What a great way to start the year--New Year's Eve at Bradley's Head on Sydney Harbour, from noon until 1 am. An all-day picnic, swim in the harbour (no sharks, lots & LOTS of boats--see the photo of my little beach below!) & amazing fireworks to end the event.
One of the highlights was an 11:45 pm procession of fairy kayaks--kayaks covered with fairy lights and circulating just below us in the harbour. Absolutely beautiful and sorry I didn't capture them with my camera. Fantastic Sydney friends who always know the best places to enjoy this beautiful city!
Unfortunately it was a sad ending to the year, with the passing of my mom's oldest sister, 92, on December 27. I can count at least 8 friends and family and friends of family or family of friends (mostly parents) who passed in the last 6 months, and they are missed by all who knew them. It makes you realize how precious time is with people, and not only older people, when there are so many losses in such a short time. I hope 2010 will be better in that regard. I suppose none of us are getting any younger and so in that sense we are all closer to death, or whatever world comes next, depending on your beliefs. And in this westernized world we live in there is definitely a resistance to death, talking about death, thinking about death, preparing for death. My aunt was definitely preparing the last while and had expressed her wishes in that regard. And she held to them. And for the family, although she didn't want a memorial, there was a party held in her honour yesterday which I missed, being overseas. I hope it all went well and no ghosts showed up!
On the positive side of the ledger, I arrived in Sydney to a beautiful garden filled with fairies!! I was so pleased to have finally found a magical place waiting for me! There were even fairies waiting in the house for me, one of which was a wishing fairy, to make a wish on the full moon--which happened the night of my arrival. Next post I'll have some photos for you of the garden, and now I've worked out my camera fireworks settings I can probably capture some of the fairy lights at night too!
As for today, I'm continuing my love affair with Sydney. I've been to Barrenjoey lighthouse, had a swim at Palm Beach before a storm, a dip at Shelly Beach at the south end of Manly, and a walk at Curl Curl...and today it's heading to the Botanic Gardens for a walk and swim with friends. Loving my life down under! Stay tuned for more photos. Too bad I can only post 5 at a time!
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