Time flies when you're having fun!

Today Sparky officially enters the double digits - 99 days until his/her due date - how exciting!!

Also as of today I have been at this job one full year - wow - time flies!

It was such a beautiful weekend,

so Saturday late afternoon we popped down to North Steyne beach for a swim.

The bump!

I like to think Sparky loves the beach already:) Although the water was a bit chilly, so we just waded while Murray swam (I know you quickly get used to the water temp & then it becomes refreshing, but with all this extra 'stretched' skin I just wasn't open for the initial cold shock!)

Sunday I briefly caught up with Murray & his friend Chris for a zip around the Manly area in Chris's boat. It could NOT have been a nicer weekend - sunny & hot! Gotta love autumn in Sydney:)

I guess the Spring cold snap is officially over

I just popped out over lunch and HOLY COW it is HOT outside! It has been comfortable, but not hot, for awhile here, granted it is still spring - summer doesn't start until December. But today - it's 24c (78f) tomorrow it's meant to be 25c (80f) and sunday 27c (84).

Nice!

I am SO going to the beach this weekend!!!!!!!!!!

(note - I realise 78f isn't HOT - but when you're dressed up all warmly for a freezing cold air conditioned office - 78f + a black car = HOT!)

Spring is here, and so is BONDI !

What a fantastic weekend! We had the warmest weather since April this weekend (90 degrees and sunny all weekend)!

Saturday we took a long walk to another side of Manly to a beach called Little Manly - wow that area is gorgeous - lovely beaches and stunning houses! I would definitely picnic over there - so pretty.

Sunday we made our way to Bondi to go on a walk with Anna

We started in Bondi Beach (see the number 1 on the map)

And walked all the way to Coogee Beach (number 6)

Anna & Me at Bondi

There was a kite festival on as well - check out that big bear kite!

The beach was getting busy - but it was still only 11am!

EVERYONE was out soaking up the warm lovely sun

This is the iceberg pool at the end of Bondi beach - they swim in this all year long!

Looking back at Bondi in the distance

Lots of people on the first part of the path on the way to Bronte Beach
(can you spot me & Anna?)

Murray & I with Tamarama and Bronte Beach in the background.

People frolicking everywhere, sand and rocks.

Tamarama beach

Tamarama beach volley ball

Bronte Beach

Bronte Beach Cockatoo

And finally,.....we made it to Coogee Beach!!

Coogee Beach was pumping....!

The new walk way (back) along the coast was beautiful...

I love the low light hitting the sand bringing out the texture.

Sun setting on the packed edge of North Bondi

12km of flip flopping later and it was time to get home and whip up and
chicken, leek and mushroom ....PIE !!!

Back to Monday again!

Lovely weekend - Sunday we took a walk down to Manly and noticed all the fencing they have put up!
The high tides recently have washed away a lot of the sand on Manly beach, causing a dangerous drop down onto rocks - thus the fencing. You are allowed down there, it's just to stop people from falling due to the drop I guess. The interesting thing I read in the local paper is that the fencing is costing $6000 a week to rent - WOW - is it just me or does that sounds like a complete rip off?

Everyone here is excited about the biggest ever lotto draw in Australia tomorrow night - we saw these scooter guys this morning - cute with the balloons (and they had fake money taped all over there scooters too - ha ha)! Yes we have a ticket - fingers crossed for a big win!

OUR BEACH IS THE CLEANEST!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard this on the radio yesterday - North Steyne beach (just down from Manly beach, but part of the same stretch of sand) - which is the closest beach to our flat (just a few minute's walk) was voted the cleanest beach IN AUSTRALIA!!!!

HOW EXCITING!

'North Steyne Beach is the only beach in an Australian capital city to win Australia's Clean Beach Award.

Previous winners of the six-year-old awards have been country beaches or at smaller towns. '

FANTASTIC :) Nice to know we live a short walk from such a lovely beach:)

Is it really Autumn? The weekend - Part 1

Friday night I met my friend Sue in the city - we worked together in London & stayed friends (and shopping buddies!) after I changed jobs. She is in Sydney working for a few months - so we headed out for dinner on Friday. It was GREAT to see her - and fun to catch up over a yummy pizza & cocktails in the Rocks!

Saturday morning Murray had the great idea to walk down to the beach before setting off to do our errands
The surfers were out like crazy down at Manly Beach!

Looking down the beach towards Manly - lovely

LOTS of surfers - the water is actually still pretty warm though - I'm surprised more people were not out swimming

Me on the beach - it was a bit chilly in the morning (by the afternoon we were back at the beach in t-shirts & shorts!)

The stand up surfers look cool - I can imagine that sport takes a LOT of core strength!

The swimming flags - you are supposed to swim between the flags - that is if you'd like to be saved if something goes wrong - as that is where they lifeguard:)

Down at Manly Wharf they had a Fairtrade market on as well - so we took a peek around before walking home and setting off on errands...... more pics to come soon!

The R List & Parachutes

We took a break from job searching this afternoon because - HOORAY!!! the sun is out!

Just as we were laying out our towels Murray exclaimed 'LOOK!'
running along the sidewalk that is right by the beach we saw the trainers from the reality show I am totally addicted to - The Biggest Loser.

Shannan and Michelle (YES a man named Shannan - so odd) - and WOW they are more ripped in person than they look on TV (and they look big on TV!)

I like the show because 1. it is the only thing on at 7pm every night and 2. it is filmed here in Manly and 3. it is amazing to see how well the contestants are doing - one man lost 20 kilograms in just 2 weeks - wow! I guess that's possible when you are working out many many hours every day - ouch!

Anyhow, today we packed up our little beach bag and made it down to catch some sun (hooray)!

When we set up on the beach we noticed a plane that looked like it belonged to the military circling VERY slow over the ocean in front of us - then they dropped 9 packages into the sea?

We THINK it looked like 1 package to every 2 people who were parachuting down - not sure though


The plane circled 3 times, dropping 22 'packages' in total - a training exercise I guess - kinda fun to watch!

I didn't actually make it into the water though because the swimming area wasn't set up at North Steyne (they put up flags in 'safe to swim' areas where the current isn't too strong & lifeguards will keep an eye on you). I guess the currents were just too strong today, and we didn't want to walk to Queenscliff or Manly - so we just relaxed and read a bit and soaked in a bit of sun - too too lovely.