The Great Outdoors...

I will admit that I like my creature comforts.  Weekends away should include good food, wine, crisp white sheets and cocktails by the pool.  As I work most days of the week I live for any time away and make the absolute most of it. Not having to cook, clean and room service a phone call away.  Bliss...

My husband loves these weekends away too but he also loves the great outdoors.  He grew up camping and fishing and loves nothing better than sleeping under the stars.  Whether it be camping in the outback or 4WD vehicles on a empty beach, he loves "roughing it".   

My two boys also love it and so the pressure has been building to go camping as a family.  I remember camping years ago.  Not fondly.  No hot showers, clean bathrooms, hotel beds and certainly no cocktails from the menu.  Dinner on a camp stove and waking up to dip in the ocean was certainly a new experience.  Spiders and other creepy crawlies.  No power points in the tent - a disaster for hairdryers and straightening irons - the horror of it all!

So to the utter surprise of my husband, I suggested (aka: "capitulated"), we finally buy a tent and go camping.  It was like someone had just announced he'd won the lottery.  And so off to the Camping and Caravan show we went.  Held over Easter, it is a Mecca for camping enthusiasts.

With every conceivable camping gadget and portable item, it is amazing how modern "roughing it" has become.  I have to say that I was impressed by some of the new developments.  Real beds that fold up rather than a cheap and nasty blow up mattress and a sleeping bag.  Portable toilets and showers!  Who would have thought it.  Mini fridges and folding kitchens.  Hello, it is a whole new camping world!  Mind you, you need one big van to haul it all in.

And the big news?  We actually came away from the show with a new tent!!

 

 

I am quite impressed.  We now have to work out a time to take our family outdoor getaway.  My boys are very excited and I have reached a new level of "coolness" in their eyes.  It will be quite the experience for me.

Though I do think I will pack Martini glasses and byo cocktail mixers anyway.  One can't give up every luxury you know!  Given that I've said yes to camping my husband won't mind being bartender.  Sounds like a fair trade.

I'll keep you posted on how it all goes.

The best block of land in Sydney...

Sydney is obsessed by property.  It is discussed as much as the weather.  If you turn on the radio and TV you're bound to hear about the property market.  Will it go up?  Will it go down?  Which suburbs/areas are about to boom...

Dinner conversations are always peppered with real esate discussion.  Who's just sold, bought or renovated.  The gossip isn't about who wore what dress as much as who bought and sold.  And for how much. 

Land on the harbour overlooking the Sydney skyline is priceless.  A rarity in a city where even car parking spaces can go for over six figures in the right location. 

Sometimes I wonder if the residents of one particular area of land actually appreciate the land and the fine views they enjoy whilst they munch away on their meals.  Are they oblivious to the ooh's and aah's of passers by?  They seem completely non-plussed, arrogant if you will.  And it never ceases to amaze me.  The land and views are worth millions and yet they seem not to notice.  I wonder if they ever lift their lofty heads as a ship passes by and sounds it's horn.  Here they are :-

Sydney's Taronga Zoo

For me and the millions who visit Taronga Zoo it is simply the most amazing sight.  Even now after all these years I still continue to marvel at it all, snapping away on my camera and thinking that they must indeed be the luckiest giraffes in the world.  Prime real estate and views.  I wonder what they make of it all, the fuss and tourists clicking away on their cameras.  I'm sure they don't really care as long as they are fed and happy.

Taronga really is the most gorgeous zoo I've ever seen and I can spend a whole day there.  It is a photographers dream.  And my boys love exploring the zoo with its winding paths and quiet corners you can sit and watch the ships sail by. 

The new baby elephants have resulted in enormous excitement and children are studying wild animals and Africa with renewed enthusiasm.  My African artworks do well as children can't seem to get enough of them.  After a visit to Taronga the animals are the new celebrities which I think is fantastic.   It is wonderful to see pop posters pulled down and replaced with artworks of animals again.

Happy Easter 2010!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Easter 2010!

I'm currently down south at the Australian snowfields for Easter. Thredbo to be exact. The store is closed at the moment and I've left my last two bunnies to keep guard.

The Snowy River. Snowy Mountains, NSW, Australia

We love the Snowy Mountains all year round. Of course nothing can match the snow in winter but now many more Australians like us have discovered that there is much more to do here than ski.

My husband and the boys love riding their bikes all over the rocky terrain. Mountain bike riding is huge most of the year, as is fishing in the snowy river. The air and the scenery are amazing and I can fully understand why people fall in love with this area and never want to leave.

The temperature was "crisp" and a little on the chilly side but it is a welcome respite from the hot temperatures we've had in Sydney all summer.

For dinner last night we went to our favourite restaurant - "Crackenback Cottage". We've been going here for years as it is cosy with fantastic food. Think "comfort food" and warm open fire places.

Our boys love playing in the wooden maze outdoors. There was about 2 dozen children all trying to negotiate the maze last night with flashlights. It is fun to watch the frustration from the elevated viewing platform. I think it is a great way to entertain the children whilst waiting for dinner to arrive. As long as they don't get completely lost and start screaming! And sometimes it is the odd parent who is stuck in there yelling for the way out. Don't try doing it after a few wines!

We had a fantastic weekend away and although we ate way too much chocolate and food (and wine for the adults), we worked it off walking and cycling. So we don't feel too guilty!