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 :-)                                     

Theatre, trip to Brisbane and crafting

It's been too long since I last posted. I have a bit to catch up on :-)

Hubby bought us tickets to a John Williamson play called "The Club". He remembers studying the play in high school. It's by a well known Australia playwright, David Williamson and is about the internal politics in a football club. I'm usually not big on football but this play was quite interesting and more humorous than I was expecting. It was set in the 70's so it featured the beginning of drug smoking and some male chauvinism - it was fascinating watching people's reactions. 

'The Club' featuring actor John Wood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Club_(1980_film)

Then this last weekend I had registered to attend a 2 day workshop on feeding difficulties in children. I see this a lot in my work and it's good to keep up to date with the latest interventions. So we started the trip in rain and it stayed like that for most of the trip. There were some patches of sunshine as we drove past Byron and admired the rolling hinterlands. 

Rain over the sugarcane

Coffees to keep us warm - not all for us!! We were dropping
in on  hubby's parents on our way up

Plantations near Byron Bay

Marker at the New South Wales - Queensland border

Gold coast high-rises

"Such is Life" - Ned Kelly, an Australian bush ranger was
meant to have said this just before he was hanged
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kelly-edward-ned-3933
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly

Royal Women and Children's Hospital
- where my workshop was held

 And today I had a planned day off but as it was still raining what is a girl to do but some craft.

Rainy outside

Crafting inside

Dress reconstruction inspiration
from Naughty Shorts

I have all these vintage sheets I have collected and inspired by some tutorials I saw on Pinterest and a business called "Naughty Shorts" I am going to turn them into dresses - can't wait to finish them.

And last but not least - Riki helped me buy some cold pressed coconut oil. Apparently it can help brain function - let's see :-)

Whales and much more

Well I have some catching up to do!!

Last weekend we had the Queens birthday long weekend which meant a public holiday for all Aussies on Monday 10th June. There's nothing Aussie's love better than a national holiday. We traveled to Yamba and caught up with family and went to a thrift shop fashion parade in which my mother in law was involved. As we were traveling to Yamba we remembered a friend was hiring a houseboat for the weekend and we could probably see them from Brushgrove bridge. 

Sunset at Brushgrove

Houseboat on Clarence River

Then the MadeWith Love markets were on Sunday 9th June - I really wanted to catch up with some of the stallholders and see what else was there. 

 

Lots of crafty people - photo from internet

Takara Too jewelry and crochet animals - I bought
an Alice in Wonderland locket and deer earrings

Cordelle vintage-inspired jewelry and crochet baskets

Rainbow and Ringlets - gorgeous hand dyed yarn

I also bought 2 pieces of hand dyed vintage lace I will stiffen and turn into necklaces - pictures to come :-). The girls I went with all want to learn how to crochet so in a couple of weeks we will have a crafting day at my place!! 

Then this weekend we drove into town to help friends move some furniture and go out for brunch. I had hummus, avocado, poached eggs and dukkah on sourdough - yum!! On the way home we decided to take a walk down Woolgoolga Beach to see if we could see Buster the shipwreck - and we could. 

This bit is for Anofeles - We also saw a colony of fruit bats - I was a little scared as I had just watched a TV show on a little boy who was the third person to die from Lyssavirus from a bat scratch!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_bat_lyssavirus. 

 

We took this panorama today!! Love Microsoft ICE stitch software
http://anmm.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/no-need-to-excavate-the-wreck-of-the-buster-1893/ 

As well as a rainbow lorikeet eating some nectar from a bottlebrush. 

Rainbow lorikeet - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Lorikeet 

We zoomed in on whales breaching and lobtailing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_surfacing_behaviour

We then got home and I had a hankering for something sweet so Riki helped me make frozen banana bites - which are segments of banana (locally grown bananas no less) with peanut butter sandwiched in the middle and covered in melted dark chocolate. They are left in the fridge to harden and then - yummo!!

Little ray of sunshine!!

Well this weekend was a quiet one with no planned activities. But today we decided to drive into town and have some lunch and see if we could score some bargains. I got a Tame Impala CD and the first four Harry Potters on Blu-Ray (already have the last 4). It was pouring rain as we drove in:

                                     

On the way home we stopped in at Woolgoolga Headland to see if we could see some whales migrating north. No luck - but enjoyed watching the ocean and surfers. 

Next time we are down there we are going to see if we can get some pictures of 'Buster' a shipreck from 1893 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FAwRX16Nw0. He is only visible at certain times and think he is partially visible at the moment.  

Woolgoolga Headland

Sparring kangaroos - as we were sitting on the headland
I saw these kangaroos sparring down by the beach!!

Seagulls

Then we stopped into our headland for a walk and some more photo opportunities. 

Start of Mullaway Headland walk

Sitting amongst the banksias
(common name 'bottlebrush')

More banksias

Having a rest

Overlooking Mullaway Beach

The sun came out!!

Mullaway Beach

Well back to reality and work tomorrow - and counting down the days to the Made With Love Markets next Sunday. We will also have a drive to Yamba again as well to catch up with family :-)