Christmas Down Under

Christmas is coming and this year I am celebrating Christmas at a special place. Not a white Christmas, but a sunny one!

In the Land Down Under, Christmas falls in the midst of summer, there is no snow covering the Christmas tree, nobody using the chimney, no snowman, but nothing can beat the spirit of it.

The start of festive season was started back in the third week of November, exactly 1 month before Christmas. Someone once told me that, "Chinese can be crazy about firecrackers but Australian are crazy about fireworks."

And really, there was fireworks at Darling Harbour to initiate the start of festive season. I was just lazing around when I heard the 'boom boom boom' sound. I was not there to watch the fireworks, but Darling Harbour gave me time to make up, from 13 December to 24 December 2016, the fireworks come daily at 9 p.m. for free!

I was walking home when I saw this

Green

No shape ::(

Decided to take a boomerang of it

Other than the fireworks, Christmas here is celebrated by loads of shopping! There is no excessive decoration but there is indeed excessive sales and discounts everywhere. Leading up to Christmas, there is Black Friday that falls on the last Friday of November followed by Super Sale Weekend that falls on the first weekend of December.

After that, the stores just continue their Christmas sale until Christmas eve. Boxing Day on 26 December will close off the spending season with a smile on people's face but a lot of tears on the wallet.

Who can resist big 'SALE' signs at all shops? Even the groceries.

Santa's House in QVB

Lighting in Pitt Street Mall

Small Christmas tree at George Street

You can personalise the nutella jar with name for gift

The decorations are sure losing up to what I usually had in Singapore, but the atmosphere here is different! People here really look forward to Christmas as we Chinese look forward to Chinese new year.

Another great thing about summer Christmas is to have Christmas market popping up everywhere. I enjoyed walking around Christmas markets and find homemade stuffs being sold. I just love pop-up markets generally!

One of the market in Pyrmont Bay Park

Another one in Hyde Park Barrack Museum

Even though it rains, people still come in a very high spirits to shop!

Christmas pie!

One more thing relating to Christmas that I reckon here is that people will use Christmas as the ultimate excuse to feast! I started to get invited to various Christmas parties and gatherings two weeks prior to Christmas.

Team briefing

Turned to Christmas Celebration

And FEAST!

Ground Engineering team's Yum Cha

AECOM Sydney's Christmas Party

Mr. White Rabbit won the best costume!

The office Christmas party was held today, just before the office shuts down for more than two weeks for Christmas break. This is another thing very different with Singapore. Although this kind of office shutdown consumes the leaves as well, having everybody taking the break together with you feels kind of thrilling. It feels like school break where you need not bother about getting a call from office because the office is empty! Oh my.

I am really really grateful of what 2016 has brought me. I have a new opportunity in Sydney, I get advancement in my career, I passed another professional engineering exam in Singapore, I get more settled in my relationship, I crossed Europe from my bucket list.

I am so blessed!

Thanks, Universe! I hope the blessing will follow for 2017 and the years ahead.

Cheers to 2016. Cheers to life.

Love is in the air,

Little Feet

Lavender Bay, a Little of North Sydney

It was a very hot day, the sun shone so brightly. Crossing the Harbour Bridge means going to different suburb of Sydney to Northern Suburbs. The nearest suburbs to the Harbour Bridge are Kiribili, Milsons Point, Mcmahons Point and Lavender Bay.

Before the European settlement, Northern Sydney was inhabitated by Wallumettagal tribe. Northern Sydney was the third aboriginal settlement area after Sydney and Parramatta. From 1792 onwards, European came to settle in this area as well.

There are many interesting beaches and heritage area in Northern Sydney. But I was just exploring Lavender Bay that day. I will be back for sure.

My first destination was Wendy's Secret Garden. This wonderful garden is owned by New South Wales government and taken care by Wendy Whiteley. Wendy Whiteley started to clear up and landscape a large patch of messy land in front of her house after the death of her husband in 1992, in her own expense.

After 15 years of hard work, Wendy's Secret Garden is just like an oasis overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge. Wendy's daughter, Arkie, helped her with the effort of beautifying the garden but not for long. She passed away in 2001, but her ashes were scattered in the garden, where she put her heart to.

Although this garden is called Wendy's Secret Garden, public has free access to it. I felt like I was walking into a rainforest in the middle of subtropic Australia. It felt amazing.

People on picnic and BBQ

Flowers and palms

The beautiful garden overlooking the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge

The house of Wendy Whiteley

Huge garden, it is

Pretty, isn't it?

I then walked down to Lavender Bay. It's a tiny pretty beach overlooking Luna Park and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A jetty for water taxi at Lavender Bay

The extend of the beach

I witnessed a wedding

Oops, two weddings!

A private beach house overlooking this view, so good!

Let me enjoy selfie like a thirteen year old

Then I continued walking to North Sydney Train Station. I planned to take the train back to CBD because it was so freaking hot. A good 15-minute walk but the train station was closed for maintenance when I reached there.

Love the houses

North Sydney commercial & business area

Greenwood Plaza opposite North Sydney Train Station

Food court

So I walked back, crossing the bridge again, showering in a gleam of overly bright sunshine.

See you again, North Sydney!

My mistake was underestimating Australian sun. I got my first sunburnt here. I felt my body radiating heat after I got back home and it did not disappear till the next day. I will never ever forget to check the weather forecast and to apply my sunblock again.

Love is in the air,
Little Feet

To the Other Side of Sydney Harbour Bridge

Who doesn't associate Australia with the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House?

Both are located at Circular Quay, a harbour on the northern edge of Sydney CBD on Sydney Cove, the place of initial landing of 26th January 1788. Circular Quay itself was constructed years later from 1837 to 1844 by reconstructing the shoreline of Sydney Cove. It was called semi-circular quay for its actual shape and later it was shortened for convenience.

The shipping activities developed in Circular Quay over the years until it could not cope. In 1870s, the shipping activities moved to Darling Harbour and Circular Quay was mainly used for passenger activities. Until today, Circular Quay is the ferry hub of Sydney.

Walking towards Circular Quay

The cozy pedestrian walkway and many benches along the way

Circular Quay overlooking Sydney Opera House

At the southern side of this harbour, there lies The Rocks. It is the historic precinct of Sydney CBD which adopted its name from the original sandstone buildings. The area started to develop shortly after 1788 but was mainly known as a slum full of convicts, visiting sailors and prostitutes. 

In 1900, bubonic plaque broke down and the government intended to demolish and rebuild this area as well as Darling Harbour. However, it was halted by the World War II. Only a few hundred buildings were demolished during the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Upon the recession, the plan was supposed to resume but people protested for the retention of the buildings. It was a long winded process and the result could be seen now. All the remaining buildings are still there, currently functioning as restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, hotels, etc.

Painting on the wall, what was supposed to be The Rocks long long time ago

The Rocks area

Commercial area

Other than the shops, The Rocks Market is held every weekend here from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are many things being showcased here, from normal souvenirs, dresses, handmade accessories, Aussie-made chocolates, beef jerky, foods, and many more. I love being here strolling from one stall to another!

The Rocks Market

One of the stall

Another area, this is sure a big market

'The Settlers' at one of the squares in The Rocks

Gozleme, my lunch for the day

Nearby The Rocks is of course, the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. This massive steel arch bridge is connecting Millers Point in The Rocks to Milsons Point in the north shore area. It is spanning 504m with the height of 134m above the mean sea level. At each end of the span, stand a pair of 89m concrete pylons.

The idea of building the bridge was as early as 1815. However, the construction only begun more than a century afterwards in 1923. Afew hundred buildings at The Rocks and the north shore were demolished for the construction. The bridge was completed and started operation on 19th March 1932. Until today.

Sydney Harbour Bridge carries the railway, cars, cyclists, as well as pedestrians. And it has become the icon of Sydney and Australia.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Bridge Stairs leading to the access of Harbour Bridge

View of The Rocks from the Bridge Stairs

The first pair of pylons at The Rocks end

You can climb the pylon! For a price of course

Despite the strong wind and the even stronger sun, I felt so happy

The magnificent view of Sydney Opera House from the bridge

The view of Milsons Point and the north shore

Densely populated Lavender Bay

Descending the Bridge Stairs at the other side of the bridge

Green space by the abutment of Harbour Bridge to commemorate the demolition of buildings during the construction

There my journey at North Sydney started.

Love is in the air,
Little Feet