More photos from Cape Town

Jo has started posting pictures to Picasa - very exciting!!!! Keep it up Jo! Its great to have family pics on tap.

Doesn't Mat look a little like the famous Kepler Wessels? Everything from the dark hair to the intense concentration to the pondered bat swing. Go Matt! If you work hard, you might even surpass the mighty feats of your uncle in the cricket stakes. Which wouldn't be too hard actually - never was my strongest game.

Sammy looking as adorable as ever.

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Photography and birding - my favourite combination right now

Night Safari - Mc Mahons Point and surrounds

Went for a night stroll from our flat to take some photos of the Opera House and Bridge. Looking for the best vantage point for the fireworks in three days time. It was a lovely walk and lots of jolly people about enjoying their festivities.

The warf is particularly popular amongst fisherman who dangle their rods in hope of a bite (some with bored girlfriends sleeping on the bench - that's what I call love!) and fellow photographic snappers, often with tiny compact cameras suspended on the top of enormous tripods.



A different view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge - looks like something out of Blade Runner (one of my favourite movies)



Luna Park is just a ten minute walk along the warf. Its a popular funfare with some interesting rides and lots of screams.



One of the rides (in fact the one soliciting the most screams) was rather photographic and gave some nice light effects.




And, of course, being 4 years old at heart, I enjoyed the funny mirror. Some passers by didn't realise it was a funny mirror and thought I was being rather narcarsistic taking photos of myself . Ah the joys of being 30+ and not giving a toss.

Walk in Sydney Botanical Gardens and surrounds

While Ally was slaving at work, I went for a relaxing walk in the Gardens. Light wasn't great but I took my camera nevertheless. I was suprised to discover that the gardens close at 3 pm on New Year's Eve - they would be the perfect place to see the fireworks in front of the Opera House. Maybe they don't want everyone climbing over the plants and feeding their champaign to the grass.

Trees and plants

Ibis building a nest

Lady McQuary's Folly

Some close ups of the Opera House (just outside the garden)

Lady Mc Quarry's Point

And yet another view of our flat in the distance - the tall building just to the right of the Opera House

Rush Hour at McMahons Point

Boxing Day and the river has been a hive of activity this morning with literally hundred of boats charging at mighty speeds past our flat in their quest for a good spot to watch the start of the famous, annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It is at times like this that one appreciates that Sydney must surely have one of the highest populations of motorboats and yachts in the world.

We are relying on our good friends, Doug and Claudia to buy themselves a "tinnie" (somehting they have been lusting after) so we too can charge off to exotic spots on the water. Having said that, we are going houseboating in the New Year with them - though I should imagine that will be at a considerably more sedate pace than the whirlwind throttles of the boats today.

Favourite family photos - 2006

Best family photos 2005

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Xmas in Cape Town

Thanks for the photos, Jo!


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Self Service

This sign sits over the Fletcher household's sink - a great accessory for large families.

Xmas Parrots

This wild King Parrot visited us in the garden and flashed us with his Xmas colours. Beautiful.

Xmas 2006

We were invited around to Doug and Claudia's family Xmas and were made to feel very welcome. Delicious food including turkey, gammon and very alcoholic Xmas pudding. Cute cats to stroke. King parrots in the garden. Lots of fun and laughter. What a great day.

Pictures from Canada

Some great pictures of Trish, Mike and Keira snow-shoing. The snow looks absolutely gorgeous. The Vanderbecks now have a new online photo album - glad you are using Picasa guys, isn't it brilliant!