Australia Day celebrations

I love this juxtaposition of a metal tree and a real palm tree at Darling Harbour. Waiting for Australia Day celebrations to begin. I celebrated Australia Day by eating half of the Australian coat of arms. Yummy kangaroo on potato mash and asparagus. And it was delish.


At Baia San Marco restaurant, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour: the traditional Australia Day fireworks begin.


Central Station was also decked out for Australia Day celebrations.

Sandy Claus

I was off to the CBD today for my six-monthly Pieroth wine-tasting harbour cruise. Passing the old Pyrmont Bridge pedestrian walkway at Darling Harbour, I noticed the colourful banners decorating it for the Christmas season. Then I realised I actually knew the junior male model on every second banner! Way to go, Sandy Claus!

Dangerous liaisons

Jobs that require danger money: repairing the putty along the window frames in the shark tank at Sydney Aquarium. With a sharp knife and no gloves! Love the abandoned popcorn container on the sill!

Communing with the merpeople

Dugongs munching cos lettuce - 90kg per day! - at Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour.

If you have some time to kill in Sydney's Darling Harbour, you can't go wrong visiting Wuru and Pig the young dugongs in Mermaid Lagoon at Sydney Aquarium.
My slideshow of ten pics

Great company, glorious weather and fireworks to boot

Despite the massive Australia Day crowds at the Waterfront Bar (which started an entry surcharge of $5 per head about an hour after Nate arrived there), and the throngs on the Old Pyrmont Bridge when they opened it up to let the endless flotilla of ferries go through!), we had great company, new Star Trek friends, old Star Trek friends, glorious weather, and fireworks at our front door.

Baia San Marco's food was excellent as usual. They did not hurry us, despite being so busy, and that left lots of room for chatting - and dessert. When we couldn't get free access to the Waterfront, Baia even let us have our table one hour early!


ABOVE LEFT (clockwise from left to right): Sonia, Djura, Ben, Chris, AdamJ, Iarfirithwen and Caprica_Six. (After a few merlots, and with all the dark lighting, the photos are a bit fuzzy.)


Where would we be without mobile phones? They seem to be the only way to triangulate a group of friends coming together these days:

"Where are you guys? I'm in the queue at the door."

"We're over here. Table 38. We're waving at you now."

"Hey guys, I've been trying to get across the pedestrian bridge for 70 mins. Have you started dessert yet?"

"Where did you go, mate? I thought you only stepped out to see the fireworks?

And so on.

Thanks to all thirteen members who weathered the crowds and supported the first re-energized Sydney Star Trek Meet-up at Baia restaurant, plus the extra members who caught up with us after dinner.


ABOVE (from left to right): Ben, Chris, Therin of Andor and Paranoid Tailor.