Swimming at Balmoral with Chris

It's always wonderful to catch up with Chris and what better way to do than at Balmoral on  a hot summer's day. We had an invigorating swim in the ocean, then a delicious lunch of grilled prawns and calamari, followed by a gentle stroll to the headland. 

Balmoral with Chris for grilled calamari

Always wonderful to spend time with dear Chris. The calamari was delicious.

Watson's Bay

It's always a pleasure to bring mum and Mike to Watson's Bay.  It's such a gorgeous spot with a nice walk to The Lighthouse and a gorgeous beach to swim at.  Not to mention the delicious fish and chips!

Jo's stay with us in Sydney

Well, after a wonderful 10 days, Jo has returned to South Africa. Having her to stay has been a real tonic for me and I know Ally has loved it too. She has been a bright beam of sunshine in our lives.

Highlights of her stay

• The way in which Jo navigated her own way to Manly by foot and ferry like a true Sydney pro
• A great weekend away, shopping and picnicking at Berry and munching hot doughnuts - and lazing on the white sands of Jervis Bay. Not to mention a game of Articulate where Jo amazed us with her brilliant skills in describing obscure words like "catalyst". Kerri and I were severely trounced.
• Our joint efforts in re-writing the legal affidavits for Jo's visa (a real joint effort) and the great way in which it paid off when Jo was granted her visa (in Parramatta of all places)
• Running up the stairs to catch the trains with Ally
• Shoe shopping in Parramatta
• Exploring the coves around Waverton with Ally
• A brisk and refreshing walk at Bondi beach, followed by lots of shopping and perusing at Bondi Junction
• A special day at Watson's Bay exloring the cliffs and houses, lazing on the beach (Camp Cove), walking to the lighhouse and enjoying fish and chips
• Catching our first McMahons Point bus almost to our door
• Enjoying my birthday dinner of lamb, salad and scrumptious roast potatos
• Picnicing in our park with Andreas, Ingrid and Sebastian. Poor Jo was attacked by mozzies after dark - a bit of a lowlight
• Lots of lovely cups of tea - never knew Jo loved her tea so much
• Lots of Muscato wine - delicious sweet wine that tastes like grape juice
• Walking further than I've walked before along the Manly Scenic Walk (on a swelteringly hot day), including a swim in the rock pools and lazing in the shadows of a lovely cove
• A day of house viewing in St Ives where we saw 2 nice places
• Getting to know the Sydney suburbs
• A dinner party with lots of great laughs at Eva and Brendan's.
• My mankini (can't believe Jo saw me in it!)
• Our house warming party where Jo got to meet all our friends. Her carrot cake and chocolate cake were definite winners
• Her lovely card and nougat and Xmas Koala that she left for us in her room when she left

All in all, its been a great time and we'll sorely miss Jo. We wish her a safe trip home and a happy reunion with her family.

Nicola and John visit us in Sydney...

...much to our delight!! We went to Watson's Bay for fish and chips. It was fantastic to see them again and catch up. Nicola and John are recently engaged. So wonderful to see a couple so much in love.
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Dorothy visits us in Sydney

Its been a great treat to see Dorothy again. One of my absolute favourite people at Volvo, she inspired me to go on healthy lunch time walks, was always a great lifesaver in assisting me with the somewhat scary budget process and loves cinema and movies as much as I do.

Dorothy stayed with us for 6 days and it was great to show her some of the great sites around Sydney.

Highlights:

• Doing part of the Manly scenic walk and salivating over some of the houses to be found there.
• Genuine Yum Chow in China Town
• Picnics overlooking The Opera House
• Visiting the famous Sydney Fish market
• Walk along the cliffs at Watson's Bay, followed by delicious fish and chips
• Being treated to a delicious Thai dinner
• Getting to know Dorothy better - she is pure sunshine

Watson's Bay

Picnic with friends overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge



Meal at Thai-riffic

The Manly Scenic Walk