Birds of the day

I hear that more bird pictures are wanted, so hence forth I will publish at least two.

The bird on the top left with the white belly and yellow mask is a Masked Lapwing. It is a member of the Plover family which are long-legged wading birds.

The colourful bird at the bottom of the pictures is a Rainbow Lorikeet, part of the Parrot family that makes a noisy screech while in flight.

The midddle bird is a Common Myna Bird. The thing about this one is he was on a tree limb, just above eye level and talking up a storm. He would not shut up or leave. I took a bunch of shots and moved slowly away looking for other birds. As soon as I was far enough away, he swooped down to a leaky water tap that had been at my feet and took a drink. Apparently I was just in the way!

Bird of the Day

This is a very little bird but very colourful ! It is a ZEBRA FINCH.

Bird of the Day

Maybe the Bats are a little scary. Ok, I will start with the birds. This is a Black Headed Gouldian Finch. This one is for you Branden.

Flying Foxes

In downtown Sydney there is a huge population of "Grey Headed Flying Foxes" the largest bat in Australia. It has a wingspan of over 1 metre and it also has a diet of pollen, nectar and fruit. The colony is over 22,000 strong at the Royal Botanical Gardens. The scariest thing is the closer you get to them, the louder their screaming gets !!!

Road Trip

So in the end we head back to Sydney. We haven't done anything on the guidebook tour but it did take 3 and 1/2 hours!

Road Trip

Okay, it's getting late - still lost but at least now we are back on paved roads! Stop the car - there's a flock of cool birds in that field! Galah's (a type of cockatoo) feeding on the ground.

Road Trip

And then, what's that in the tree? The supposedly "rare" kookaburra. And in that tree? An Australian King Parrot.

Road Trip

Okay keep driving and then, what is that? A donkey, a camel (?) and a horse.

Road Trip

Well if the sign says it, maybe we should look around. Hey what's that in the field?

Road Trip

Hold our breath - cross the bridge and what does that sign say? Wildlife crossing - echidna, kangaroo, wombat - take your pick.

Road trip

So we left Windsor to go on the "scenic route" - hairpin turns, climbing up - up -up, then down. First time we saw the "blue haze" that is on the mountains, caused by the eucalypt (gum) tree oil in the air. It was just beautiful, but oh wait - we're lost. Now we are on a dirt track and come to this bridge.

Our road trip adventure

So today we decided to do a driving tour of "The Hawkesbury", which was supposed to be a 3 and 1/2 hour tour of the Hawkesbury river valley. Well we started late and got lost. We did make it to the village of Windsor - here are some of the pictures. Really kind of rough around the edges.

Sydney Harbour Bridge from above

My Birthday

Went for dinner at the rotating restaurant at the Sydney Skytower. It was awesome to see everything from up high.

And here it is....

The highrise in the middle with the brown base is our apartment building - 365 Kent Street.

Another Kookaburra

An Australian Bush Turkey roaming the SCJ grounds, and another, better pic of a Kookaburra. Every day I look out my office window and see some bird I've never seen before.

Kookaburra

Remember that song we learned in grade school? "Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree...."?

Took this pic yesterday on the SCJ grounds. It is literally a Kookaburra sitting in a gum tree.

Cool Sydney Buildings

This whole street is pretty cool.

Cool Sydney Buildings - The QVB

More pictures of the interior and exterior. This building takes up a whole city block.

Cool Sydney Buildings

My favourite - The Queen Victoria Building - unlike The Strand - the QVB started as a lowbrow produce market, with horses drawing the carts inside. You would never know it's humble beginnings....

Cool Sydney Buildings

The Strand shopping arcade, opened in 1891.

Luna Park

Luna Park

Famous Sydney Fun Fair - opened in 1935. It's lights have only been off during blackouts of World War II. Closed in 1979 after 7 people were killed in a fire there - it is reopened. The gateway face has apparently scared generations of Oz kids who literally ran through it to enter into the park.

Streetscenes - The Rocks

Argyle Stores

This was a warehouse for shipped goods, as the original main wharf was a block away. I'm assuming the bars are on the windows because this was a very rough area in the 1800's.

Terrace Houses

These Terrace Houses are positively palatial compared to some we've seen.