Every year on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) a fleet of sailing yachts sets out from Sydney to sail down to Hobart, Tasmania.
It is quite a sight to see all these sailboats from the fastest 100 footers to the smallest yacht tack upwind from the harbour and turn south onto the ocean.

Accompanied by hundreds of boats and news helicopters, the sailors are approaching South Head here for 2 days and 6 hours for the fastest, but over 5 days for the slower ships to get to Tassie.
Hope they all make it before the new year!
Between number 1 and 2 were only 3 minutes with Investec Loyal beating 5-times winner Wild Oates.

PDC at Milkwood

A week before the course at Milkwood starts I meet Paul at a Greenups meeting. He's going to the course as well and still without transport. I end up driving to Mudgee with a full car, Claire and Alexia also share the 4.5-hour ride. After the last 20km over a dirt road we arrive at the farm and we each get a camp site assigned along the Campbells Creek. That'll be our base for the next 2 weeks. Slowly more people arrive; tomorrow morning the course will start.
Milkwood is a small organic permaculture demonstration farm. It's great to be able to see different permaculture solutions in growing and working actuality around while learning the theory and principles behind it. The best part is that the solutions often look like total fun, for example the straw bale chook run, the food forest and of course the rocket powered shower. All the classes, entertainment and fantastic meals by cook Rose are in the multi-functional woolshed. Sometimes a bit cold and windy, but the warm drinks and good company keep us comfortable enough. It's immediately obvious that Nick, Kirsten and their team really practice the permaculture ethics; land care, people care and fair share.

The theory classes are interlaced with a lot of group design exercises and showcase walks around the farm. The different teachers are very knowledgeable and passionate storytellers. There's always room for Q&A and discussions on the topics. We learn a lot, also in a fun way. And not only from the teachers but from the diverse group of fellow students and Milkwood interns as well. Made a lot of wonderful friends, too ;-)
I'm very happy I invested in this course!


"Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple"
Bill Mollison (co-originator of the Permaculture concept)

Sustainable Streetworks

In the Custom House we saw the Street Works exhibition with ideas to liven up public spaces with interactive installations. A few of the entries in the competition organised by AILA (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects) were selected to be realised at different places around the city.
It was fun to fill my empty coffee cup with dirt and seed and placing it in the GIG racks to grow native plants or rest in the Beer Line,  an urban barley field that will be harvested and made into beer.

Wwoofing at Waru

To get some hands-on practice before I join the Permaculture design course at Milkwood I decide to go wwoofing - 'willing workers on organic farms'. A whole different experience for this city girl. After contacting a couple of addresses I end up at Waru organic farm just outside Orange, NSW. A beautiful place on a slope with views over a dam and forested surroundings.
On the Central tablelands it's really winter with frost in the night and morning. There are only some winter hardy veggies and herbs growing to be picked and harvested, like thyme, kale, rocket, beetroot. Most of the work consists of preparing the 18 meter beds for the new season; weeding and re-modelling them into terraces, and after that compost and mulch on top. The heavy duty weeding is a bit too much for my poor back, but hoeing and raking is going well. And I join the girls with the more gentle weeding of the herb beds.
We work from 8 am with a short lunch break till 2pm. The afternoons we can spend as we like; going for a walk (with Betty the friendly farm dog), behind a laptop watching movies or surfing the Internet (if you have a mobile broadband device), or reading through the extensive library of Anna. Sometimes we get a ride with Anna into town.

To my own surprise I'm thoroughly enjoying working outside in the fields, listening to the exotic bird calls. It's almost meditative. The city is literary far away with no reception on my mobile phone (I have to walk 20 minutes up the hill to get a bit of reception ;-) nor Internet access.
I'm learning a lot as Anna enjoys sharing her immense knowledge. She explains about crop rotation, seed harvesting, composting, companion planting, micro climates and a lot more. Really looking forward to get my own garden going someday. And definitely will have some chooks roaming around, what fun creatures!

Eikoh Hosoe: theatre of memory

Went to the Art Gallery of NSW to see the Archibald Prize 2011 exhibit, but was more inspired by the beautiful photography of Eikoh Hosoe who portrayed Butoh theatre from the beginning.

From harbour to coast

The end of June we're moving to Bondi Beach! Bye bye Woolloomooloo...'home sweet home'.

52 suburbs

In one of the rooms of the Museum of Sydney is the exhibition of 52 suburbs. Originally started as a photo blog by Louise Hawson it shows a different Sydney in all its colorful diversity. Hawson has a very good eye for 'the beauty in the burb'. Especially the combinations of pairs in which the images are shown, often make you smile. With over 600 suburbs she still has a long way to go...

Modern dance for my B-day

I had the day off work so we were able to go out. First we had a beer and a meal in the Lord Nelson Brewery. From there it was a short walk to the Sydney Theatre at the Wharf. Here we see Melbourne based Chunky Move dance 'Connected' with a wave like sculpture of Reuben Margolin. A great way to celebrate a birthday!

End of summer

As summer draws to a close in Australia we can look back on a very nice first half year down under. Highlights were camping over Christmas, taking a surfing road-trip, the motorbike trail riding weekend and lots of great meals shared with friends!
Now, the surf is getting bigger and the water is still warm. With the first 6 month job done and a new exciting role starting in May there will hopefully be more time to catch some waves. But first it is off to Melbourne over Easter for a well deserved break; we didn't come all this way just to be working after all :-)

Pet spider

When I tidied away an umbrella that was lying around this fellow jumped out! He seemed to like our cosy kitchen, moving around during the night and sitting very still at a chosen place during the day time.
He stayed with us more than a week and than slowly shrivelled up. Only just holding on to the wall, his long spidery legs collapsing. It was sad to see this happening to a being we got used to meeting every morning.
Maybe he would have had a better change if we had put him in our little patio although the mean little skinks could have attacked him there.

Degustation at the Village Hotel

During my day shift chef Adam suggests that I should have dinner that evening in the restaurant to experience the food from that point of view. I immediately call Harry to come and join me later at the Village Hotel. It's a quiet evening and we share the room with just a couple other patrons. At first it feels a bit funny to sit in the restaurant room in stead of busying in the kitchen next door. But as soon as the delicious food starts coming to our table we are both enjoying every single bit of it.
In stead of letting us order from the menu Adam spoils us with a 7 course degustation with matching wines. After a welcoming Prosecco we start with an amuse bouche of ocean trout cured in treacle with apple/wasabi jelly presented on cos leaves, paired with a beautiful crisp Riesling. Followed by a brightly coloured beetroot ravioli filled with a flavourful munster cheese.
The pan seared scallop and crisp chicken wing sit on creamed corn and candied fennel and are combined with Sauvignon Blanc.
The playful in between dish of heavenly melting roasted bone marrow is much appreciated.
We continue with in vanilla seared Kingfish sided by cockles and caper relish. It's an experiment to maybe include in the new menu which I totally second.
Rabbit ballotine and kidney with broad beans in a tarragon dressing is paired with a New Zealand Pinot Noir. And it is still not finished!
Before the dessert of Peanut butter parfait with warm banana and popcorn candy we enjoy a cheese board of the Munster combined with late harvested Riesling.
A bit tipsy and much contented we thank the chef profusely for this wonderful culinary experience. What a treat!

Swimming in the harbour

On my days off I get my swim wear, sun protection, book and pareo and head down to Woolloomooloo Bay where the Andrew (Boy) Charlton pool shimmers invitingly in the Domain.
Selecting the lanes for recreation - don't want to get mixed up with the serious speed swimmers - I do my tranquil laps in the 50 meter pool inhaling the fresh air from the Botanical gardens next door and admiring the harbour views.
Some people come just to sun bath on the side lounge chairs, showing off their muscular bodies. Especially this week, just after Madri Gras, it was show time!

After my swim and nice read in the sun, I'm totally relaxed and walk home smiling.
In the open airy room up stairs of the pool are yoga classes I sometimes join and I still have to check on the kayak workout that OZpaddle offers here early Tuesday and Thursday morning.

City Outdoors

 With our sparse shared free time it's great to have a 'Nature feel' almost at our door step. And with the excellent "Sydney's Best Bush, Park & City Walks" guide by Veechi Stuart these hidden places are an easy find. Just across the Harbour Bridge we park our car in Northbridge and follow a track past a tiny city vineyard heading down some sandstone steps and follow the coast line of Salt Pan Creek and Long Bay with a silent ship wreck and busy fishing boat landing. Passing under the towering Cammeray Bridge we cross the cricket fields to the Flat Rock Creek. You totally forget being in a big city in this little patch of temperate rainforest. Having lunch with our feet in the little waterfall I can't even imagine having to go to work a couple of hours later....