tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76184459422584552452024-03-06T00:50:18.107+00:00The Annals BlogThe life and travels of the Annals family, we will post as often as possible so that you may share in our adventures with usLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-76286995956875035592010-11-15T22:02:00.000+00:002010-11-15T22:02:39.168+00:00Sunny Sunday Walks and Monday Hiding from the Rain....<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy97gAVX8AxQ21oeVqf6UQYEzRIC3jErr45bdO_tbsyt3H5dkW9w6bsx1pRCqAd-_c8smHfxWTtajxvNnb9FF3tMYZhYcaago9bGLqYkgtvLjZ81F7xW35pOx1wStQC4n0Co2666TIOmI/s1600/DSC06731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy97gAVX8AxQ21oeVqf6UQYEzRIC3jErr45bdO_tbsyt3H5dkW9w6bsx1pRCqAd-_c8smHfxWTtajxvNnb9FF3tMYZhYcaago9bGLqYkgtvLjZ81F7xW35pOx1wStQC4n0Co2666TIOmI/s320/DSC06731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sunday was the day of the long walk and the big shopping expedition to get some presents for Claire and the boys. However, a little unfinished business first - I said that I would find out about the wedding cake as I couldn't remember what it was, well I have.....<br />
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<div align="center">Orange and Poppy Seed</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There, sorted that one out.....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, back to Sunday. I started off from my apartment around about lunchtime - well I had been writing the wedding blog until about 3.30am! I walked down York Street heading towards the Rocks area of Sydney on a hunt for a specific shop which we visited two and a half years ago when we were last here. It was a fantastic shop which sold great baby clothes and other children's stuff that we couldn't buy from last time as we didn't have a baby, but now we do....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Trouble is I didn't know where the shop was or what it was called apart from it was in the Rocks somewhere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">I got to the Rocks to discover it was Market Day and spent a good time browsing the stalls and looking for my elusive shop. There were all sorts of things on sale, different crafts and hobbies on display and I managed to restrict myself to a purchase of 3 cards. Still, I had spent over an hour and no sign of the shop....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A phone call from my sister who has lived in Sydney for 3 years now, who knew where the shop was last time we were here, was no help whatsoever. She's not had baby clothes on her mind, just the wedding up to now. While I was on the phone to Kay I looked down an alleyway and spotted what I had been looking for - well the little mall that I knew it was in. The first thing that I saw down some stairs was a shop called Sticky, which is a shop that makes it's own random flavoured rock in front of the customer all day long. Needless to say I bought some rock and moved on to Mini Me, the shop I had been searching for. I spent a while choosing and then quite a bit of money on some clothes for Luke and Harry and then continued my wander. The next store I came to was the jewellers that I bought Claire's opal from last time, should I buy her another - I certainly went into the jewellers but did I buy.......</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not telling, all I will say is that the next shop that I went into I found the perfect present for Claire, but I can't tell you what it is otherwise it won't be a surprise!!! I was then at the corner of George Street, which goes all the way back up through the city to my apartment, past lots of boutiques and big name stores including the biggest Apple store that I have ever seen.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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When I got back to my apartment I decide to go for a swim to soothe my aching legs mainly as I had been walking for six hours. The swimming pool at the apartment building is great - firstly it is on the 9th floor and on one corner of the building the roof is cut away on this floor to allow sunlight in. The second odd thing about this pool was only discovered when I got in - it is a salt water pool in the middle of a building. Many pools are salt water in Australia as they build them adjoining beaches and around the coast but I didn't expect salt water on the 9th floor of an apartment in the city.....<br />
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I decided to go for a ferry ride in the evening, I had been invited over to Manly for a meal but managed to miss my ferry so ended up with Hungry Jacks (Burger King to you and me). I still went over to Manly and met up with Kay, mum and dad for drinks before managing to catch the last ferry back to the city at 11.40pm. The city lights are fantastic at night and my camera cannot really do the scene justice, however when up close I managed to get a couple of shots of it's most famous assets:<br />
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Sunday was spent and I got back to my apartment well after midnight, but I had to be up early in the morning, as I was going to visit Sydney Fish Market with mum and dad. The market is fascinating, with fish from all over the world as well as locally caught. I had never seen so many different types of crab all in one place but by far the most impressive sight was the swordfish that was being cut straight from the carcass which lay on a bed of ice. The fish had it's head and tail removed but was still a good 6 feet long and about 18" in diameter, each steak had to be portioned into 3 or 4 to make them normal sized!! The fish market was great and I'm glad we went, especially as it was pouring with rain - and our family friends had gone to climb the Harbour Bridge.....<br />
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Also at the Fish Market were various eateries and other shops, probably the most impressive was the immaculately stacked fresh produce in one store. Being the sad person that I am I took lots of photos of displays of produce, I wonder if we can get Sainsbury's looking this good:<br />
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Anyway, that's it for now. I have one full day left in Sydney and am really looking forward to being back at home and seeing my beautiful wife and boys - but first I'm off to the Koala Park.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-15421386467785121022010-11-13T15:06:00.001+00:002010-11-13T15:07:33.616+00:00The Blue Room<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM0GI3Z9hJ9TLHerNOpLCwzYGEnU1GmK42-P6XlDKkPZ2v7SwOJIatfKpTKurBN6_QviyU98IbW6E7Xa2vAHnQ5-SMrWOL7XNr3RuidKCk-8pBw76wbwbTUPba87BldtUV5EFfbLL5Vc/s1600/DSC06520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM0GI3Z9hJ9TLHerNOpLCwzYGEnU1GmK42-P6XlDKkPZ2v7SwOJIatfKpTKurBN6_QviyU98IbW6E7Xa2vAHnQ5-SMrWOL7XNr3RuidKCk-8pBw76wbwbTUPba87BldtUV5EFfbLL5Vc/s320/DSC06520.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Room</td></tr>
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Mr & Mrs Shrimpton welcome you aboard the Blue Room......<br />
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This fantastic vessel was the venue for the reception, a five hour cruise around Sydney Harbour including a three course meal. We boarded the Blue Room at 6pm from the private wharf at the Opera House to be greeted with two decks of the finest hospitality. Downstairs were tables set out for the meal and an area set aside as a dance floor, upstairs was a bar and informal seating area, half of which was covered to offer some protection from the sun:<br />
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We were encouraged to go upstairs to the bar area for welcoming drinks where we could study the table plan. The tables were all named after the bays surrounding the harbour and were covered with scattered pink and white crystals.<br />
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After setting sail out into the harbour we followed the shoreline in and out of various bays at a leisurely pace until we arrived at a sheltered cove which is home to the Taronga Zoo. It was in this sheltered cove that we stayed for the delicious three course meal and speeches. The meal was wonderful, with a way of serving that is unfamiliar to anyone from the UK. There are always two choices, that is two starters, two mains - one of these is fish based and the other is meat based. The plates are put down alternately around the table and guests swap plates with a neighbour if both are agreed. Sounds strange but in practice works really well. <br />
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The starters were:<br />
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<div align="center">Glazed Pork Belly with Honey, Five Spice, Soy and Queen Scallop</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Symphony of Sydney Seafood which includes Steamed Ocean Trout, Carpaccio of Smoked Salmon, King Prawn and Mesculin Salad</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">Both starters were excellent and followed by the first round of speeches. Announcements were made by our MC for the evening, a close friend of Tim's who goes by the extremely trustworthy name of Lee, however this Lee was also taking bets on the length of the best man's speech! First to speak was the father of the groom, whose story of a young Tim suitably embarrassed but cannot be repeated here. For details please see a guest....</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Second speech was from a very proud father of the bride, who I know had been thinking about his speech for many weeks. He had it all prepared, written out and practised - no doubt under the watchful eye of an equally proud mother of the bride. When it came to standing in front of people the speech was put back into pocket and a truly heartfelt tribute to his beautiful daughter followed - interrupted only by the fuse blowing on the PA system.....despite this setback the speech was delivered with confidence and feeling and I'm sure that I saw tears in a few places......</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Next came Tim's speech, kind responses to the words of wisdom offered by both fathers, thanks for everyone involved especially the bridesmaids and complimentary words of love for his wife.</div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPYLHpJ0jOdTDAHQcWr3CmKw_q0Wf8D4Eq2iBDgilI8CeakkfN-DffWjRtlcmorEJQeTV88GJBDqEgdZ3mMEZnhb34zsNBXS9xa45iHCkvzNZ07lUxfcGIpBcw0BJZ5k-on4dfD6k-j4/s1600/DSC06708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPYLHpJ0jOdTDAHQcWr3CmKw_q0Wf8D4Eq2iBDgilI8CeakkfN-DffWjRtlcmorEJQeTV88GJBDqEgdZ3mMEZnhb34zsNBXS9xa45iHCkvzNZ07lUxfcGIpBcw0BJZ5k-on4dfD6k-j4/s320/DSC06708.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By now the sun was setting on a fabulous day, the main course was served in the fading light and was delicious:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Beef Fillet, Asparagus and Kumera with Irish Whiskey and Pepper Cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Barramundi Fillet with Prawn and Avocado Salsa Infused Dressing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mixed Leaf Salad and Chat Potatoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the main course it was the turn of the best man to speak. John had not been allowed to bet on the length of his own speech for obvious reasons but the air of anticipation was rising as he stood up and everyone looked longingly at the pot of over $300......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">John's speech was legendary, stories of Tim's antics throughout their years of friendship both entertained us and also disappointed each of us as our time passed with no sense of John drawing to a close. The final time was a little over seven minutes and the pot was won by Kay's one-time house mate Alex who very kindly donated the winnings to Kay and Tim for their honeymoon at the end of the month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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It was time for Kay and Tim to cut the cake, and I apologise that I cannot remember what the cake was although I will find out and add to this blog. What I can tell you is that it was not the fruit cake with sponge layer that is traditional in the UK.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Cfr1MwewrYOaiylaaRjOzEp5PrQnWTorNtscG8ZqQxv26pd2cy3ZjoSnnZ2VoUdcvbFl8IwyJnqNKMfyYrNf1JKXBd0iC4old_d5ldOPuS_8aPrPJaGIiSZ5KIz4NqItzM2pkyJACWs/s1600/DSC06633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Cfr1MwewrYOaiylaaRjOzEp5PrQnWTorNtscG8ZqQxv26pd2cy3ZjoSnnZ2VoUdcvbFl8IwyJnqNKMfyYrNf1JKXBd0iC4old_d5ldOPuS_8aPrPJaGIiSZ5KIz4NqItzM2pkyJACWs/s320/DSC06633.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div align="left">Once the cake was cut the Blue Room set sail into the harbour once more and continued to follow the shoreline in and out of secluded bays and coves, under the Harbour Bridge, through Darling Harbour on it's way back towards the Opera House wharf. Cake consumed along with a selection of Australian Cheese with Lavosh it was time to get to the dance floor. As is traditional the bride and groom took to the floor for their first dance and the usual scrum for photographs followed......</div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5INNeuIi13lMCXRg01NWEwhqOODkfrxygUW6ga3nLpn88e0y4r9_4nXs-t1NFHqq-eudQR6ji4lYtfaMQ9fI2wDelkE1H5mlrZ-jdcCnDLmE5kG0afhxfEPEaVHr8A5qJI6rnre45koo/s1600/DSC06641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5INNeuIi13lMCXRg01NWEwhqOODkfrxygUW6ga3nLpn88e0y4r9_4nXs-t1NFHqq-eudQR6ji4lYtfaMQ9fI2wDelkE1H5mlrZ-jdcCnDLmE5kG0afhxfEPEaVHr8A5qJI6rnre45koo/s320/DSC06641.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMK1_9Yar9TwcbTMAMcZOOh0p8E-WLBm4ijDquv6A8HRhNfE1Ae2NmsfvnjDDfHgTEqEq9wZbItLjvNDhiWO7jC8rMO8IMA6ZSwpX7eV1U6b65hHc9ZVQklQe1JhxO71nNdXFHOL4cst0/s1600/DSC06716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMK1_9Yar9TwcbTMAMcZOOh0p8E-WLBm4ijDquv6A8HRhNfE1Ae2NmsfvnjDDfHgTEqEq9wZbItLjvNDhiWO7jC8rMO8IMA6ZSwpX7eV1U6b65hHc9ZVQklQe1JhxO71nNdXFHOL4cst0/s320/DSC06716.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The rest of the evening was spent by many on the dance floor and a great time was had by all involved.<br />
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The Blue Room docked at the Opera House just after 11pm and it was time to leave this wonderful vessel behind. Most descended on the Opera Bar to keep the party going, a great place to experience on the lower concourse of the Opera House. It was well past midnight when I left and there are rumours of some not getting in until 6.30am - they shall remain nameless.....<br />
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The night was over, but for Kay her life as Mrs Shrimpton has begun. Another chapter in her wonderful life has opened....<br />
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I'd like to thank Kay and Tim for the great memories that the 12th November 2010 has brought to so many people. I'm sure that whether you were here or not you will join me in wishing them a long, happy and healthy life together and I hope that my ramblings have helped to describe Kay and Tim's special day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48gBH2ufpTg7tK2vMqgnpkZ8B-IcREHUglMqdY7GDncKNrtBM4Od4w5XZIyTHfpZqNYpGPXhgngVuQW4ueosuLs3rOh-ybDJVcWrcpjSWH3dKyfCu5FyAVVBnVIc_LOerl258kBLbOTk/s1600/DSC06587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48gBH2ufpTg7tK2vMqgnpkZ8B-IcREHUglMqdY7GDncKNrtBM4Od4w5XZIyTHfpZqNYpGPXhgngVuQW4ueosuLs3rOh-ybDJVcWrcpjSWH3dKyfCu5FyAVVBnVIc_LOerl258kBLbOTk/s320/DSC06587.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-34408506414139716142010-11-13T13:17:00.001+00:002010-11-13T13:20:04.701+00:00Here comes the bride - by water taxi.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r0xbNLrNFzKkmEHqOPAKcdhHman4Wo48UqrAtnec81rrAZkI5zqAr_gA7OxEsCwvLH7wFcAG4g9UJ9MreTrhVjNIZTK5I8l3WnGmaW1mfrEHgaudlJAgf0El7atsuuiS2rfiGWW5b3g/s1600/DSC06701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r0xbNLrNFzKkmEHqOPAKcdhHman4Wo48UqrAtnec81rrAZkI5zqAr_gA7OxEsCwvLH7wFcAG4g9UJ9MreTrhVjNIZTK5I8l3WnGmaW1mfrEHgaudlJAgf0El7atsuuiS2rfiGWW5b3g/s320/DSC06701.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wow, what a day....where to start my account of the wedding of Mr Tim Shrimpton and Miss Kay Annals. I can only give you my account so here goes......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day started fairly leisurely for myself (although I'm sure not for others involved), the wedding was to take place at 4pm in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney and afterwards on the Blue Room, more of that later. So, from a brother's point of view, all I had to do was to get to Kay's house in Kirribilli for 3pm and photos. Not wanting to be late I left my apartment at 1pm, knowing that the journey should only take half an hour anyway. I was dressed in my hired suit, shirt and tie and the temperature was 28 degrees - so I headed underground for the train and to escape the heat. The train took me through the city to Circular Quay to catch the ferry across the harbour to Milsons Point, a short 10 minute trip. I was there in plenty of time and grabbed a quick takeaway lunch while waiting for the ferry. Once on the other side of the harbour I could see the view that Kay has every day. She lives in Kirribilli which is directly opposite the Opera House and her building is on the waterfront so has uninterrupted views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from both a bedroom and the living room - truly breathtaking.</div><br />
I arrived at Kay's nice and early - as a brother should - to find that she wasn't in. The hairdresser had taken longer than expected (4 hours) and they were on their way back. After a frantic few moments the dress was on.....<br />
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The bride looked stunning and there were parental tears, as there should be when a daughter gets married. A few photos later and it was time for an emotional mother and proud brother to leave for the ceremony. Our journey was by road, across the bridge to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The journey of the bridesmaids, father of the bride and glowing bride was justifiably far more grand but first a couple of photos of proud parents:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSj-r-hKgQbbu5z_InsFMPqDXRQuxh5kAcKRbIX7tRkTv_nyb6uUS_7MAmgceh61qHbE2EL6CODqoj0BHvlKZXErFEFGeNA0wUCYEzR_7OcNHdMXTPq5xgNAtg7p5UQvrDwitRx_iL3M/s1600/DSC06698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSj-r-hKgQbbu5z_InsFMPqDXRQuxh5kAcKRbIX7tRkTv_nyb6uUS_7MAmgceh61qHbE2EL6CODqoj0BHvlKZXErFEFGeNA0wUCYEzR_7OcNHdMXTPq5xgNAtg7p5UQvrDwitRx_iL3M/s200/DSC06698.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNjK6Lniiql_cFD4hI8ZZdy0xQwloP1iqEQUbhoizfClQo5p2jZZM4Z8XNkWSk7rptaB994BCT9uVjt9xZs2Dva7L6aZ0uG4ycHkunn8qCmCG4G8LDty0260zWZjyITOLsFrVB1AIQJg/s1600/DSC06689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNjK6Lniiql_cFD4hI8ZZdy0xQwloP1iqEQUbhoizfClQo5p2jZZM4Z8XNkWSk7rptaB994BCT9uVjt9xZs2Dva7L6aZ0uG4ycHkunn8qCmCG4G8LDty0260zWZjyITOLsFrVB1AIQJg/s200/DSC06689.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
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The Royal Botanical Gardens are adjacent to the Sydney Opera House, just a short walk from the front steps of this famous landmark. The site of the wedding was about 200 yards inside the gates on a flat grassy area that looks directly back at the Opera House. Being a public place there were quite a few onlookers at all the funny wedding guests in full regalia, all slowly melting in the sun!! The location of the ceremony was very special indeed:<br />
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Such a beautiful setting deserves a stunning entrance by the bride and that was provided by a white water taxi which docked (albeit over15 minutes late) at a private dock at the foot of the Opera House steps:<br />
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The bride walked up through the park to a symphony of applause from everyone in the gardens, complete strangers who added greatly to a very special day. I had spoken to Tim prior to Kay's arrival to check with him that it was okay for me to be everywhere armed with both video camera and still camera in an effort to capture as much as possible for those who could not be there with us due to the distances involved. Sadly this was a great number of people who were dearly missed but in everyone's thoughts. Tim had agreed to my camera antics and I think I managed to get photos from pretty much every angle imaginable - it must have looked very strange to the amassed crowds for this restless person to be constantly wandering throughout the ceremony - and I sure I must have annoyed some of the assembled guests......<br />
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The ceremony contained two readings, the formalities expected as well as a sand ceremony performed by the bride, groom and their mothers. This was an Australian tradition which involves the pouring of two different coloured sands alternately into a heart shaped vase, creating a unique and permanent memento of the occasion for the bride and groom.<br />
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Following a wonderful ceremony, delivered perfectly by Sue, a very close friend of Tim's family, pink champagne was served to the guests before the photos took place. The photographer, Michael, was fantastic and there will be some very special memories captured through that lens...<br />
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Mr and Mrs Shrimpton invite you all to attend the Blue Room.............Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-44381979806912245912010-11-11T16:09:00.001+00:002010-11-11T23:59:38.300+00:00Handbags and Gladrags....<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I can't believe it. I've come all the way to Sydney and ended up the day today shopping for handbags with my reluctant dad and panic stricken mum....but more of that later.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I spent Wednesday wandering and waiting. My sister had told me that she needed to come into the city to get a few things and that she would give me a call when she was on her way about 9am. So there I was, up early and ready (this was the waiting bit). Kay rang just after 11am to say that she was just leaving home and that I should walk down to Myer, the department store where I could hire this elusive suit. I got there, looked around all 6 floors and organised the hire of my suit before Kay arrived.......</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We then looked at children's books and toys before Kay announced that one of her jobs was to get her eyebrows done - not very exciting, so I arranged to meet her for lunch after this. Lunch was in a food court underneath the department store where we ate from Hokka Hokka, a great Chinese food place. Kay's next job was to find some nail varnish (this was the wandering bit), so I left her to it and walked down through the city to Circular Quay, the ferry port, cruise terminal and home of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. I mooched around the quayside for almost 2 hours, taking photos of the sights and trying to be artistic:</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After a couple of hours I decide to go and have a play on the ferries, for those that haven't been to Sydney, the ferries are a fantastic way of getting around and I could spend most of the day moving between ferries and returning back to Circular Quay.......There was a serious side to the ferry adventure, I needed to go round to Darling Harbour and find the restaurant for Wednesday night and also to find the way to walk back to my apartment from there after the meal. The restaurant was found with considerable ease, mainly because when you get off the ferry George's Mediterranean is the first place that you come to. Restaurant found I headed for my apartment, a short walk of about 10 minutes. Restaurant found I headed there for the meeting time of 7pm, to find that I was the first there,,,,The meal was nice but the company was better, there were 23 of us in total including both sets of parents, bridesmaids, ushers, best man, bride and groom and the rest were just odd friends and hangers-on (myself included)!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both sets of proud parents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thursday came and will now be known as handbag day. My mum and dad had arranged to come to my apartment, from where we could go and find mum a new handbag and also pick up my suit. The story of the handbag goes like this. Mum brought her handbag and shoes, carefully chosen from home and when she got to Kay's house she realised that in the picture of my brother's wedding (hanging on sister's wall), the same shoes and handbag were in situ......<br />
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Apparently to wear the same shoes and handbag is somehow worse than committing genocide so new ones had to be bought immediately. Luckily enough they stopped off in a shoe shop just outside the train station on their way to me and found the perfect pair of shoes - which created handbag hell for the next few hours trying to find a matching handbag. I lost count after the 789,145th handbag shop but eventually one was found that was of a decent match and price. We also went back to the department store where we found this creature made from Lego:<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After handbags at dawn, and all afternoon we headed across to Manly (where mum and dad are staying) on the ferry for a barbecue on their balcony. However on the way we got slightly distracted by a bar called The Four Pines, where I was ordered to sit down as my drink was coming.....I was presented with a wooden rack containing 5 different glasses of 5 different beers. This was the taster rack and as the bar brewed it's own beers they did this so that the customer could choose the beer that they liked best. A great idea for micro breweries to take on and cheap enough too as each glass was only a small sampler glass....</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taster racks at The Four Pines</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The barbecue was great, excellent steak and sausages with salad and couscous and after a very pleasant evening I headed back to the city via ferry and train to my apartment. I tried to take some nighttime photos and a video of the city from the water, some of which worked, most of which didn't. One day I will learn how to take proper photos and maybe even invest in a proper camera that you have to think about before just pressing a button!<br />
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Anyway, I have stayed up late in order to speak to Luke, Harry and Claire after school and it's now approaching 3am as I've also been writing this for you. I have a wedding to go to in about 12 hours, where I must simultaneously shoot video and take still photos so I had better get some sleep. I'll leave you with a couple of the night time shots of the Opera House. Next time I write will be to tell you about a wedding......<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Utzon's finest</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5o31vamqaZ83VRAw94PeAJ5q-b-UEr6MpOIa2ANzW1aBUeMzRPYb5C2iUfhzp-5vc6TXsgOG7X_puz32ME-d9A31bEP2XLnqWjCRBZHgMMkHXVrPxDt3xj-T09GcPFI75Pj6aQXBM2-g/s1600/DSC06330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5o31vamqaZ83VRAw94PeAJ5q-b-UEr6MpOIa2ANzW1aBUeMzRPYb5C2iUfhzp-5vc6TXsgOG7X_puz32ME-d9A31bEP2XLnqWjCRBZHgMMkHXVrPxDt3xj-T09GcPFI75Pj6aQXBM2-g/s320/DSC06330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-80731642479454910662010-11-09T22:06:00.009+00:002015-05-19T19:04:14.391+01:00Sydney, hello again<div><br><div><strong>Sydney, hello again</strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div></div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537684269073854466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8bijiH9P3xkKlXNySqcAV10H8bvKzmH6dNFCnigs-BHJMwSpXIkJntplC3qvhhvb2fF4MOGWCO9Va6R9al2y2oVPx9QpP02RIoroFSAlxRw-kKBQEf8r2GfBtz5Zjswl15RrCRsSH-k/s320/DSC06208.JPG"></div><div> </div><div>Well, I've arrived in Australia. Flight was a little bit delayed last night due to the fact that the fuel gauge wasn't working......<br></div><br><p>Arrived at about 9pm here to be met by my sister, mum and dad at Sydney airport. A short drive into town brought us to my home for the next 9 days, the Medina Grand on<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCWlqV878WTQ7FfdjcVoWlqwDpXpoNtT5c-U_8CcZVboXv9moRR2taEHcX5FMPHFYqsvj7QP38-aLPIilxyfYzioUp3488_bIb_kp0_Mcm6AWXit2mncw6UC7f2j22kKwlZh-KXiuRLc/s1600/DSC06211.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537677567027149426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCWlqV878WTQ7FfdjcVoWlqwDpXpoNtT5c-U_8CcZVboXv9moRR2taEHcX5FMPHFYqsvj7QP38-aLPIilxyfYzioUp3488_bIb_kp0_Mcm6AWXit2mncw6UC7f2j22kKwlZh-KXiuRLc/s200/DSC06211.JPG"></a> Kent Street. It is a large building and I am on the 12th floor in my one bedroomed apartment which is really nice. I have a fully fitted kitchen, lounge area, seperate bedroom and bathroom with washing machine and tumble dryer. The picture is taken from my front door looking across towards the balcony.</p><br><p>I spent my time last night leisurely unpacking and generally getting sorted, before going out just after midnight to find a shop, surprisingly easy as there's one on the next corner which is open 24hours. Stocked up my cupboards with what is basically breakfast and snacky food.</p><br><p>I spoke to my wife on Skype and decided that I would stay up late and speak to my Luke and Harry as well, so at 2.30am I saw them all. Missing them loads but it was good to see and speak to them all. Harry seemed to still recognise me and was babbling away to the screen, Luke was more interested in what was on television behind him and my wife was as gorgeous as ever.</p><br><p>Anyway, it's Wednesday now and my current plans involve going to hunt down a suit for the wedding which is on Friday, going for a meal tonight with the rest of the wedding party at somewhere called George's Mediterranean in Darling Harbour. Other than that my days are my own, will be doing a lot of wandering about exploring Sydney.</p><br><p>At the top of this post is a picture taken from my balcony of the Sydney Tower in the low cloud and I will leave you with another view taken from the same balcony.....</p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537682762319682178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp82-0qpJbbI2CDEmpdjbc_PxXtr6e7_WjVqH9vw-c9QmpEU1QNYSClYEu6rl7Dt9IKDboKwmxE6v2X4TJ5Ey_gJA3gksrsxeCPJEh988FecPHihiIjgCFkru6U5ChgU7VRYQgcJpe62Q/s320/DSC06209.JPG"><br><br><br><div></div></div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-61953926359791191012010-11-07T20:49:00.000+00:002010-11-07T21:08:35.670+00:00Off I go againIt's been a while - 2 and a half years I think. I'm going to try and write about my travels again. This time it's a bit different, no big family adventure to the other side of the world with a wife and child. Regrettably I have had to leave them behind this time due to financial, school and new addition to the family pressure. Our family is now four strong, my long suffering wife Claire, our now 6 year old Luke, our newest addition Harry who is now 8 months old and myself.<br /><br />The call has come to return to Australia, this time for my sister's wedding in 5 days time. We decided when we found out that we would not take eldest out of school and we did not want to fly to Australia with an 8 month old. So here I am, sat in a hotel at Heathrow, alone and waiting for a flight in the morning that will take me to the other side of the world.<br /><br />Do I want to go? Yes....<br />Do I wish that my wife and two boys were coming along? Yes....<br /><br />But common sense prevails and I am heading off on my own. I hope that they miss me as much as I will miss them.<br /><br />I will return in 11 days time and although I have some good times to look forward to in the next couple of weeks, the part I most look forward to is being reunited with my family.<br /><br />I will try to keep this blog going although Claire will be the first to tell you that I'm fairly useless when it comes to being organised. I will try to keep it factual and share the experience for those that cannot be there. <br /><br />Write again on the other side of the world....<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-19337752464846328842008-07-04T12:43:00.002+01:002010-11-09T22:55:32.814+00:00ThomaslandSince just before March the trailers have been on children's TV - 'come to Thomasland at Drayton Manor park'. Originally they said 'for Easter' which led to Luke saying 'we need to go to Thomasland' everytime Easter was mentioned 'because it said so' (I've also been urged to buy CillitBang in the supermarket for the same reason).<br /><br /><br /><br />We discovered that children under 4 are free and then bought a 2 for the price of 1 token on eBay so when we finally succumbed in mid-June we got in as cheaply as we possibly could (it still cost us nearly £30).<br /><br /><br /><br />When the day dawned it was very rainy and we packed up waterproofs as well as the suncream. The high entry price made me think it would be as slick and commercial as Alton Towers but we were pleasantly suprised to find that it wasn't on such a grand and imposing scale. Thomasland lived up to all of Luke's expectations but he initially refused to go on any rides - we had an inkling that this would be the case after our Disneyland trip in February and had streesed that rides would have to be at least attempted. So we boarded Clarabel, being pulled by Thomas, and travelled to the other end of the park where we found the Zoo and the best outdoor play area I've ever seen. There were wooden huts, bridges, cars and slides of all descriptions a sand play area and musical instruments to bash - we could have stayed there all day but it was threatening to rain again. We opted for a walk back to the rides through the zoo - with Lee and I bigging up the Thomas rides as we went. One thing I noted was that all the 'feed the animals' and 'meet the keeper' events seemed to be in the afternoon. Luke soon got bored with looking at the animals and got more excited as we headed back to the park. We persuaded him to go on the ferris wheel so that we could 'see Thomas' and get our bearings - he had no qualms about this as he'd been on one before 'when auntie Kay was scared and nanny looked really small on the ground'. We were then finally ready to tackle the rides of Thomasland.<br /><br /><br /><br />Our first worry was that for most of the rides children had to be a metre tall - we needn't have worried as when we measured him he was 110cm! No wonder he's grown out of all his age 3-4 clothes. The first thing he wanted to go on was Trevor the Traction Engine - parents weren't allowed on. His concentration as he went round corners was a picture and the men running the ride were amazed that he wasn't yet 4. I'm not sure how we managed it but the next ride was the troublesome trucks - a rollercoaster! - we hadn't watched it beforehand so we didn't realise that it went around twice. I pity the people in the queue as he screamed 'no, no not again! I want to get off!'. We struggled to find somewhere for lunch - tough we didn't know about the self-serve resturant up the hill. The first we came accross advertised pizza slices and jacket potatoes on the outside menu but only sold burgers inside, we then found one that only sold pizza (which is what Luke wanted) - this scared Luke as the seating area was done out as a rainforest and all the 'animals' made loud noises but it was raining outside so we had to stay.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11984949801710850317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-53218923168538293582008-02-21T14:46:00.004+00:002008-02-21T15:14:56.445+00:00Mickeyland<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvJA8mTiVtRWo2uzCvZ-yredI7_NPEs-0Z_wnSt0MECrwMKn9D2SfhEZkk9W3D0DJJFFDbOoB9tToKr-oN9jecGsL3yrfHW7bBZdy7WDpa2wEjW6iMImK0iw2LIzbg-DXsicusVO-X3I/s1600-h/PoohBear.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169445195538355554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvJA8mTiVtRWo2uzCvZ-yredI7_NPEs-0Z_wnSt0MECrwMKn9D2SfhEZkk9W3D0DJJFFDbOoB9tToKr-oN9jecGsL3yrfHW7bBZdy7WDpa2wEjW6iMImK0iw2LIzbg-DXsicusVO-X3I/s320/PoohBear.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Thursday was always going to be a special treat for Luke, we had been telling him that if he was good he would have a special treat but secretly we were always going to take him to Disneyland in Hong Kong. We toyed with the idea of the hotel shuttle bus which took you directly to the gates of the park (for £10 each) but opted for the £2.50 train journey with two changes and a walk between stations. We arrived at about 30 minutes after the park had opened, with Luke none the wiser until we boarded the special Mickey Mouse train which took you to the park.</div><div> </div><div>The walk from the train to the gates was filled with anticipation as Luke had finally realised that we were at 'Mickeyland'. I was surprised at how quiet the park actually was, but then it is Thursday. Disneyland is divided into 4 areas, Main Street, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. We headed up Main Street, stopping to watch the Dragon Parade, towards Fantasyland where we knew the Winnie the Pooh area was. The picture above is the only picture that Luke would have with a character - he's a bit unsure of grown-ups dressed in cartoon outfits! Once we had met Pooh we had a theme for the rest of the day, the hunt for Lumpy and Roo for another photo. We had a few tears when we couldn't find them and even more when the day was drawing to a close and we still couldn't find them. Excuses for the shocking failure of mum and dad to find Lumpy and Roo ranged from '...it must be their day off...' to '...perhaps they're on holiday...'. The only response that Luke had to offer was for us to go and find them on their holiday and bring them back. Luke is still concerned that Lumpy and Roo weren't aware that he was at Disneyland today!</div><div> </div><div>We only braved one ride, the story of Winnie the Pooh, which Luke enjoyed in the end. We saw all the main characters, and enjoyed the Disney Parade down Main Street. We saw the Rockin' Mickey show in front of the castle and decided to stay until the very last minute to see the fireworks which closed the day.</div><div> </div><div>Writing this now I'm not sure whether it was Luke or Claire which enjoyed the day most......maybe it was even me! Luke's face was a picture on many occasions throughout the day, which we shall remember for many years to come. Disneyland really is a magical place.......</div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-54349936502719850762008-02-20T13:36:00.004+00:002008-02-20T14:15:05.993+00:00Goodbye to Sydney and Hello Hong KongSuch a lot to catch up on.<br /><br />On Saturday we met up with Kay's friend Tanya and headed to Darling Harbour to watch the Dragon Boat Racing - which was part of the celebrations for Chinese New Year. One of Kay's work colleagues, Nicola, was racing and her team won! We couldn't see much in the harbour as the place was packed but it is one of the places on the must see in Sydney list. We met up with another of Kay's friends on the way back - Crystal, who Luke has promised to marry - and Lee got to visit the Bavarian Beer Cafe (and drink a Gentleman's pint - a litre!). We also met Amanda, who Kay works with and went to New Zealand with, before they headed out for the night.<br /><br />We were in a bit of a quandary on Sunday morning as to whether to wake Kay up for our planned visit to Taronga Zoo. Amanda had kindly lent us her guest passes so we could get in for free. Kay not only got up but made us a picnic lunch Amanda joined us too. Our only trouble was parking when we got there as it was slightly busier than we expected and we had to park several streets away - okay but there seemed to be huge spiders in gigantic webs strung from every hedge to every lamppost (and that was in the posh suburbs outside the Zoo). We had another photography session with Koala's - but this was much better as besides the 'official' photograph we were allowed to take our own ans she took some with our camera too - PLUS when we realised we'd forgotten to have a picture with Luke's nursery Lion (Roary for those that haven't met him) they kindly took him back into the enclosure and held him next to the Koala so we could get a good shot. Luke's favourite animal was the 'orange monkey' - which was actually a huge Orangutan. We returned to Kay's for a BBQ with some of her friends and Luke DID NOT want to go to sleep.<br /><br />Our final day wasn't spent as we'd planned as I spent much of it at the GPs and then the hospital. It was a false alarm and I am fine - don't panic mum - but it was better to be sure. Luke did get to spend some time on the beach as Auntie Kay came to the rescue and took him to build sand castles. We also found that you may be on the other side of the world but it still takes 8 hours to get out of A&E once you are in!<br /><br />Yesterday we had to get up early as the taxi was booked for 8am to take us to the airport we waved goodbye to Kay as she left to catch her ferry to work and 45 mins later we were crossing the harbour bridge and saw her ferry arrive. If it hadn't been for the 3 cases and the pushchair it would have definitely been easier to travel to the airport by ferry and train (and a lot cheaper and quicker too). We did a bit of souvenir shopping at the airport (okay it was mostly for us) before our flight to Hong Kong.<br /><br />Luke kept asking 'Are we on the runway yet?' and as soon as I said 'yes' he was asleep he slept for 3 hours but them was awake for the remaining 9 hours apart from the last 10 mins of the flight - he must be affected by a change in air pressure!<br /><br />Today we had a pre-organised tour of Hong Kong courtesy of Quantas. We met 'Billy' our tour guide who has the weirdest turn of phrase I have ever heard - his English sounded like he was originally from Sweden and there was more than a little innuendo and lots of weird substitution of words - glorious for genuine, switching for scaffolding, - the end of every comment was punctuated by 'yeash' or 'you da boss' and he kept talking about 'fat cats'. He has a son in LA so that might explain it. He also seemed to have lots of little sidelines - he had an associate who took our pictures a the first stop, then disappeared and came back later to sell us a copy of the picture plus a cut out of the same picture stuck onto a plate for £15. The bus driver was selling postcards and I am sure Billy took a cut from every stop.<br /><br />First we went on the 'optional' extra trip on a Sampan around a floating fishing village and restaurant, then we went to a jewelry factory - which was looking through a window at 3 men putting gems into settings and then the hard sell in the shop, then we went to a market where everything was $100 (for 3, 6, 7 items) but we could only stay for half an hour, finally we went on the Peak tram ride (for the return trip only) where we travelled down the peak at a 45 degree angle - very weird experience and I hope the photos/video do it justice. With several hours to spare after the tour (we declined the optional extra of being dropped off somewhere in Kowloon to make our own way back via the Star ferry) we explored the shopping streets - again we were travelling with our mini celebrity - Luke and is red hair - so he did get a few waves. We made quite a few purchases of Thomas the Tank Engine items - including the Chinese Dragon for his train set - and may be back to buy a suitcase to carry all the extra baggage in!<br /><br />Our plan for tomorrow is to brave the local train system and visit Disneyland Hong Kong (about an hour away by train) - ahh you understand now why we need the extra suitcase!<br /><br />ClaireClairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11984949801710850317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-51782040726441913492008-02-15T22:50:00.003+00:002008-02-15T23:57:17.822+00:00Bridge ClimbOn Friday we had booked tickets to go on the bridge climb in the afternoon, so the morning took on a very leisurely lazy atmosphere at Kay's, heading off towards the ferry into the city at about midday. We had lunch on the move, filo pies from the local deli and enjoyed the ferry ride into the city. Once there we made our way to 5 Cumberland Street, where the Bridge Climb offices are. Only Kay and I were to climb the bridge as Luke is too young and Claire really didn't want to anyway. Claire and Luke said farewell and we headed into the experience.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The first hour of Bridge Climb is to fill out the indemnity paperwork which basically says that if you fall off Bridge Climb are not responsible, getting into the 'jelly baby' style suit and getting harnessed up ready for the climb. You have a harness which attaches you to the bridge at all times called the latch so that no-one can fall off!! Next you go on a bridge simulator to show how the latch works and what the ladders are going to be like, simulation not terribly real as it's only a gantry 10 feet off the ground and there's no cars, trains or boats going past below.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next is the most terrifying part of the whole experience - in your jelly baby suits you have to walk 100 metres down the public street to get to the start of the climb. A very inconspicuous looking door takes you up some steps into the rock that supports the start of the bridge where, once inside, you are attached to the bridge for the next two hours.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The climb begins with a long walk across a gantry above the road and park below to get to the first pylon (the stone bit that looks as if it holds the bridge up but which actually serves no purpose at all). Inside the pylon there are some squeeze points where you are clambering around the steel of the bridge. Next come the dreaded ladders where one climber at a time you ascend four ladders which take you up to the upper arch of the bridge. On the way up these ladders you appear through the roadway between lanes 7 and 8 of the highway that crosses the bridge (on the way down you disappear between the north and southbound train lines). Once on the upper arch the climb is gentle, nothing more than a stairway to the summit which is 134 metres above the water and 75 metres above the road deck. Photos are taken as you cross to the other side of the bridge for the descent and at various points on the arches. Everyone is then charged a small fortune for these photos at the end of the experience.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I would thoroughly recommend the Bridge Climb experience, while relatively expensive it is well worth the investment of time and money.<br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167359799937586514" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo-eRZfdrQVvKsv8b1CsS5BLOWnxriW8kHjBoFpuG4nzsKErR6J3ALR_kR8ueDIIdiLTrRgbbrcKcx1md6mmJQS-KTOYG3i7gus04_ne-n62VgwXjCxzqSG-ZoxhGQnPKFpidejVpLaY/s320/BridgeClimb3.jpg" border="0" /></p><br />We had dinner in a nice little Italian in the Rocks area of Sydney and headed home on the ferry, today the plan is to go to the dragon boat racing at Darling Harbour.......Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-84825504334470043002008-02-13T21:37:00.006+00:002008-02-13T22:35:07.400+00:00Opera to Koalas<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166583540433409314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS9heGjQwHdk2tAcAbPakC9jVDwtYev19Qrge3fn0OiRe0-ZZBEt_avbEtR7zWfMDtpR9PVOqsJKdb89q1Bk3dp_qFrXYRw4n_202OFYrhtsfc-QYN2ewyvx9lW12LgLGv4_YnnqzopY/s320/Sydney+View.jpg" border="0" />After a slow start settling into Manly and getting the shopping done for our stay here we finally hit tourist mode on Monday and boarded the ferry into Sydney. Manly is a 30 minute ferry journey into the city centre and this is the view that greets Kay every morning when she travels to work. The <a href="http://www.sydneyferries.info/timetables/manly-ferry.htm">ferry</a> docks between the <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/">Opera House </a>and the <a href="http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/harbourbridge/">Bridge</a> and then it is a short train journey to her office - all this (and back again) for £20 a week.<br /><br /><br />Our first stop, naturally, was the <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/">Opera House </a>we walked to it, then around it and decided to go inside. This was a bit tricky as the 1956 design didn't really allow for access and we had to be escorted by staff to a lift in the area where sets were being made up for the Opera later in the week. Once inside we asked about performances but were told if Luke made the slightest noise we would be thrown out as Australians are very intolerant of children - best not bother then. We did book a tour, which was fantastic, and Luke managed to just about stay quiet for the hour. The <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/">Opera House </a>looks amazing at any angle but close up takes on a whole new beauty. It has now been listed as a site of historical importance. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the quay to the Sydney bridge and back through the area called the Rocks - the first settlement in Sydney - before meeting Kay on her way home from work and catching the ferry back to Manly. If you ever get the chance to go and don't have children with you there are plenty of regular events you can go to experience the <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/">Opera House </a>- I liked the look of High Tea where a singer will give you (and the 50 or so other guests) a private performance. Back at Kay's we had Kangaroo steak for tea!<br /><br /><br />Tuesday we decided to use the tickets that Kay bought us for Christmas and visited the <a href="http://www.sydneytoweroztrek.com.au/">Sydney Tower</a>. Rather than catching the train we walked up the main shopping street. There is lots of shopping here - each train station, like our underground, is situated under a shopping mall. The <a href="http://www.sydneytoweroztrek.com.au/">Sydney Tower</a> was no different and after searching in vain for a lift that worked we finally gave up and used the escalator for the pushchair. Luke has given up on walking and after losing him in a supermarket on Sunday for about 2 minutes we've given up caring about how much he's using the pushchair. The tour starts with OzTrek that takes you through the sights and sounds of Australia and ends in a virtual reality cinema - luckily Luke was too young for the moving seats so we got to sit in the stationary ones! The views from the tower were amazing and we could just about see Manly in the distance. We found it hard to pinpoint exactly what everything was but eventually worked out where the Olympic Stadium and Chinatown were. We could also see the afternoon rain clouds coming in and managed to get back down the tower before the rain really started. We then walked, in the rain, to Kay's office to meet her for dinner - we took her to Chinatown, which she hadn't been to before, a few blocks away. We were finally allowed to use the train (as I was dead on my feet) and ended up being very late back but it meant we saw the bridge and the Opera House lit up (and Luke saw the moon).<br /><br />Wednesday we decided to have a day for Luke and used our tickets for the <a href="http://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/">Aquarium</a> and the <a href="http://www.sydneywildlifeworld.com.au/">Wildlife Park</a> which are next to each other in <a href="http://www.darlingharbour.com.au/">Darling Harbour </a>(two ferries away) - another place for shopping and eating. Luke spent most of the first crying because he wanted to go on the train and most of the second playing his Leapster and shouting Go! Go! Go! from the pushchair - I'm afraid all of our tempers were frayed. Lee and I loved it. The highlight was having a photo taken with a Koala - we weren't allowed to touch them but she did nearly fall on my head at one point. Because of the train issue we took the monorail from there into the city and then got the train back to the quay - only just making the ferry back to Manly.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166593762455573826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEsNVUo_ofs_E6zgx1XrUjCVkAzWM1zJjf65U_3WLZ9P9rKlwKmPe6t2-xsP5dQHNcpf60WyO3KJDNlNA7zL2wZmqqx4O0XY8ZNXRsrcArxu6aLBhXsuWnWz_exx62bQLQSxUUz3GGJs/s320/Koala.jpg" border="0" /><br />Today we are probably going shopping and Friday is the day that Lee and Kay are going to climb the <a href="http://www.bridgeclimb.com/">harbour bridge</a> - I'm (luckily) looking after Luke.Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-33300479455117584262008-02-09T11:32:00.001+00:002008-02-09T12:38:16.616+00:00SydneyVery early on Friday morning we were awoken by an alarm call booked for 0500 - we were being picked up from the hotel in Singapore at 0700 to be at the airport for the 0905 flight to Sydney. Sensibly all of the packing had been done the night before and we all got up and dressed in plenty of time - even Claire who had never seen this time of the morning before!<br /><br />We had booked baggage collection at 0615 and were ready to check out at that time as well, once checked out we just had to wait for the car to collect us. We were at the airport before 0730 and checked in, we made our way to the gate where Luke decided that he would run around the seats of bleary eyed passengers, which kept everyone amused.<br /><br />I think it's fair to say that this was one of the flights that we were not looking forward to - we had to keep an awake Luke amused for seven and a half hours in one seat. As we took off we couldn't believe what happened - Luke fell asleep and slept for almost an hour. After his power nap we introduced him to the TV for his seat which thankfully had Playhouse Disney on. Between this and the green game we kept him amused and watched with delight as his face lit up when Mummy produced a new Backyardigans cartridge for the game.<br /><br />The one lasting impression of a Qantas flight is the food, we had presumed that we would be having breakfast as soon as we were in the air as we took off at 0905, however lunch was promptly served at just after 1000! Following this was a round of bananas, then choc ices, then more bananas and more choc ices until 2 hours before landing another meal for Luke was produced followed by a further hot snack for us. We landed just after 1930 Sydney time, flying in past both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to the sound of Luke snoring again as he had fallen asleep during landing!<br /><br />Kay met us from the plane and greeted Luke with a welcome to Sydney balloon and 'Gumdrop' the koala bear. The taxi ride to Kay's took us over the Harbour Bridge and a short while later we were in Manly. Kevin and Alex (Kay's flatmate and girlfriend) welcomed us with cool beer and hot pizzas. After a while it was time for Luke to leave his new found playmate (Kevin) and have a bath ready for bed, and pretty soon after we followed Luke.<br /><br />Our first day in Sydney has been spent here in Manly dodging the rain, we have had a good wander about getting to know the shops that we may need while here. Lunch was in a bar overlooking Manly wharf watching the ferries come and go to the city. The rest of the day passed leisurely as we settled into life beside the sea - the view from Kay's apartment is amazing, the beach is just across the road and the noise of the waves crashing against the sand is extremely relaxing. There is much that awaits us in Sydney, the choice of what to do first is taking more time than expected, naturally we will keep you posted..............Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-63630261005070010832008-02-07T08:15:00.000+00:002008-02-07T08:38:43.513+00:00'Red and Green should never be seen'Today we are all very red (sun burnt) and we have a slight tinge of green (Avon factor 40 - mum did warn me). I think we'll be ditching the factor 40 - Lee and I currently look like we've been printing our own money as the dye in the cream has stuck to our hands, one bottle exploded in Luke's case on the way here and I'm unsure if it will come out of the clothes.<br /><br />Today has been hotter and the resort is much the same as Bournemouth on a Bank Holiday - lots of extended families and groups of 12 men wandering around. We limited Luke to an hour in the pool after breakfast (all wearing t-shirts and a thick layer of green cream) and dragged him away kicking and screaming. We then decided to go to <a href="http://www.underwaterworld.com.sg/">Underwater World </a>which is just outside the hotel - the ticket includes a trip to <a href="http://singapore.tourism-asia.net/dolphin-lagoon.html">Dolphin lagoon</a>, wish we'd known that yesterday - we spent most of the time comparing it to <a href="http://www.thedeep.co.uk/Deep-Tour/deep-tour.php">the Deep </a>in Hull (and the Deep came out tops) the difference being that here you can stick your hands in the tank and feed the fish (we didn't) and the rays. Then we came to the main highlight - a travelator that takes you through several tunnels under the tanks this lasted about 10 minutes (and was much better than the Deep) - I hope the video footage comes out. When we came out we couldn't move for people so decided against the bus across the island to the dolphin lagoon - it was probably a 30 min wait - and headed back to the hotel.<br /><br />Luke promptly fell asleep - I hope he hasn't got sunstroke - so Lee and I treated ourselves to a hand and foot massage at the spa. We sat together and I think Lee got the short straw as his woman kept slapping and pummelling his legs. I think it should be compulsory for everyone after a long haul flight!<br /><br />Suitably chilled we now feel up to the <a href="http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.php/The_Krypton_Factor">Krypton Factor challenge </a>of repacking the cases with everything we've bought, ready for an early night and a 5am alarm call!<br /><br />This time tomorrow we'll be in <a href="http://www.firstcity.f9.co.uk/australia/nsw4.htm">Sydney</a>!Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11984949801710850317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-22952712765301506462008-02-06T13:24:00.000+00:002008-02-06T14:06:06.855+00:00One hot day in Singapore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrt7t8l5uNlsRxuDnu0fXbUTp7gEiW9g0IDd7CqgAu89G0dXYry8CwuK72H790z7qNRYes7rj7obBM0e6eEbV4jM3RMP8BxbcNOSHDD3QOgQa-LLiScn_IOnIsP0cWp1-_Xg9XPaQM8w/s1600-h/Butterfly+World+Sentosa2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163868038554301730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrt7t8l5uNlsRxuDnu0fXbUTp7gEiW9g0IDd7CqgAu89G0dXYry8CwuK72H790z7qNRYes7rj7obBM0e6eEbV4jM3RMP8BxbcNOSHDD3QOgQa-LLiScn_IOnIsP0cWp1-_Xg9XPaQM8w/s320/Butterfly+World+Sentosa2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Hot today, deceivingly hot - sunburnt on day one! Got up after a reasonable night's sleep - everyone has adjusted well to the time difference and took a leisurely stroll down to breakfast, which was a magnificent buffet of all kinds of fruit, cereals, cooked items, cheese and it went on and on. Went for a little explore after breakfast to look at the beach and get our bearings in the hotel. Luke wasn't fussed by the beach but really wanted to try the pool out. At this point it wasn't too hot so we agreed we should have a swim first and then think about going out afterwards. Swam for about three hours after which time it was very hot so we decided to brave the screaming child and extract him from the pool, into the shade for a shared sandwich lunch and then back to the room to get changed.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Once ready we headed out for the bus to take us to Imbiah Lookout where we took a ride in the skytower, a 110m high tower that has an observation platform that rises from ground level to the top to give you fantastic views of Singapore and out to the China Sea over towards Indonesia and to Malaysia. Luke enjoyed this and wanted to go up again a further three times throughout the day!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We then went onto Butterfly World, the Singapore Cable Car which links Sentosa to the mainland and carries you over the cruise terminal. During the queue process for the cable car Luke was abducted/borrowed by a large Thai family for photos with each member of the family - we worked out that his hair colour was the attraction and not that we were mistaken for any celebrities!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We then decided that we should go to Sentosa Golf Club, home of the Singapore Open and buy me a souvenir shirt! Purchase made we headed back to the hotel, passing a sign that stated that the golf club held no responsibility for the damage caused to cars by the resident peacocks! Apparently during the mating season male peacocks will often attack their own reflection in shiny surfaces such as a car's paintwork to claim territory - I knew there had to be a good reason for letting my car get so dirty - the peacocks of Worksop can attack somebody else's car!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Once back in the hotel we have had our sumptious new year's eve banquet and are now back in the room, one of us is asleep after a hard day's sightseeing and soon I will put Luke to bed as well!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Lee</div>Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-42917428379121141332008-02-05T14:47:00.000+00:002008-02-05T15:10:18.214+00:00We're in SingaporeAfter a 12 hour flight - which was only 1 hour delayed at Heathrow - we are finally in Singapore. We saw a bit of Singapore on our half hour drive to the hotel, along with non-stop commentary by Mr. Kumar. Luke was spellbound! We had been worrying that he'd cry because everyone had been making a big thing about going on a plane to see auntie Kay and we kept forgetting to remind him there would be a 3 day stop off first.<br /><br />We survived the flight. Luke went to sleep 5 minutes after take off (after a dose of cough medicine for his cold) and only woke about an hour and half before we landed demanding a fruit shoot and breakfast! Lee managed about 5 hours sleep but I wasn't so lucky - I was in the middle of the row with a snoring American to my left and a splayed out Luke to my right and a guy in front who pushed his seat right back. Even when I lowered mine it didn't free my lower body and I got quite claustrophobic - I eventually woke Lee up to let me out for a walk up and down the aircraft - my ankles look twice their usual size. To top it all whilst I was awake the movie system broke down so I couldn't finish watching the rest of <em>Atonement</em>. Luke didn't get his activity bag because he was asleep but that is one less thing to carry as we are well over our baggage limit for the next leg (we're allowed 3kg more with BA than Quantas) - I may get to Sydney 2 stone lighter as I will be wearing all of my clothes!<br /><br />Singapore is beautiful. Everything is pleasing to the eye from buildings to cars (until you get to the harbour that is). The island we are staying on is built on reclaimed land so everything is man made but it is made to look natural. I dread to think how much has been spent on development. Mr. Kumar gave us a quick background and was very proud of the fact that there are no state benefits, strict laws and a low crime rate (except for pickpockets but apparently they come from other countries!). Smoking is governed by strict laws and chewing gum is illegal - we've also discovered that we shouldn't wear black or white over the next few days as it is bad luck during the New Year - hmm, could be tricky with my wardrobe.<br /><br />We'd heard that this will be where the jet lag hits but as it is we arrived at about 8pm Singapore time (8 hours ahead of the UK) and as we had a disrupted night we should be able to sleep okay - once the party in the hotel finishes. Luke is sound asleep after only being awake for 4 hours, though we're not complaining.<br /><br />We're regretting not having a longer stay as we've been told that we won't be able to visit many places as tomorrow is Chinese New Year's Eve and then the next 2 days are a public holiday - so everywhere is shut! We're going to try to make it into Chinatown for the celebrations tomorrow and then spend the next day by the pool. Our flight is at 9am on Friday morning so we have an early start but at least we will arrive with Kay on the same day that we leave.<br /><br />Welcome to the year of the Rat.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11984949801710850317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618445942258455245.post-22917571693231970342008-02-04T08:46:00.000+00:002008-02-04T08:59:14.612+00:00Big adventure starts with a familiar problemOur journey to Australia started yesterday with the drive from Worksop to Surrey to stay with family - a journey frequently undertaken, A1, M25, M3 - three and a half hours of motorway driving. All was going well until I stated that we were making really good time and should arrive before the time that we had said. The junction of the A1 and M25 is quite often busy so I do that annoying thing of driving down the outside lane and cutting into the queuing traffic as late as possible, for me this means the 300yard marker - joined said queue and it then took 45 minutes to move the 300 yards to the junction!! Only reason we were moving forward was that most cars were coming out of the queue and straight down the A1 into London - so that is what we did.<br /><br />Trusty TomTom led us through London, only two recognisable sites were spotted through the traffic - the new Wembley stadium and Ikea! Thank goodness we weren't going straight to the airport as this added about an hour and a half to the journey.<br /><br />Arrived at destination Surrey safe and well, and just a little late. Next journey is from Surrey to Singapore...........Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01448572630022422230noreply@blogger.com3