aussielozzie18

@George C & @Tree_skiersorry your wife & grandson have had nasty injuries. Wishing them both a full recovery.

DH’s nephew has been crocheting some beautiful beanies (torques) since being bedridden from his nasty snowboarding accident.  He is hoping he will finally able to put weight on his leg soon.

DD still has issues with her ankle.  Swelling after a long day standing.  She has bought a mountain bike and is starting some riding in her free time.

@TravelGirlinDallas  sorry Texas has been hit hard this year.  Stay safe.

1 hour ago, DaniDanielle said:

Sherlock eyeing the wine!

Sherlock looking rather disappointed that the plate is empty….

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Great work that is very beautiful.

+ 1 @Keksie you are so talented 

It was a very mild Friday evening in Sydney, so decided to head into the city for a look at some of the light installations for this year’s Vivid

This was a holographic light & water show at Darling Harbour featuring Australian native fauna - Sturts Desert Pea above and our Waratah in the other two photos.

This was a three screen circular outdoor installation at Barangaroo, called “Nest” featuring dancing Brolgas (above) and parrots.

Only so much walking can be done in one night.  Heading back in again next weekend to see the light installations  at the Botanical Gardens and the drone show for which the Vivid organisers are expecting huge crowds as it will the King’s Birthday long weekend here.

12 hours ago, h20skibum said:

+1 @Luckynana

 

Happy birthday to Jack and Ryan

@Luckynana adding my birthday wishes to Jack & Ryan too 🎉

Unless you are doing a tour that includes it, your plan to visit Featherdale independently on a day separate to your Blue Mountains trip is a good one.  Easy to get to via public transport. Train, then bus that drops you at the entrance (check the bus timetables) or you can catch a taxi there from the train station.

Featherdale is a nice small zoo with native animals and lots of Australian birds. 

@jagsfan  So sorry to read about your nasty fall and what your are dealing with at the moment. 

@dani negreanu  your DH’s lahmajun looks absolutely delicious.

Beautiful Sunday in Jervis Bay. DH started the day by seeing a kangaroo hopping down our street…Then we did a lovely morning walk through the Jervis Bay National Park passing by several gorgeous white sand beaches.  Delighted to see dolphins.  Had  a delicious late lunch in the local cafe.  From our table outdoors, I spotted a kangaroo happily munching the grass in someone’s backyard opposite. Then we had a little adventure in the Boodoree National Park heading out to see the ruined Lighthouse.  The Lighthouse ruins site is a great place to whale watch.  It’s only the beginning of the season, so we were delighted to see three humpbacks passing by.

7 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

All the grandchildren and great grandson are here tonight!  16 family members visiting!

Fabulous.  Hope a lovely evening with your all your gorgeous grandchildren + great grandson & your lovely family.

6 hours ago, Luckynana said:

 

Finnley has gotten so big, John!  What a beautiful little love she is.  You have beautiful grandchildren!!

+ 1 @Ozark_Kid

Could you do a day trip to Magnetic Island from a cruise ship stopped at Townsville?

Here’s some photos you may like - from Jervis Bay - 3hrs south of Sydney, during our weekend away.

Green Patch picnic area in Booderee National Park

Cardio workout to access this beach during our bushwalk - “warning long steep descent”

Boardwalk views

2nd whitest sands in Australia (behind Lucky Bay in WA)

Early evening beach walk

the locals visiting our street during our stay.

8 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Chris sounds like a very impressive young man.

+ 1 @Luckynana

@Blackduck59 I don’t know if we did the Oceanside route tbh.  I wasn’t driving and was seated in the back. Towards  the end of that day was just keen to get to our accommodation.

Unlike our friends and family, we spend a lot of time in the city/around the harbour on our weekends.  We do go to the Opera House regularly but not for Opera.

Next stop was The Raptors in Duncan.  Wanted to see the flight show at 2.30pm.  We got there at 2.25pm.  It was exciting for us Aussies to see a Bald Eagle & Barn owl up close & in flight.  Small sanctuary but the flight show was an excellent and worth a visit.

Next was a stop in Ladysmith for the very popular bakery in their pretty Main Street famous for their cinnamon rolls.  
 

Couldn’t believe the size of a single cinnamon roll.  The queue was to the door but it moved fairly quickly.

Then we arrived at our destination - Qualicum Beach.  
 

10 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

The ski walk is an interesting attraction. For us even though it is a very short drive from home, we wouldn't go. There is the small issue of heights. I'm looking forward to more of you VI adventure. 

I am not great with heights either but this was ok for me.

I am going to miss your daily updates.  Thanks for taking us along with you.  Safe flight home.

After a very enjoyable stay in Victoria, it was time to hit the road.  
 

First stop was Tim Hortons where I made the mistake of ordered a large coffee.  Completely forgot sizing is different overseas to Aus and it was weird not getting cocoa/choc sprinkled on top of the cappuccino froth.

Next stop was The Malahat Skywalk.  My family saw the entry prices and wanted to get back in the car…but I wanted to see/experience it.

Beautiful driftwood sculptures on display along the elevated pathway to the viewing structure.

Once you reach the structure itself, you slowly climb in circles until you reach the very top.

The views from the top were very nice & it was lovely to see the raptors & other birds floating above the treetops way down below.

At the top is a meshed square that none of us were brave enough to stand on but it was popular with the Insta crowd. There is also a slide that you can whizz down to save you the return spiral walk.  One of us was very happy to do that.

There were seats, a swing and an open fire and a trail walk to return to the car park.

The entry was very price but I was glad we stopped here and experienced it.

14 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thank you. He was a remarkably gifted craftsman. He also built the custom case that has the Dunsmuir family silverware displayed in it. He carved the finials and other details to match the original woodwork in the dining room. We will go pretty soon. If you like I can post some interior photos of the castle, although I don't want to hijack your excellent thread with my photos. 

I would love you to post photos!    The woodwork was very special.  I recall the cabinet showcasing the silverware as the silverware was specifically designed with the Dunmuir crest on it and I was amazed at that detail so I spent quite a bit of time looking at it.  The cabinet was beautifully done.  Please do share photos when you get the opportunity of the work he did there.

7 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

That is where a power bank comes in handy. I usually take at least one on my trips, though recently I upgraded to an Samsung S24 (ironically because of battery problems in my old phone) and the battery has been exceeding my expectations, though I'll still be packing a power bank on my upcoming trip just in case🫣

Yes, I definitely need a power bank!

8 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

You did hit so many of the great spots to visit while you were here. And you had great weather. As I write this it is another rainy day.

I haven't been in the castle for a while. I'm working my way up to it. Much of the recent restoration work, notably the recreated shutters and the woodwork in the kitchen restoration was completed by my friend and colleague Anthony Belzar. Tragically he passed last fall, much too young. 

I am very so sorry for the loss of your friend and that I am unable to share with you photos of the work he did especially as I saw the excellent work done in the restored kitchen.

After Butchart Gardens, we headed to the Victoria Butterfly Garden nearby.  The lady at reception “warned” us of the “flirty” parrot which made us laugh.  As expected, lots of butterflies, a flamingo, an iguana and parrots.  I sat down on a stone benchto check my photos and out of the foliage behind me, appeared the “flirty” parrot.he gently nudged then climbed onto my arm before snuggling into me.  Very cute.  Entry fee was a little high but we enjoyed our visit.  
 

From there, apparently a visit to Tim Hortons was in order.  Whilst the other two got their sugar fix, I wandered around the small group of shops and found myself a second hand bookstore.  I am currently enjoying reading one of the books I purchased there.

On our way back to Inner Harbour, we passed the signs to Craigdorrach Castle.  I decided I had time to explore as it was only 2pm and from my research prior to the trip, I knew I could walk back to Inner Harbour.  So, I waved goodbye to my family and spent a very pleasant 1 1/2hrs exploring all 5 floors of this beautifully restored 1890s family mansion that later became a hospital for Canadian servicemen and later still a College.   There was no guided tour but a map and enough info was provided to make for a very interesting visit. Reading about the lives of wealthy Dunmuir family for whom the mansion was built was fascinating and there was lots to see in each room.  I was particularly taken with the library, billiards room and the large dance floor - complete with framed dance cards.  
 

After exploring the adjacent castle gift shop, 

I confirmed with one of the staff on site that my planned return walk back  to the Inner Harbour was heading in right direction. I walked down the hill to the service station, purchased a bottle of water and had a very pleasant walk all the way down to the end of Yates St and back to our accommodation.

Whilst, we may no longer need to print out our photos, one  of the issues with modern phones, is that your battery can die…So, no photos from inside Craigdorrach Castle  but I highly recommend a visit if you are in Victoria.

Our final night dinner, we returned to the Flying Otter Grill without a reservation.  Being later this time, we were told it would be a 40min wait.  We were happy to wait outside and within 15mins they called us and advised our table was ready.  Had another delicious dinner.

Forgot to mention, we had an enjoyable casual meal one night at the Sticky Wicket Pub & Restaurant.