Monday, July 29, 2013

Splendour In The Grass 2013

We're back!! After a long weekend away at North Byron Bay Parklands for the Splendour in the Grass Festival (Australia's answer to Coachella in US and Glastonbury in UK) I am ready to overshare :-) There are lots of information, photos and videos at the Triple J website - http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/events/splendour/13/

 It's my first festival and I think Riki's first festival as well!! Things we learnt: 
* it is always wet at festivals so take gumboots, 
* 30,000 people is a lot - we learnt to share our space, 
* buy food and drink when the bands are playing so the lines are shorter, 
* onesies are making a comeback, 
* Indian feather head-dresses are also in vogue 
* Riki and I love authentic chai tea (from Brisbane Chai Cart) and huge doughnuts (from Byron Bay Organic Doughnuts) 
* There will always be hard decisions to make between which bands you want to see most 
Highlights: 
* Matt Corby - beautiful voice, talented man, 
* Jake Bugg 
* MS MR 
* Little Green Cars 
* Birds of Tokyo - consistently fantastic 
* Sarah Blasko - sweet gorgeous voice

Disappointed we missed:
* Gurrumul - an indigenous singer with a beautiful voice,
* Laura Marling,



Ginger/lemon/mint ice tea, authentic chai tea (wish this was smell-o-vision) and organic doughnut - yum



On the first day we stopped in at a place called Little Italy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Italy,_New_South_Wales and had some morning tea - scones with jam and cream and coffees. Riki checked out the museum with me and loved the old machinery and vintage lace. There were lots of photos of the Italian migrant families and their heirlooms as well. 







This is one of the dresses Riki helped me make using vintage bed sheets. 

Our hotel room
On the second day we stopped at a lookout on the way to Byron Bay which looks over the hinterland



On the third day we had brunch at Lennox Head and checked out the lookout, Seven Mile Beach and the pandanus palms





And on our way back home after the last day we stopped in at an old church which has been renovated into a cafe - we have been wanting to stop in for ages. It has lots of lovely retro/vintage items we enjoyed looking at. They also stock upcycled clothing/hats from Geckos New Tail





Oops - confessional!!



I had a ball at the festival and doing some sightseeing with Riki. We might have a weekend to recover and then start doing some other fun stuff. Magda has put us onto geo-caching so that's on the cards and we have lots of brochures for bush-walking and of course a trip to Trial Bay Gaol!!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

At the beach

This weekend we had a birthday and got to catch up with lots of family. It meant a trip to Yamba which is always gorgeous. 

Today we had a picnic at River Street park off Yamba Bay - the cloud formations were beautiful and everyone had fun playing totem tennis, French cricket and soccer. 


Grevillea "Honey Gem" and bees in the park
Pelicans and Ibis
reminds me of the movie Stormboy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Boy_(film)
Enjoying the sun!!
    

Rockpools by Wooli Park


Seagulls

Seaside Sculpture - Furcula 2011
http://graftongalleryblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/new-public-artwork-by-cass-samms-has.html
Riki at the rockpools
Yamba Bay


Water birds - pelican, ibis and spoonbill
Bromeliad -  Aechmia "Coral Beauty"

Low tide
More grevillea
In the mangroves - lots of pneumatophores
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_mangroves
Hope this weather hangs around for next weekend's music festival - I will however be buying a pair of wellington boots just in case of rain!!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Sealy Lookout and more ocean views

We have had some sunshine in between days of rain so took the opportunity to get some more photos with Riki. 

We decided to tryout the new Forest Sky Pier at Sealy Lookout and it looks spectacular. Before you couldn't see much because of the vegetation but now you get spectacular views looking east to the ocean and over Coffs Harbour and Sawtell. 








We had breakfast at Bluebottles Cafe and I had my usual pancakes with banana and honeycomb butter whip - as wicked as it sounds. As I was reading the newspaper I saw this article about an inaugural wheelchair orienteering competition - what really caught my eye was this was the first time this format had been used outside the Czech Republic - when Riki and I read this she became a little homesick!!



Yum - pancakes, banana, honeycomb butter
Then we drove into Coffs Harbour and decided to see Man Of Steel!!
Off to see Superman!!
Outside the movie theatre
Riki shares my love for Despicable Me minions!!
Waiting for the movie to start
Then on the Saturday we drove into Sawtell to look around at the Chilli festival  http://www.sawtellchillifestival.com.au/ There were so many people there!! We saw some rock'n'roll dancers, lots of products with chilli (including chilli hot chocolate and ginger chilli beer). My brother loves really hot chilli so I got him some extra hot beef jerky - not everyone's taste but he and my dad like it!!


Lots of people
Chilli mascots
Me using my new iPhone to take a panorama from Sawtell lookout
Looking over Sawtell
Such a nice day
Mullawarra Headland - near home
Woolgoolga Beach
Mullaway Headland at sunset
This week was also NAIDOC week - National Aboriginies and Islanders Day Observance Committee - raising awareness of the treatment and status of Indigenous Australians http://www.naidoc.org.au/  A colleague arranged some celebrations at work including some traditional and modern Aboriginal dance   http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/united-in-dance/884401/ which reminded me of the Bangarra dance company which I have seen in the past - really beautiful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akiMxfUx_JQ

Tomorrow I will be sewing away - finishing off some of the dresses I have started. And only 13 more sleeps until we go to Splendour in the Grass music festival - I can't believe it has come around so quickly :-)