In The Picture

The Last Front Bench Dinner at Pyrmont March 2013 - the wines

Here they are, with the full list at the end

Click on any image to see a larger file

A great beginning, with the CH the standout

The Leeuwin was great as always, the Yattarna overoaked as always, the suprise here was that the Pipers Brook wasn't corked

I found the Condrieu disappointing, the Rothbury way past its best, and the Vat 47 full of serious promise

The Wendouree was in stunning condition, minty and elegant. The VegaSicilia was one of the best reds I've ever tasted - wonderful goodies wrapped in an elegant package. The ANAPERENNA was a sledge hammer by comparison (a well-made one).

The Hermitage was way past its best in my view, sadly, and the 76 Grange showed ridiculously young and vibrant. What a wine! I'm sure the 96 Grange was good too but it paled against its older sibling

The old one still showed signs of life! The young one was robust for a Burgundy.

What can I say? Gorgeous stuff, the Lafite still full of life

Going a bit vague at this point. Can't remember hearing any complaints

The Graham was great but the Para was a knock-out! What a way to finish!

And here's the full list

Kim

The last Front bench Dinner at Pyrmont - March 2013

It was a special occasion, and all of us took advantage of it I think. We drank less and talked more, we enjoyed each other's company - that's clear from the photos. I took a lot of those last Wednesday night, as I love these nights and the venue and the company and the wines and the food. The friends I've made here were my main focus this time, and I've collected the best shots on this page. Simply click on any photo to see the full-size version.

Peter looks happy

Even happier here, but Doug and Ray are clearly stumped

So is Alan

Ah, Reg is in his element

So is John

Yes!

Jeffrey wrapping up his options wines

Neil and Andrew smiling at one of Reg's jokes

Jeffrey thinking: I really stumped them with those wines!

Peter and Ray doing the Foxtrot?

Paul looking remarkably composed

These boys still look sober! That's Front bench stamina for you.

Doug got a shot of me romancing some great reds.

Peter Mouser having a break from pulling teeth, or corks or ...

It all looks far too civilised but the camera doesn't lie.

Sorry Peter, couldn't fit you in for the group photo.

That big smile just about sums up a great evening.

Thank you, Peter Bourne, for so much joy.

Kim

Summer of Riesling, winter of Discontent

Tasting wonderful wines in a grotty city laneway

This is what the promoters promised:

A fabulous street fair focussed on wine tasting and meeting winemakers from around the country. Around 300 punters are anticipated this year. They’ll sip their way through all the Riesling they can handle, feast on street food, and generally enjoy the awesomeness that is summer in Sydney. This is wine tasting the way it was meant to be.

And this is what they delivered:

A grotty, overcrowded laneway behind the Oak Barrel where winemakers and punters stood in the gutter much of the time - Nithsdale lane. The covered area was about the length of a semi trailer, and full of people. 400, it turned out. You couldn’t move in there, you couldn’t see or find the wines you wanted to taste, you got pushed and jostled by others trying to squeeze past – it was about as comfortable as standing on a Sydney bus during peak hour. Even taking photo in there took the flexibility of a Houdini.

Got lucky with this one. Met young winemaker Jonathan Holgate, raved about his Pinot Noir 2009,  told him Reg reckons he made the best Riesling he ever had, and enjoyed these Rieslings going back to 2006. Southern Highlands! Tasted lovely Riesling from Orange as well – Cargo Road – and some from New Zealand and Alsace.

This wasn’t the place for serious wine tasting, but a chance to taste a few appetisers from new sources. It was also a chance to confirm what a great vintage 2012 was for Riesling in South Australia.

There was a food bar at one end of the lane, and a band at the other. The guys calmed down after they realised that the narrow laneway enclosed by concrete walls acted like a giant amp.

The good part of this summerofriesling event was the quality of the wines and the no-limit $25 tickets. When I sent out a tweet on Monday morning summing up my feelings in 140 characters, I got a smart response from the summerofriesling organisers saying the other 399 punters loved the venue. They weren’t the ones we talked to, clearly. A winemaker we chatted with said the cost for him was much more reasonable at this event than at the upcoming NSW Wine and Food Fair in Hyde Park. There you go.

Kim

VIVID Lights up Sydney by Night

It’s that time of the year. Winter, short days, long cold nights and special effects at Circular Quay. The walkways around the Quay were thick with people, a mix of parents with kids and tourists. The dark is  popular time with small kids, and fancy lights have an almost hypnotic effect on them. It was good to see so many people here, and lots of kids of all ages. (Just click on any of the images to see a full-size file)

Major alterations to the architecture of the iconic Opera House, thankfully only a light projection

Looking the other way toward the Hyatt and the bridge

The fire eater who's always performing down here was here tonight as well.

Where does this chandelier come from? No idea.

Looking back toward the city. Very colourful. VIVID.

Allow me a modest boast, please: all these shots were taken handheld with my old Nikon D40x and the old 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens which isn't fast. I forgot to take my monopod as well, so all shots were handheld at between 1/5th and 1/20th second. The success ratio was a surprising 25%.

Kim

SYDNEY SUMMER 2012

Rotunda at Balmoral

Click on any of the images to see a larger file

Lighthouse at Vaucluse

Strelizia

friends

Beach weather

Bird

Bird

bird

Circular Quay

Bliss

Reflective mood

Camera: Nikon D40x, 18-135mm f/3.5 - 5.6 lens

Ivan and Beth and the old Beetle

Down at Balmoral, we have colorful local identities like Ivan and Beth Hodge. In summer, they're often seen having a picnic lunch somewhere near the Rotunda in the shade of the ancient fig trees, with friends or with family. Children and grand children - they all live across the road. Here they are at the Christmas Carols last year. (As always, click on any image here to see a larger file).

When they were much younger, newly married in 1961, they bought a Volkswagen Beetle in London for 439 British pounds. They drove it across Europe and Asia to Calcutta where they boarded a ship that took them and their car to Auckland, New Zealand.

Thirty five years later, Ivan and Beth, now in their sixties, decided to relive these memories and retrace their original journey. They shipped their old Beetle back to London in 1996, and drove halfway across the world again. Here's the Beetle today, another 15 years later.

Good as new, as you can see. No wonder people fell in love with these things.

These days, Ivan and Beth arrange an annual Fest of Marching Girls supported by the local Fire Brigade Brass band, to celebrate their long life together - last year was their 50th wedding anniversary. They had their 51st just a week ago, but the weather was much kinder on their 50th so I've posted the photos from that occasion.

I think Ivan is enjoying every minute of this but I could be wrong

The marching girls and the band in the rotunda

Marching

Enjoying themselves? Looks like it.

They're not flirting, are they?

Red leader

Enjoying a quiet moment backstage

There was a big crowd, and there were BBQs and picnics, and it was a glorious day. We all hope that Ivan and Beth will be around here for many more wedding anniversaries.

Kim

 

 

Australian International Concours d'Elegance

The 2011 event was held in Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building

We didn't make it to this year's event but, last year, Sydney hosted the event on a glorious spring day at the old Cardinal's Place on the hill at Manly. And we were there. As always, click on any image to see a larger file.

These days, it's the international school of management.

Here's the old James Bond Aston Martin.

And here's an old Aston racer I've never seen before.

The legendary and still gorgeous 1966 Lamborghini Miura

And the equally gorgeous Lamborghini Murcielago

The old gullwing Mercedes 300SL from 1954 - this one's the cabrio so it has no wings.

And here's the new one - German engineering at its brute-force and ugly best.

The classic 280SL of the sixties has much cleaner lines.

For real style, there's the fifties 220S cabrio four-seater. Very rare.

A rare Facel Vega - ugly French supercar from the sixties with Chrysler V8, from memory.

The super classic Jaguar SS100. That's more like it.

All photos taken with a Nikon D5000 and the trusty 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens. In perfect weather.

Kim

 

Inside the Sydney Opera House

A house with many faces

Our Opera House is an icon that has come to stand for Sydney. Ay the beginning, Jørn Utzon’s daring design caused plenty of controversy. 50 years on, it is still ahead of its time. Of course, these days we’re all proud of the house.

The Opera House has many faces. Below you can see a few of them, and get a look inside. Once a year, the Opera House opens to the public, and we took advantage of that last weekend. Please click on the images to see a larger file.

The idea was brilliantly simple. Or simply brilliant.

From the Botanical Gardens

From Circular Quay

The Concert Hall

On the harbour side. Yes, that is the colour of the carpet

From Bradley's Head, Mosman

From Cremorne Point, when the sun came through after the early morning rain

The morning when the dust storm hit Sydney at the end of the long drought a couple of years ago

A more usual sunrise

As most visitors would see it

We must celebrate our great visionaries

Kim

 

 

THE SPIT – Sydney’s eye of the needle

The Spit Bridge is an opening bridge right on the main artery connecting Manly and the Northern beaches with suburbs from Mosman to North Sydney. It causes traffic to stop many times a day, giving commuters a chance to study the beauty one of Sydney's loveliest locations on middle harbour.

These photos were taken from the hill at Seaforth

There is a working marina here, and a kajak hire

And boats for sale, of course.

And restaurants. Click on the image for a larger file and a better view of the reflections in the glass

Spring has come to Sydney

Kim