Sydney - Part 2

On the second stage of our Sydney holiday we spent a day down on the NSW south coast at Stanwell Tops and Austinmer, just a few kilometres north of Wollongong.

This bridge we were told was built a few years ago and sits just off the coast away from the cliff face. The cliff would sometimes erode and the road that used to be there became dangerous for cars to travel on.

We spent an hour watching the parasailers preparing themselves for take off.

Waiting for the wind to be just right and then....

....lift the parasail into the ready position before... 

...taking a running leap of the edge of a CLIFF!!! Are they for real?

Apparently so...

It's a regular weekend feature at Stanwell Park.

There are parasailing hire companies camped there ready to teach you how to jump for fun!

Next for lift off were the hang gliders.

These parasailers glided down slowly to the sea shore.

Down to that park you can see mid right of this photo. That open sandy section is corded off like an airstrip for safe landing.

Last minute instructions before take off.

The ocean was rough this day so we didn't plan on swimming.

We finished the morning with a leisurely walk along the beach at Stanwell Park.

We found these bright purple shells. Sadly we had to throw them away as they smelt awful. The purple colour comes from a dye that the creature inhabiting the shell excretes. Once the creature has abandoned its' shell home it dries out in the sun and turns white like so many other common shells on the beach.

This friendly little crab didn't mind being held for a moment but soon tried to jump to freedom again.

The cliff face was so interesting with all it's patterns caused by years of waves crashing against the rocks. 

It reminded us of the paintings done by the indigenous peoples of Australia.

Love listening to the waves as they coming crashing in...

...on the jagged rocks!

We meandered in and out of the coast to see what we could discover.

Sadly our wandering ended behind these rocks where we discovered a drowned puppy. We don't know how he got there but seemed to have been washed up with the tide. 'Little Miss' was very distressed and we decided to leave this beach for one further south.

At Austinmer Beach we discovered a swimming pool that has been built into the sea shore. People come each day to swim laps. Some of us had a refreshing swim after a lovely seafood lunch on the beach.

...and then headed back to our accomodation for the night.

Next post: The Blue Mountains.

Out of Town

"Oh No! Jasper quick come!!! They've got that big purple thing up on the bed again and Mummy's filling it with clothes...you know what that means?"

They went off on a holiday again!

"Hey how come teddy got to go and Jasper and I had to stay home with Oma and Opa?"

They caught this plane to....

SYDNEY!

We hear that was where Mummy and Daddy first met and lived for many years before moving to Sunny Queensland where the kids were born and we Cavaliers came into their lives.

They hired a car and drove to a lovely country town named Bowral where some very good friends live.

....And WHO are YOU?

 In fact WHAT are YOU?

Can you believe we've never seen one of these funny looking things yet. Okay, must admit she is very pretty... Or was it a he?

Our sister loved collecting eggs each day they were there and had yummy dark yellow omlets and scrambled eggs for breakfast each morning.

Now here's an interesting creature. Mummy was so shocked to realize that her children (and us) have never seen a snail before this. She grew up with snails in the garden so it never dawned on her until now that there aren't any in Queensland... "and to think" Daddy said, "It's only taken her thirteen years to figure that out!" Plus a slight obsession by our Sissie who collected them and decided to hang them all over the outside of our friends house...

...and in their lovely rose bush. NOT impressed! Sissie didn't know that snails are destroyers...

...she just thought they made good pets. No damage done. Mummy rescued them all before we left from the house walls... and driveway... and rose bushes... and that container with the other thirty or so collected snails of various sizes in it.

Mummy loves our friends white picket fence. She thought it was such a quaint little country estate and she got plenty of exercise going for brisk early morning walks in the crisp cool air.

They visited a farmers market at the local school...

...and they caught up with a new Cavalier friend named Lucy. Mummy and the kids just can't walk past a Cavalier without going up and having a cuddle. Lick! Lick! Wish we had met Lucy... she's a pretty little doll!

They went on a lovely afternoon mountain hike. Just as well Mummy has been working out, she made it to the top without stopping and just in case you're all wondering Mummy is not that red head there... that's her friend.

Well....okay she said she did stop a few times but only to take some photos of some lovely mossy trees.

This one was just covered with lichen and moss. Bowral is a lot cooler than Sydney city and always green and lush.

Purple flowers are always a favourite.

Wild hydrangeas grew prolificly along the mountain path and it was very tempting to pick some, but Mummy wasn't sure if she should. Many native plants are protected here and you're not supposed to pick them. Hydrangeas are not natives but still they were growing in the wild so we thought it best to leave them there.

But this little berry caught our attention!

So tiny and bright red!

Stay tuned for more Sydney holiday posts to come.

Innocent!

Don't we look just so innocent?

Our Mummy is so glad that we are the "little angels" we are and not naughty. (Shhhh.....don't tell Mummy, we have her fooled. She doesn't know what we get up to when she's not home).

But....we hear there was a Cavalier here before us who got up to some mischief with toilet paper once. Mummy woke up to it early one morning after Daddy had gone to work and left the bathroom door open...

His name was Brinkley and although he only lived two years...
(PS. Note the chew marks on Mummy's lovely vintage china cabinet she used to have)

....he got up to some mischief we hear.

Mummy still misses his little nose poking out from under her desk....sigh....

Mummy is always closing doors around here now and we don't even know what TP is.