for lunch with Michael (May)
• Flying Bear with Chris (Apr)
• Dinner at Truc and Tony (Apr)
• Birthday lunch with Xenia and co in Manly (Mar)

Birthdays

• Tina's 90th birthday in Carcoar (Oct)
• Nushi's birthday at the park (Oct)
• Christian's 40th birthday (Sep)
• My birthday (Sep)
• Chris's 70th birthday (Aug)
• Gavin's birthday (Aug)
• Shushann's birthday (Aug)
• Liz's 50th birthday and tribute video (Jun)
• Mum's 77th birthday (Feb)
• Matt turns 21: Birthday and party

Jilly visits and her passing

• Visit to Jilly's grave (Jul)
• Jilly passes away (May)
• Visting Jilly in Bowral (Feb)

Milestones

• First e-bike ride (Dec)
• Bye bye dear car (Oct)
• Tina's 90th birthday in Carcoar (Oct)
• Chris's 70th birthday (Aug)
• Visit to Jilly's grave (Jul)
• Jilly passes away (May)
• Rajesh's house warming (Aug)
• Rajesh becomes a citizen (Aug)
• Matt turns 21: Birthday and party

Sydney beaches

• Coogee swim (Dec)
• Balmoral with Chris (Nov)
• Full moon in Coogee with Gavin & Rajesh (Mar)
• Balmoral with Elna (Feb)

Sport and games

• Playing tennis (Dec)
• Playing tennis at Rajesh's new flat (Oct)
• Celebrating Gavin's return with a game of pool (Oct)
• Table tennis with Xenia and Chris (Sep)
• Playing pool with Srini and Rajesh (Feb)

Friends get togethers in Sydney

• Xmas at Shushann (Dec)
• Celebrating Gavin's 7 day fast (Dec)
• Gavin and Tanya's Xmas party (Nov)
• Milson's Park with Xenia (Oct)
• At the park with Shushann and Anush (Sep)
• Nic and his new Tesla (Aug)
• Reunion with Sydney friends after Cape Town trip (Feb)

Friend's lives

• Jordan's epic work of art (Jul)
• Gavin in China (Jun)
• A showreel of Dom's performances (Jun)

Family and me

• My birthday (Sep)
• Mum's 77th birthday (Feb)
• Matt turns 21: Birthday and party
• Jo and the family in 2024

Politics

• US election

Music

• My top songs in 2024

Related link

• Spiritual journal 2024