Happy Australia Day!

Thurs 26th January

Today is Australia Day, the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet from Great Britain. Bringing in eleven ships full of convicts, as well as marines, officers and their families, Captain Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack flag at Sydney Cove in 1788. Australia Day is also about celebrating what Australia has achieved and focusing on how to make the country even better in the future.

Despite the relentless clouds and rain, we celebrated at Big Day Out, an annual music festival which tours across Australia midsummer. While this year’s headliners Kanye West and Soundgarden drove the crowds away, acts on smaller stages blew us away. Kimbra performed beautifully, as did Boy and Bear, The Jezebels, and Stonefield. Kasabian rocked the stadium while Tony Hawk shredded a custom built skate ramp, and Noel Gallagher wrapped up the night magnificently with his band High Flying Birds. After growing up with Oasis, it was quite moving to see Noel performing in front of such a small, friendly crowd. He should have been rocking the main stage, instead of Kanye with his overused sound buttons and long, drawn out, egotistical expressions.

Surry Hills and Balmain

Monday 23rd January

Today my lovely friend Aneka took me into the city for some lunch and a walk around. We stopped at four.ate.five in Surry Hills for some delicious food. If you’re in the area, I would definitely recommend eating here. With scrumptious food, a laid back vibe, and attentive, friendly waiters, this is the perfect place to fill your belly.

Bellies full, we drove to Balmain and had a walk around before enjoying some milkshakes at one of the many great cafes along the main street. Balmain is an arty, stylish and very expensive area with some great shops, such as Lotus Pod.

A beautiful bangle from Lotus Pod.

Ginko Papers

Aquarium Card

Just discovered Ginko Papers. They make brilliant cards and things, just look at this one! Imagine how happy you would be if someone gave you this card! Check out the others here: http://www.ginkopapers.com/

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Believe it or not, it has been raining bucket loads in Sydney! Today the rain is falling and falling, with no end in sight. It is very heavy, so at the moment I am not even venturing outside. So instead of an exciting day trip, here is some new work. These are screen prints of Sydney which I did for a private commission. I've gone back to the linear and more realistic style I used to draw in before college tutors insisted I stop drawing like this. I still can't understand why they put me on a different track when I ended up lost. Hopefully now I'm starting to find my way.

Saturday 14th January

DJ Yoda and Sampology!

I got Rhys tickets to see the legendary DJ Yoda for Christmas. DJ Yoda is from the UK and I’ve seen him three times before! I had to share the experience with Rhys as I knew he would love it too. Yoda mixes loads of samples from films, animations and random stuff along to background visuals which cut and play in time with the music. He is very talented, and each time I see him there are many more innovative delights mixed in. His set is always very slick. Sampology, who played before, was an Australian copy of DJ Yoda! Is that too harsh? He was still pretty good but the transitions were nowhere near as smooth and he made a couple of mistakes. He had an eccentric humour which came through his set though, which I very much enjoyed.

Friday 13th January

I really need to catch up here, still a whole week behind!

Freshwater Beach, Sydney

Yep it’s Friday the 13th but it’s been a lovely day... No bad luck so far. We drove to Freshwater Beach, lay in the sun and swam in the sea. Heaven on a Friday. Freshwater was the first beach for anyone to ever surf at in Australia. It’s a long time since I last went surfing, but wading around in the saltwater reminded me how great it feels to be in the sea. Saltwater is so refreshing and exhilarating. Still, I get a little nervous in the water and wish fear didn’t have such a hold on me sometimes.

Later we drove to Manly for lunch, my favourite part of Sydney. I’d choose to live here if it wasn’t so difficult to get to. If you live or work on the city you have to get a ferry, otherwise it’s a fairly long drive. I just love it though. There are surfers and longboarders everywhere you look, nice shops and cafes, ice cream parlours and that Australian laid back beach lifestyle which is ever so appealing. If you are visiting Sydney, I’d definitely recommend catching the ferry to Manly for a day trip. If you head home in the late afternoon, you can watch the sunset over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as the ferry gently takes you over the water, the fresh sea air breezing by.

Hilary Grant

A couple of years ago I was giving a talk in Dundee at a Central Station event, where I met the lovely Hilary Grant. Hilary creates absolutely beautiful knitwear, all by made by hand in Scotland with locally sourced materials and UK-based suppliers, such as Found in Bath. Hilary has created embroidery designs for Alexander McQueen (one of my favourite fashion houses) and was awarded support and mentoring this year with the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust. I might be in sunny Australia, but if you're a wee bit chilly back home in the UK, treat yourself to one of HG's super-soft scarfs to keep you warm and snug this winter!

11th January

Assiette

We were looking for somewhere really special to eat and a friend of a friend recommended Assiette in Surry Hills. It was surprisingly small and the blinds were drawn to hide an unattractive view of the buildings across the street. The menu was badly designed and I felt like a fool when I realised I the starters were not main courses. To begin with I had sashimi tuna with crustacea cream, pickled octopus, hibiscus and almonds. It was like angels singing in each of my taste buds. The wine was very disappointing, and tasted as if it had been opened last week. However, the waiter kindly brought me another one without charge. For a main I had hapuka fillet with crab and watercress risotto, razor clam and mussel remoulade. Now my mouth was really having a party. The flavours were delicate and the textures light. It was beautiful. The restaurant itself is not very nice: hard, uncomfortable chairs; stiff white table cloths which don’t really fit; harsh lighting and poor layout. It felt cheap, eventhough there were expensive soaps and candles in the bathrooms. I did not feel at all comfortable eating here, but the food was certainly scrumptious.

Day 7

Bondi Beach

When I lived in Sydney before, I stayed by the world famous Bondi Beach. Though the beach front is crawling with tourists and backpackers, Bondi’s back streets are filled with wonderful cafes and bars only known to the locals. Like a miniature village within Sydney, Bondi has markets, cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs, the beach front, shops and supermarkets – all within walking distance. Strolling around in the beaming sun reminded me how much I enjoyed living there. There seem to be numerous positive developments in the last year too. I met a friend for lunch at Moo. Moo burgers really are delicious!

In the evening I went to see The Iron Lady. It is a very interesting film and certainly encourages you to sympathise with Margaret Thatcher in her old age, perhaps even feel sorry for her. Conversely, the film stirred a feeling in me that I had not expected – admiration. I felt quite inspired by Margaret Thatcher‘s determination. Portraying Thatcher with a masterful delicacy is Meryl Streep. She really is a phenomenal actress.

Day 2

North Sydney... and a possum

Another place I had never visited before was North Sydney. This is an area I would consider living in, once I am settled with a job. Most of the houses are terraced and decorative, and there are beautiful views of the harbour. The city is just across the bridge and, not too far away, brilliant beaches stretch out to the north. I would like to explore this area a little more.

In the evening a curious little possum was staring into our window. They are very common here, but this is the first time I have seen one!

Back in Sydney: Week 1

Day 1: NYE
I arrived in Sydney at 9:40am on the 31st December. Rhys, my boyfriend, had planned a surprise for New Year’s Eve and I had no idea what it could be. We parked the car and walked up a gentle hill. There were lots of people milling around, and as a gap emerged between them I spotted the zoo... Were we really going to spend New Year’s Eve there?! Yes. Torronga Zoo is famous for its view of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and many people go to see that rather than the animals. I was excited about both. Although I lived in Sydney for a year before, I had never been, and I had never seen koalas! The view was breathtaking and it was probably the calmest NYE I’ve ever had. I really enjoyed it. There was even a live swing band and it was funny seeing giraffes by the moonlight, like big dinosaurs nibbling on trees. The fireworks were incredible too; there was even one that made a convincing waterfall. What a lovely way to start 2012!