Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another weekly post featuring some more of my favourite doors in Sydney. Who knew one city could have SO many amazing doors and doorways. I feel so lucky to have an abundance of doors on my own doorstep. Let me know which one is your favourite. 👇🏼
It’s a hard one for me but I really love door number five. I know it’s not a door to a house but it’s a great door nonetheless. I love that we don’t know what is on the other side of the door, there is an air of mystery, almost like there could be a secret garden. I love the colour, its simplicity, the archway and the steps leading up to the door. What is your door favourite and why?
Thanks for reading everyone and hope you’re all well.
Monday morning here in Australia but it is still Father’s Day in the UK and Ireland. I just want to write a little blog post dedicated to my Dad. Not many words are needed when I show you a picture of us below. I have a great Dad, as I’m sure many do but I am simply grateful for his existence as I know many of my friends whose fathers are no longer with them.
I cannot wait to see my Dad this year after being away from home for over 3 years now thanks to covid. It’s such a long time not to see your family. I am so excited just to have a beer together, have a big hug, have interesting conversations and take some new photos together. It’s good to cherish those we care for and make as many memories together as we can.
This photo speaks volumes to me. This was my graduation day and my Dad is holding an umbrella so I do not get wet. It’s the little things in life 😊. I’m very grateful for his support, his guidance and the man I have become as a result.
Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you all are having a lovely weekend. Today’s sunset picture was taken in 2018 at Robertson Park, just beside the famous Watson’s Bay in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
June’s monthly word prompt makes me think of an event I attended a couple of nights ago at the OPENing of the new Hijinx Hotel. This is not a hotel to stay overnight in, rather each room of the hotel has a challenge room where you have to partake in different activities with your friends.
Invited guests on the opening night had a red carpet entrance and were able to see first hand what the Hijinx Hotel has to offer. You can see some of my pictures below to get a feel of what is in store when you visit this funky hotel. We had an absolute ball at this event, made even more enjoyable by the fact that we are now learning to live with covid and returning to a new kind of normality. It was unbelievably refreshing to be out socialising again, meeting new people and experiencing new things to do in Sydney.
Red carpet entry with faux paparazzi I love the name of the hotel, very fun and mischievous Amazing to dress up and feel a real buzz!Frozen tequila drinksSome snacks and canapés on offerThere was such a vibe here and the atmosphere was electric. Everyone was happy, enjoying the new experiences and taking it all in. There was a lot happening, the music, the dancing and the feeling of being lost in an epic wonderland. We loved it from the very first moment we stepped into the hotel lobby.You can even play some golf at Holey Moley golf course within the hotel. You are always guaranteed some laughs throughout this mini course with its hilarious sets and unique designs. The paparazzi warming their bottoms. They were hilarious yet extremely professional 😉 staying in character for the entire evening. We loved the decor and props throughout the hotel. We were greeted by concierge and escorted to one of the challenge rooms. Ours was a mini basketball shootout, great fun and you fairly build up a sweat. This was a good laugh and your competitive side will be sure to surface 😜. We only had time for this one challenge room but there are a total of 15 to experience. I would definitely come back to check out the other rooms. They would be perfect for a night out with friends, work events or even a fun and unique way to celebrate a special occasion. The bar was amazing where you could grab a drink whilst waiting on the elevator to the challenge rooms or you can simply chat amongst yourselves or mingle with others. The energy here was so good and the staff were beyond friendly 😊😊So much fun to meet new people 🥰
There you have it. My fun night at the Hijinx Hotel and the opening night just so happened to coincide with my WordPress monthly word prompt 🙌🏼. I hope you also have the chance to partake in this month’s word challenge. I previously found it difficult to find the prompt but if you follow WordPress on Twitter, they will announce the monthly prompts there. Also, be sure to check out this amazing new venue if and when you happen to be in Sydney.
Happy Friday everyone. Hooray for the weekend…even if I am working tomorrow but let’s not dwell on that. For today’s flower of the day I am showcasing the tea rose. It’s basically an ornamental, garden rose and can have a variety of colours. When I discovered these yellow tea roses, it just so happened that I was matching with the colour on this particular day with my bright yellow jumper. You have to love yellow, such a bright and cheerful colour.
As much as I loved the roses, particularly for their colour and placement, I also loved the architecture of this home and the white picket fence, which can be found in Centennial Park, Sydney.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another weekly post featuring some more of my favourite doors in Sydney. This week show cases doors that I discovered last weekend in Glebe, an inner-west suburb of Sydney. I hadn’t been here in donkeys so really wanted to revisit for a stroll and a coffee. The doors seen were an added bonus. Feel free to let me know which one you like the best. Some of the images you may have to zoom in as I really liked the whole setting or building as well as the door and wanted to include that.
1 2 34 5
Many thanks for checking out my doors again this week. Did you have a favourite by any chance? I love them all but I am really drawn to number 4, mainly because I love the architecture of the whole building. I do love the design, shape and colour of the door too. How about you?
Vivid Sydney is a yearly light show that is on display in many key parts of Sydney. You can find light displays around Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Taronga Zoo, The Royal Botanical Gardens and many more spots around Sydney. You can find lots of information on the official website https://www.vividsydney.com with timings, locations and what’s on offer.
This year is a special Vivid as the last two years have been cancelled due to Covid, so every is very excited to witness the event. It truly is a spectacular show and a real feast for the eyes. It starts as soon as the sun sets, making the lights really stand out and the best thing about it, is that it’s a free event for everyone.
I would say the best time to visit is during the week as it becomes pretty busy at the weekends. Pick a location to start and spend some time walking around and to take it all in. There are food trucks around and plenty of portable toilets around Circular Quay and on the route to Barangaroo, which is great if you have a weak bladder like myself. You could head over after you have had your dinner or pick somewhere nearby for a bite to eat. We chose to eat at a Thai restaurant at Circular Quay and watch the sunset at the Sydney Opera House.
View of the Opera House from the left side of Circular Quay.
We really wanted to see the Opera House lighting up first before we started our walking light tour. We headed from Circular Quay around to Barangaroo and there were many light installations on the way. Many impressive buildings also have light shows depicting different stories and show case the distinctive areas of Sydney. These shows are pretty magical for children and the whole family.
We never had the chance to see the Royal Botanic Gardens but we will try this week to visit Vivid again before it finishes on the 18th June. Be sure to head down and visit if you’re living in Sydney and if you live abroad, you can check out the website or my pictures below 👇🏼🤗.
These pictures were all taken from Circular Quay through to Barangaroo via the Barangaroo Foreshore Walk and then on to Darling Harbour where we finished with a water light show.Sydney Opera House
Let me know if you have heard of Vivid, have ever been or plan to go in the future. It really is quite the spectacle, with locals and tourists really looking forward to this event every year.
Hi everyone. I hope you are all having a great Sunday. Today’s sunset was pictured last night when I was frequenting the Newport Arms Hotel. This is a beautiful spot for food and drinks in Newport, sitting outside by the water. There were plenty of heat lamps to keep everyone warm as it was a pretty chilly evening. As soon as the sun began to set, the sky was constantly changing colours. People were jumping up to take some pictures as it was really stunning.
The colours were spectacular and I love the little lamps in the image also. Beyond the trees lies the bay of Pittwater.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys and take care.
Happy Friday everyone. Boy, am I glad to reach the weekend this week, it’s been a long, cold one here in Sydney. We’re all looking forward to a long weekend here in Australia for the Queen’s birthday, which isn’t actually her real birthday, so I’m not sure why that is, nevertheless, I’m not complaining for an extra day off.
I am not, in fact, showcasing a flower today but rather, I am showing you the berries of this shrub. The Golden Dewdrop (what a fantastic name by the way!) and I happened to pass this last week when I was looking at some doors in Darlinghurst. The flowers are a blue colour but I didn’t happen to see these, just the berries. I was really pleasantly surprised to discover these, even though in Australia the Golden Dewdrop shrub is known for being a weed. To me, it looks beautiful. It reminds me of the Leonardo da Vinciquote – “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Let me know what you think?
Golden Dewdrops – I love the vibrant orange colour against the green of the leaves.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another edition of Doors of WordPress. I want to show you all some doors that I happened to stumble across last week in Darlinghurst, Sydney. I couldn’t believe my luck when I passed a couple of streets with the most amazing houses, featuring beautiful and colourful doors. It was a feast for the eyes!
1 2 3 4 5
Do you have a favourite this week? Mine has to be number five. I love the colour of the door with the yellow brick work.
Thanks for taking a look at my doors and take care.
Happy Sunday everyone. I have shown a lot of sunset pictures over the past few Sundays so I thought it was finally time to show you a sunrise snap. The eastern suburbs have the best sunrises, I guess because the sun rises in the east, therefore, we have a great view point. I hope you like the shot. This particular morning was a special one. I went for a sunrise swim with my cousin and we fortunate enough to see dolphins swimming in the distance. Truly spectacular 😊.
This poinsettia was discovered near my home in Bondi Junction, Sydney. It originates from Mexico and Central America and is today a very common decoration in the United States, specifically at Christmas time. This species is known for being a poisonous weed but also an ornamental flower. It just grabbed my attention with its striking colours and beauty. A classic example of how looks can be deceiving 😝.
Happy Friday everyone and I hope you all have a lovely weekend, whatever way you plan to spend it.
Welcome to my tenth edition of Doors Of WordPress. I love creating these posts and it has really fuelled my love of doors even further.
When I started these posts featuring doors, I had no idea that doors were so popular on WordPress. I soon found other like minded bloggers posting about doors in a feature called Thursday Doors. Perhaps that’s why I love to post my doors on a Thursday. If you want to check out other doors and join a community of door lovers, feel free to check out the amazing No Facilities by host Dan.
Please see below my doors for this week along with their locations and my reasons for liking them.
1 – Woollahra
This door reminds me of Dracula or does anyone else remember Count Duckula?2 – Paddington
You can’t beat a red door, am I right?3 – Paddington
I know technically you can’t see the door but I love the external door and everything about the setting, the colour, the style, the plants etc. 4 – Double Bay
I love this door and the fact that the house looks like it is part of the tree, almost like a secret house. The door has wooden panels on it, presumably to make it blend in with the tree and create a natural aesthetic.5 – Randwick
I love the simplicity of these doors and the colour but for me it’s the floral wreath that makes it pop! Perfect for a gelato shop.
I saved a few of these purposely for my tenth edition and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Please let me know if you have a favourite.
Although we cannot see the sun actually setting, I love how we can see the sky change colour at this time of day. This was taken five minutes ago, waiting for my train home from Bexley. I had a lovely time catching up with friends and old work colleagues today and even managed to drink soda water for the whole duration (no alcohol 😜). As an Irishman this has to be told with pride as it doesn’t happen too often. I think people were actually in disbelief 🫢.
I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday, if possible.
Happy Friday everyone. Today’s flower is the Mexican Sunflower. Named so, as it originates from Mexico and is a member of the sunflower family. This was spotted on my walk to Coogee in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. I couldn’t help but love the bright yellow. It is so cheerful and brings a smile to your face (mine at least 😃).
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to my latest edition of Doors of WordPress. I am further showcasing doors from my neighbourhood in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. They were all spotted on my daily walks 👣 . I hope you enjoy looking and please let me know if you have a favourite.
1 – Darlinghurst2 – Waverley (two for the price of one here)3 – Bronte 4 – Paddington 5 – Paddington
I think number five is my personal favourite. I used to find it really strange that doors here in the eastern suburbs have an exterior security door. I thought maybe the areas were unsafe and prone to burglaries. However, I have noticed that this is a very common practice here and most doors will have this external door. It must be simply a security thing, so you can leave your front door open for air but have the security of the exterior door 🤷🏼♂️.
Thanks to Dan at No Facilities, this is the Second Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge. There is a selection of doors on offer and we have to pick one to write about. This door stood out for me.
My initial thought process was – oh wow, what an amazing looking Teepee…oh the teepee has a door…oh I love the door actually…ok it’s not often you see a teepee with a door like that…to my main questions of thought, does this door simply take you through to the other side of the road or does this door take you to another world?
I am thinking you can only travel to another world if you believe the door to take you there. If you do not believe, you will simply walk through and see the other side of the road.
Or maybe the other side of the door is in fact just the road but if you had believed it would take you to another world, then maybe in fact, you are in another world. Even metaphorically speaking, you are in a better world, as you believe it to be so. You have the ability to place your past behind you and move forward with your life into your new world.
What do you think lies behind the door? A secret garden? Narnia? Or maybe a more positive and brave YOU, as you have taken a leap of faith through a door to an unknown destination.
Who knows?! Ok, I’m guessing the owner of this photo will know…
A Better World – short story
Alice began to walk tentatively towards the door. She was thinking, “This is crazy. How can walking through this door make me feel better, I know it leads to the other side of the road!”. As she reached the door, she placed her hand on the door handle, took a deep breath in and said to herself “I am letting go of my fears and insecurities, I am Alice and I can overcome anything!”.
As she pulled the handle down, she gave the door a gentle nudge. Nothing happened. Alice had to give the door a decent push, it was almost like someone was putting their weight against it. With all her might, she managed to open the door without falling through it. A huge gust of wind smacked her in the face, knocking over her beehive weave.
What was on the other side? Nothing. It was the same road. “Ok, I expected this” thought Alice. However, to Alice’s surprise, although everything appeared the same, it somehow became brighter and clearer. She instantly felt better in herself and her mood had lifted. “If only I had taken these steps sooner” she thought.
Alice knew she was a different person than before walking through the door. She had left the negative thoughts in the past and could now focus on her future. “Ok”, said Alice aloud, “You are a magic door inside a teepee!!!”.
2018 Bondi Beach. This was taken at Icebergs restaurant. It’s a beautiful spot to see the sun set and the skies often turn beautiful colours. With my partner at one of my favourite places.
Happy Sunday everyone. I hope you all have a lovely day.
What an amazing looking flower. My partner and I thought this looked like one of those bottle brushes you see mothers having to clean their babies’ bottles with. When we found out their name, we thought it was very amusing. The crimson bottlebrush is native to Australia and is very popular with birds for its nectar, specifically lorikeets, which we see here in Sydney all the time.
Thanks for taking a look at my flower of the day and I hope you all have a very happy Friday!
I was inspired by Suzette B’s Blog some time ago when she showcased one of the Game Of Thrones doors in her blog post. It was a fascinating read and it made me think back to when I had also seen one of these doors. So as part of Dan’s Thursday Doors, I thought I would show case the Game of Thrones door that I have seen.
First of all, a recap of what these doors are all about. If you have watched Game of Thrones and were an avid fan, you might be aware of some of the filming locations. Many scenes were filmed in Northern Ireland, much to my delight and the delight of most people living there. A prominent scene was filmed at a location called The Dark Hedges in Co. Antrim and has since become a huge tourist attraction. It is basically a road lined with beech trees but the trees are magnificent in their stature and appearance, creating a very moody and suspenseful location to wander through.
The Dark Hedges – 2015We came back the next day to see the trees with blue skies
Over the years, sadly many of the trees have fallen. They have been subject to storms and the ever increasing presence of tourists coming to the site. Tourism Northern Ireland and HBO found a way to keep the fallen trees alive (in spirit at least) and make good use of them. They were upcycled to create ten wooden doors, with each one depicting a scene from the Game of Thrones series and scattered throughout different locations in Northern Ireland. If you want to see their locations, you can find information here. This is where I found out that mine was number six in the Game of Thrones doors series.
I had heard about these doors when I was last in Northern Ireland, three years ago. My parents had known that there was one nearby in Ballintoy, in a pub called the Fullerton Arms. We headed there for a pint and a nosey and we were delighted to spot the Game of Thrones door, created with such finesse from the fallen beech trees. The pub also had a shrine to Game of Thrones with other memorabilia, a themed dining room and even its very own throne!
Game of Thrones Door #6 at Fullerton ArmsAmazing carvings and such intricate detail. This one show cases House Targaryen 🐉
I absolutely cannot wait to see all of these doors when I head back to Northern Ireland soon. Once I have seen them all, I will create a new post to show case them all.
Happy Friday everyone!! Today’s flower of the day is from the Coral Tree (Erythrina), also can be known as a Flame Tree. I think the flowers look really spectacular. The vivid red colour and their shape is extraordinary. What do you think? Have you ever seen a Coral Tree?
Spotted at Queen’s Park in the eastern suburbs of Sydney
Happy International Nurse’s Day!!! To all the hard working nurses out there, be that registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nursing assistants and nursing students, all around the world…especially throughout the past two years. It’s not the easiest of jobs but we love what we do 👨🏼⚕️💛👩🏼⚕️ and it’s Florence Nightingale’s birthday!
An epic sunset at Sydney airport at the beginning of the year. We just arrived back from our trip to Uluru. I have a feeling I will be seeing this airport a lot in the coming months as my travel plans ramp up! 😉
I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. Enjoy your Sunday everyone.
Happy Friday everyone. Please see below my flower of the day. Todays offering is a China Rose.
China Rose – native to south-west China
This rose is significant for it’s ability to bloom almost every month of the year and therefore, it represents longevity. I like this idea of living a long life, through thick and thin.
As it’s Thursday Doors today, courtesy of No Facilities, here are my latest offerings of doors from my neighbourhood and beyond. Please let me know which ones are your favourites. Check out my doors below 👇🏼
1 – Darlinghurst, SydneySt Kilda, Melbourne3 – Hunter Valley, NSW4 – Portrush, Northern Ireland5 – Paddington, Sydney
I find it hard to choose a favourite as I like them all for different reasons. I am watching the tv series Cheers from start to finish at the moment, so for that reason, I will say the door from Northern Ireland as it has the Cheers logo 😉.
Thanks again for checking out my doors this Thursday.
Today my husband and I celebrate five years of marriage. After ten years together, it was time to put a ring on it and make it official. We had a civil partnership in Northern Ireland as it was still illegal for people of the same sex to be married then. Thankfully, it was made legal in 2020.
For us, marriage was about strengthening our commitment to each other, showing our love for each other to the world, providing security for each other and having that certainty that we would be seen as a couple in the eyes of the law. As we were moving to Australia, we wanted that security, for example, heaven forbid, if something happened to one of us. We also wanted to have a time of celebration with our families and friends, before we would leave Northern Ireland for a new chapter Down Under.
The best day with our nearest and dearest.
When we arrived in Australia the following month, we were surprised to discover that gay marriage was also not legal here. This was astounding as we know how gay friendly Australia is and Sydney hosts one of the biggest Mardi Gras festivals in the world.
On 9 December 2017, the right to marry in Australia was no longer based on sex or gender. This was amazing news and enabled us to be married officially. We had a small wedding service on our one year anniversary (four years ago today), just for us. We felt that we were married before but now it was official. We had a ceremony at one of our favourite beaches with an intimate collection of family and friends.
Happy Saturday everyone. Usually I post my flower of the day on a Friday as I always think of Friday Flowers. However, I was pretty beat after work last night so I thought I would leave it for this week.
However, I was doing my usual walk today after work around the eastern suburbs and spotted this amazing flower on my way home from Bronte Beach. Even though it is Saturday, I really wanted to share this one with you all. It is known as Silky Oak and it’s botanical name is Grevillea Robusta. The Silky Oak is an evergreen tree and the flowers appear from spring to summer, which is quite funny as here in Australia it is autumn going into winter. Go figure! I was fascinated as I don’t recall ever seeing this one before. Let me know what you think? Have you ever seen this flower before? It honestly put the biggest smile on my face when I spotted it. I love the bright orange colour and the long looking tentacles.
Welcome to another week featuring some amazing Doors of WordPress. I was fortunate enough to spot some fantastic doors last weekend when we were staying at The Rocks in Sydney. Therefore, the doors featured this week were all spotted there at The Rocks, almost like a Rocks special episode of doors. This is a very popular tourist spot with a very interesting history. You can read more about this area here if you so wish.
I was really hoping to explore Darlinghurst and Five Ways today but alas, the rains have returned again to Sydney. That will be for another day, all being well. Please check out my doors below and do not hesitate to let me know which one is your favourite this week.
1 – I’m a sucker for plants, flowers, wreaths on people’s doors or in the vicinity. 2 – I love the colours of the doors with the colour of the building. As well as the doors, the windows and lights also add to the quaintness and character of the building. 3 – Amazing colours and I love the door knobs. 4 – I really like the steps here and the door to me looks quite old and rustic, almost a medieval or Game of Thrones feel. 5 – The colours here are fantastic and look quite regal to me. Also the door knocker above the handle looks great. 6 – Great colour and design. I also love the light to the side of the door. 7 – What a great building. You can’t really see the door too well but I still liked it. I was going to remove the bins from the photograph but then I thought it maybe adds a “je ne sais quoi” to the image. 8 – I love the appearance of the red door with the rustic brick work, looks quite European to me.
That’s my lot for this week. Which one do you prefer? Have you ever been to The Rocks in Sydney? It is honestly such a beautiful area, with cobbled streets and meandering pathways all around. You can spend a lot of time here and I never tire of visiting. It’s a bonus that there are so many amazing doors to discover and I have only scratched the surface.
Today I think of my partner and how it is his birthday today! Unfortunately we are both working today so we will celebrate modestly this evening. On the other hand, we were able to celebrate during the weekend just past and had a really lovely weekend together in Sydney.
Sydney Opera House
I planned a secret outing on Sunday in the CBD. I wanted us to participate in an event or excursion and it just so happened that there was an Oyster masterclass happening, courtesy of Sydney Oyster Farm Tours. This was part of a larger event that was happening all weekend in the Sydney CBD to celebrate food, drink and live entertainment.
We were able to shuck our own oysters (the process of opening the oysters) and thankfully none of us managed to injure ourselves. There was a girl in front of us who nearly chopped her finger off! We learned some history and gained knowledge regarding oyster farming and we were able to eat them afterwards. We had a collection of Sydney Rock Oysters and Pacific Oysters and I’m sure we managed to eat nearly a dozen each! This was a great experience and one that we had never done before.
Oyster shucking – The Pacifics were already opened in the tray and the Rock Oysters were in the bags waiting to be opened.
We then checked into our hotel for the night. I thought it would be cool to stay in a really nice hotel with stunning Sydney views, just for one night. You have the novelty of being away from home but with the luxury of not having to travel too far. Being a tourist for the day and night was fun. We stayed in the Shangri-La and really, thoroughly enjoyed it. I would say the only negative point was that it was a long weekend, therefore, it was pretty busy and had lots of kids. It was impossible to get a window view at the bar for drinks and also for breakfast the next morning. Out of season would be better. However, the bottle of bubbles in the room for my partner’s birthday was a really lovely touch and the staff were so, so friendly. The views of Circular Quay were stunning and I’m sure if you have a Harbour Bridge view, that would also be pretty epic.
❤️
We had dinner at The Spice Room at Circular Quay. Delicious Indian food in a really quaint and authentic setting. I had been here before and loved it. Thankfully, my partner loved it too 😊. When you see many Indian and Nepalese families eating there, that’s a sure sign the food will be tasty and authentic 🇮🇳.
On the following day, it was ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), remembering the soldiers lost at war. We had a dip in the pool and checked out. We had breakfast at The Rocks which was beautiful and watched the parades honouring the service men who fought in the World Wars. I always find this day really moving and I love how people of all ages come out to remember those who lost their lives fighting for their country.
Breakfast at The Rocks Cafe ANZAC DAY PARADE
We headed home for a quick change and then out for lunch with friends at The Chiswick in Woollahra. Absolutely stunning venue and food. If you ever have the chance to visit here, do not hesitate. It’s definitely up there.
Ready for lunch Apple crumble and ice cream or ANZAC biscuit and ice cream 😋
That was our weekend in a snapshot. I really feel like birthdays deserve to be celebrated as we only have one a year and life is so short.
How was your weekend? I apologise as it’s Tuesday but we were off work yesterday 😛.
Happy Friday everyone. This is the day of the week that I post some flowers that I have seen recently or I have managed to haul from the archives, as part of Cee’s Photo Challenges (you can find here).
Today’s flowers were taken at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and are known as Wax Begonia. They are native to South America and are often used as ground cover.
I really need to return to the Botanic Gardens soon as they have such an array of flower and plant species and it’s a really beautiful spot to take a relaxing stroll through.
Such a stunning backdrop with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge seen in the distance.
Have you ever seen these flowers? Have you ever visited the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney?
Please do let me know and thanks for checking out my FOTD.
As it’s Thursday Doors today, courtesy of No Facilities, here are my latest offerings of doors from my neighbourhood. Thursday is fast becoming my favourite day for blogging as I love showcasing the local doors. My only concern is, what happens when you run out of doors?
Please see my selection below and their locations in Sydney👇🏼
1 – Bronte2 – Paddington 3 – St. James Church, King Street4 – Bondi5 – Bondi Road
What is your favourite this week? I love the artwork for the last one. This is a very popular coffee shop on Bondi Road called Up South Bondi. However, if I’m thinking solely of the door/doorway, the first one would be my favourite.
I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend. I was fortunate enough to fly to Melbourne to visit my good friends. Whilst there I was able to tick off one of my bucket list items and that was to visit the Brighton Bathing Boxes, just 17km outside Melbourne’s CBD. We were able to drive there but you could walk or cycle also if you had the time. This was the perfect timing for us and the weather was beautiful, a welcome change from Sydney’s crazy weather.
The bathing boxes are pretty famous and have been around for over a hundred years. They are a very European idea and still exist in parts of Europe today. I had seen them on Instagram and thought they looked really epic. They are colourful boxes that people use for storage, just on the beach. There are 82 in total and stretch along the Dendy Street Beach. Useful for storing important items, especially for the beach (I assume) but interesting to note the boxes can not have electricity or a water supply. Perhaps to stop people from living in the boxes.
Please feel free to check out my pictures of the bathing boxes below. They are sure to brighten up your Tuesday 😆 and if you want any additional information, you can read more here.
Not your typical Easter flower but it’s a great backdrop for celebrations. I hope you all have a lovely Easter break. I am really looking forward to a glass of bubbles or two.
As it’s Thursday Doors today, courtesy of No Facilities, here are my latest offerings. I love walking around Sydney and finding new doors. I feel blessed to live somewhere with such an array of fine looking doors 😛. Have a look below and let me know which ones are your fave? 👇🏼
As you can see, many of my Sydney doors are from Woollahra. I love this suburb in the eastern suburbs and it’s right on my doorstep. It’s very quaint with lots of character and charm.
That’s me just finished work for the week. I am sitting on the train home, tired but delighted to be off for a few days. I hope you all have a lovely long weekend and if you celebrate Easter, enjoy the celebrations, enjoy your time with those nearest and dearest and treat yourself to some chocolates.
Take care everyone and thanks for checking out my selection of doors.
“Each month, we’ll be bringing you a single word that serves as a prompt for your writing, your art, your coding, whatever it is that makes you, you. For April, the WordPrompt is: GREEN”. Thanks WordPress 🙌🏼.
It’s good to feel at one with nature
Ok I like this prompt and I smiled when I saw the word. To begin with, green is one of my all time favourite colours, falling just behind blue. I love scenery and nature and for me, this will most often include green and blue colours. Perhaps this is a reason for loving these colours. I feel like green has so many shades that can all emulate different energies. For example, racing green makes me think of class and sophistication, whereas, apple green is light, fresh and fun. Even when wearing green clothing I tend to feel good 😊.
I love wearing green!
I am also from Ireland, the Emerald Isle, where we have lots of greenery. We have luscious green fields, trees, grass and moss, namely due to the amount of rain we receive. Ireland is always associated with being green and we can see this especially on St Patrick’s Day, when all the Irish will wear green clothing. This isn’t only in Ireland. People all over the world will celebrate this day and don their favourite green attire. Ok, so it is mostly in countries that have a large Irish population or heritage but wearing green has become a trait of being quintessentially Irish.
It is super green in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland, pretty even on a cloudy day. Castlerock, Northern Ireland. The blue skies really make the green pop! Wearing green is essential on St Patrick’s Day ☘️
However, that’s not to say green is solely for the Irish. There are many countries that show case the colour green very well. When I think of green, I also think of tropical places. I think of holidays and paradise. Many countries and islands have wet seasons, therefore, green vegetation will be in abundance. When we travelled to Taveuni, the garden island of Fiji, it was extremely green, as you would expect.
Taveuni, Fiji
I also love to eat many healthy green fruit and vegetables. I love peppers (or capsicums in Australia), broccoli, peas, salads, apples, pears and grapes. I think even just the green colour makes me think of them as being healthy and good for you. I remember as a child always hearing “be sure to eat all your greens!”.
There’s even a green knife!Everything appears healthy with greens 🥬
Thanks for allowing me the chance to divulge in a sea of greenery!!! What do you think about the colour green? What does it invoke in you?
Today I am flying solo. I am off from work and the sun is finally shining in Sydney. It feels strange but exciting to see blue skies after having so much rain. I am dying to get out and about so I take myself off for a really long walk, wanting to soak up as much vitamin D as possible and to increase my step count for the week. I can’t do the Bondi to Coogee walk as it will be packed on a Sunday. So I decide to walk to Watson’s Bay via the residential streets, hoping to encounter as few people as possible. I pass Macquarie Lighthouse and from there I walk to Camp Cove, just past Watson’s Bay. It’s a little beach that is not as well know, unless you live here in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. I take the South Head heritage trail to Hornby Lighthouse and return to Watson’s Bay. Here I take the coastal walk from the Gap Lookout and return home via Rose Bay.
As well as being a beautiful walk and a good distance for gaining the steps, it also gives me the opportunity to take many photos, most of which I can add to my future posts for my Doors of WordPress and my Friday Flowers ☺️.
I hope you enjoy some of the scenic shots from today. This is my happy place. Walking in beautiful weather, with stunning scenery and the chance to see what I can photograph.
Macquarie LighthouseCamp Cove – a small beach with lots of charm and city viewsCamp Cove kiosk – I love the quaintness of this kiosk and it was the perfect spot to stop for lunchViews for days when you take the South Head heritage trail to the lighthouseHornby LighthouseWalking from the Gap Lookout towards Bondi. The coastal views are stunning.City views and the Harbour Bridge.When I passed Macquarie Lighthouse again, I took the residential streets to Rose Bay and then home.
All in all, my walk was about 3.5 hours with a lunch stop. My feet are walked off me but I feel great for having done it and I can now put the feet up at home.
I hope you all are able to have a lovely Sunday wherever you are. Take care and keep safe,
My Friday Flowers are back again this week! Sometimes I will post a flower of the day on a Friday but if I have a few to share, I will call the post Friday Flowers 🤗. I think it’s a nice way to end the working week, splash a bit of colour through WordPress and it’s a good opportunity to appreciate the little things in life that we can often take for granted. We are still having A LOT of rain here in Sydney and through NSW. I can’t even complain about it as some people have it much, much worse then me. There are severe floods here, people losing their homes, their livelihoods and sometimes even their lives. Plus we still have the war in Ukraine that is in my thoughts every single day. When will it all end? 🙏🏼 .
Please feel free to check out my Friday Flowers below and hopefully they can make you smile and add a little colour to your day ☺️. I will tell you their name and where I have seen them 👇🏼
Scarlet Star – Bellagio Resort, Las VegasFlame Vine – Vaucluse, SydneyAngel’s Trumpet – Wendy’s Secret Garden, SydneyPride of Madeira – Vaucluse, SydneyChinese Hibiscus – Kogarah, NSW
I have to say, I am in no way a botanist but I have an amazing app on my phone that can tell me about a flower species by simply uploading a photo. I cannot believe how amazing it is that we can learn so much from a photo. The app is called Picture This if you want to have a look for yourself.
It also gives you the botanical names, where they originated and other common names. It can also identify weeds, birds, insects etc. – simply amazing 🤩
Ps. This is not an advert for this app. I just want to share as I think it’s fantastic if you want to know more about the flowers you are photographing. You can check them out here at https://www.picturethisai.com/
I hope you enjoyed my Friday Flowers post. Have a great weekend everyone and if you’re in Sydney, good luck staying dry 😬.
My fourth instalment is here, featuring doors found in and around Sydney. These posts are creating a door monster within me! Now every time I see a door that I like, I have to photograph it. I just hope the person behind the door doesn’t mind. If ever questioned, I will explain my love for doors and inform them that they are part of my blog post. That is quite the achievement to be featured 🤣 (jokes). I hope you enjoy my selection of doors this week 👇🏼
The Butler Restaurant- Potts Point Dry Cleaners – Bondi JunctionThe Flower House – Surry HillsGraffiti Door – Surry HillsDouble Doors – Randwick
Happy Sunday everyone. If you’re in Australia, I hope you’re all feeling fresh as our clocks went back last night and we had that extra hour sleep ☺️.
The sunsets I want to show you this week are from the Coral Sea when we travelled on a South Pacific cruise. This was a Christmas cruise and our very first time holidaying on one. It was magnificent and the sunsets we seen were unreal. We also really appreciated the clean open air as Australia was in the middle of a really horrific bush fire season and the air was so smokey that it was difficult to breathe for a few days and nights. This was December 2019. It was bad enough we were experiencing the fires but little did we know that the coronavirus pandemic was just around the corner.
Have you seen many sunsets from the middle of the ocean? It really is something spectacular and this holiday will be forever etched in my memory.
I do love a good word prompt! I was scrolling through my junk emails and spotted this one from WordPress (swiftly moved to my inbox). I like the idea of having a monthly word prompt and luckily for me, I discovered this on the last day of March 😅.
Coincidentally, I also have a love for bridges. I’m not sure what it is that I love about bridges. It doesn’t even have to be a big or majestic bridge. I like any sort. I love the design of them, I love how many of them travel over water. I love the excitement of seeing what is at the other side of a bridge. Does anyone else have the same sentiment regarding bridges?
Most of you will know what my passions are from my previous blog posts, for example, photographing anything quaint, scenic, architectural etc. and a good bridge definitely falls into these categories. I have so, so many pictures of bridges but I don’t want to bore you all with them today. It is more than enough that I share my doors, flowers and sunset pictures 😆.
However, I will share one of my favourite bridges that is right here in my current city. You can maybe guess it already. Every time I see this bridge I am in awe. It also always reminds me that I am living in Sydney, one of the best cities in the world, in my humble opinion. I think I have photographed this bridge from every angle possible. I have walked under it on numerous occasions, sailed under it, walked over it, travelled over it by car, bus, train and even had the opportunity to climb this bridge with my Dad when he came to Australia. It is of course, the Sydney Harbour Bridge 🙌🏼.
View from Hotel Palisade On top of the Harbour Bridge with my DadView at The Rocks Harbour Bridge at night
What is your favourite bridge that you have seen so far???
Happy Sunday everyone. I’m up early here in Sydney, bright eyed this morning but without the bushy tail 🤣. Four hours sleep is just not enough for me (I’m a 7 hour man!) and I’m away today for some wine tastings. So I thought I would create my Sunday Sunset post before I head out for the day.
These were taken in 2016 at a place called Portrush. It’s a little seaside town along the north coast of Northern Ireland. This is the small harbour known as Portrush Harbour (funnily enough). It’s a really beautiful place and it’s a town that many people from Northern Ireland visit for a mini vacation. At the harbour you can find a variety of restaurants, quaint and cosy pubs, a yacht club and you’re in very close proximity to the beaches and town.
I am extremely fortunate that my parents moved here a few years ago so it means I always get to come here. I used to frequent as a child, like most kids did then, as most people couldn’t afford foreign holidays. People would have travelled locally for the weekend or a week away. However, we always had the best times and treasure those memories into our adulthood.
Have you ever visited Northern Ireland’s stunning yet underrated coastline? I feel like it often gets forgotten about when people visit Ireland 🤷🏼♂️.
I want to share with you today some flowers from a very popular place here in Sydney at The Grounds of Alexandria. Presently they are showcasing their Secret Garden, where lots of people come to take some pictures and pose with the flowers, mainly girls for their social accounts but it is a really impressive spectacle. I’m unsure if the flowers are real or artificial or maybe a combination of both but it really is a feast for the eyes either way. You can see more information about the event here.
Let me know what you think 🤗
A little video to capture your imagination ☺️This was when I visited the event last year.
My love of doors continues to thrive. I cannot wait to travel again and see doors from other countries too. However, I do love how Sydney has such an array of door types and fortunately for me, are all in my neighbourhood. If you are also a lover of doors, check out Thursday Doors here. You can take a look at my top 5 doors this week below 👇🏼.
Woollahra, SydneyBondi, SydneyWoollahra, SydneyPoint Piper, SydneyWaverley, Sydney
Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone. 17th March is a day the Irish love to celebrate. We celebrate St. Patrick as he drove the snakes out of Ireland, although he also brought Christianity to the island too apparently, saving the Irish from their pagan ways 😝.
In 2016 we visited the grave of St. Patrick at Downpatrick Cathedral
For most of us, it’s a time to celebrate being Irish or to be from the country of Ireland, including Northern Ireland. It’s a time to gather with our friends, drink lots of Guinness, wear our finest green attire and listen to traditional Irish music. It is an excuse for many to have a big breakfast and start the celebrations early. If you manage to stay out celebrating past 7pm, you have done extremely well.
We drink anything green really 🤣
This is also a day where everybody wants to be Irish. Everyone will tell you that they are Irish. “My grandmother’s aunt came from Ireland or my Dad’s great grandfather’s wife was Irish, so I must be part Irish too. We hear that a lot and in most cases I’m sure it will be true. The Irish tend to be everywhere. Years ago, Irish people had big families and many emigrated to seek a better future for their families, especially to America, Canada and Australia.
Being in Australia is a bit different from home and the traditions are a little different. I was working today but will be heading out for dinner tonight. I will be wearing green and I will be drinking Guinness. Even though it doesn’t taste as good here (they say Guinness doesn’t travel well, it’s best to drink in a country pub in Ireland, preferably Donegal 😉).
Will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day today? Do you have a connection to Ireland? Do you have an Irish heritage? Please do let me know.
Today I am show casing the sunflower as it is the national flower of Ukraine. I cannot stop thinking of this country, it’s people and it’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hoping for a miracle.
If you’re looking to check out somewhere different near Sydney, then this could be your next stop. Situated near Botany, this park has it all, including a walking trail, a sports oval, themed gardens and ornamental animals, a maze, shaded walkways and picnic benches dotted around the park.
If you’re intrigued to know who Sir Joseph Banks was click here.The life size elephant plant sculptures are pretty impressive.The animals, although not real, make you believe you’re walking through some kind of zoo from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m sure kids would be even more impressed.The tiger pen…you wouldn’t get this close if they were real 😝Beautiful sculptures Stunning scenery along the water
This park is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours on a sunny morning/afternoon. It’s always a blessing to find a new spot to discover and explore.
Cee from Cee’s Photo Challenges has a Flower of the Day challenge. You can check it out here. I thought this would be a fun post to show some of my flowers as I have quite a lot on my camera roll. They just aren’t popular on my Instagram feed for some reason, therefore, they are rarely seen. I’m delighted to show them off here on my blog. A big thank you to Cee for creating this challenge 🙏🏼.
Tulips from the Walled Garden at Glenarm Castle, Northern IrelandOrange Coneflower, Swords Village, IrelandMontbretia, Cremorne Reserve, SydneyGuarianthe skinneri, Fiji Fire-star Orchid, Fiji Bird of Paradise, SydneyDaffodils from Queen’s University Belfast
Thanks for having a look. All photos taken by me. I have so many more if this post becomes popular enough 🤣.
This tour was part of our Field of Light tour. After the lights, we headed upwards to the vantage point. There we were offered some tea/coffee and biscuits to watch the sunrise (this was needed due to being so early 😉). Needless to say, the sunrise was unreal. Even though we had witnessed a sunset, seen Uluru up close and from afar, this sunrise still managed to massively impress us. Take a look for yourself below.
Sun is rising Waiting for the sun to rise 🌅 The colours 🤩Sunrise with Uluru to the right. The way the sun hits is just stunning.
So we have now come to the end of my Uluru blog mini series. I hope you all enjoyed the pictures and are maybe now inspired to visit Uluru for yourselves. As I mentioned previously, we travelled here for a weekend break and didn’t quite get to see everything on our list, although I am overjoyed with what we did manage to see. If you plan to visit for yourself, there are a couple of other excursions you could try. Dining under the Stars is supposed to be amazing and was on my list big time. I’m sure it’s beautiful to eat in the middle of the desert with a clear sky above. Can you imagine how bright the stars must be? Also a camel tour around Uluru would be pretty epic, riding through the desert. Although part of me is slightly wary of this, could this be considered cruel to camels?
Anyway, hopefully you can do all the things you would like when and if you travel there. Not every excursion suits everyone. I for one am extremely happy with what we have seen and done and we have absolutely made memories to last a lifetime.
