Katoomba

A few weekends ago, we went to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

The town is very picturesque.

The historic Carrington Hotel is surrounded by formal gardens.

Katoomba's main street is a great place to stroll and browse the shops.

There's still a hint of the 1960s up here in the mountain air.

 

On Saturday afternoon, there was a huge thunderstorm...

with a torrential downpour.

The rain quickly turned into a gushing river.

At least some people were lucky!

Rock Climbing

While in the Blue Mountains...

we tagged along to have a look...

while our friends went rock climbing.

That's a long way down!

Mardi Gras

We celebrated Mardi Gras at Lyra's rooftop party. Here's me with Kirsten and the lovely hostess.

 Jaclin and Patrice.

 Damo and Patrice.

Kirsten, Damo, Patrice and me.

It sprinkled off and on throughout the evening, but no one seemed to mind. Jaclin and her friend watch the parade go by.

Excellent balcony view!

Oxford Street absolutely glowed, all the way from Hyde Park to Bondi Junction.

After the party, we joined the revelers on the streets.

I guess the employees of this music shop did, too.

Kirsten shot lots of subjects for her photojournalism portfolio.

There was lots of leather and not much else...

Well OK, there were bunny ears...

and kitty claws...

and heaps of feathers and sequins.

Just because you're working doesn't mean you can't have fun!

This couple was going for the Guiness record for world's longest kiss.

I think these guys had the most fun of all. I would, too, if I had a wig like that!

Boy, am I glad I'm not on the clean up crew.

Eden

For our last road trip of the (southern hemisphere) summer, we drove to Eden, a fishing and former whaling port on the south coast of New South Wales, almost at the border with Victoria.

The town is not touristy at all - a world away from the crowded beach resorts further north.

Grabbing an afternoon coffee on the harbour.

Eden is located on Twofold Bay, with miles of stunning coastline stretching in either direction.

Disaster Bay is named for the many shipwrecks that occurred here between the 1850s and 1950s.

Fishermen are a common sight along the rocky coastline.

We visited Greencape lighthouse on an unseasonably cool and stormy evening.

There was no one there but us and these guys...

 a Swamp Wallaby...

and an Eastern Grey Kangaroo. Aren't they adorable when they chew?

The weather was better for our coastal walk the next day.

We enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the rocks with silver gulls, cormorants and terns.

The unbelievably blue water of the "Sapphire Coast".

We visited Boyd tower, named for the pioneering Scotsman Benjamin Boyd, who established a whaling company, among numerous other business ventures, along the NSW coast in the 1840s. The sandstone tower was formerly used as a whale lookout.

It sits on a bluff that is now part of Ben Boyd National Park.

From every direction, there are breathtaking views across the Tasman Sea.

We also visited what's left of the historic Davidson whaling station, which was in operation on Twofold Bay for over a century, from 1828 to 1930.

Gate to the caretaker's residence.

The whale men of Eden were joined in their hunts by a pod of killer whales, led most notably by "Old Tom". The Orcas would herd larger whales into the harbour and actually assist the whalers in killing them. The men rewarded their helpers by allowing them to feed on the carcasses of the dead whales.

Several rivers empty into the calm waters of the bay, making it ideal for kayaking.