The start of our Australian road trip takes us around an hour’s drive west of Sydney, to the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales.
The Park is so named because the mountains are said to take on a bluish hue, as a result of light being refracted through the air rising from the eucalyptus forests that line the landscapes.
There are many awesome views to behold. My main photo above shows the Grand Canyon viewed from the Look-out at Govett’s Leap. The photo below is of the Grose Valley shot from the Evans Look-out.
The most famous sight in the Blue Mountains is just outside the central town of Katoomba. I was a little sceptical when we arrived as to whether we would see it, as it was a very misty morning. As an example, my photo below shows the Skyway, which takes visitors to the rainforest floor of the Jamison Valley, attempting to navigate the swirling fog.
However, as we reached Echo Point, the mist suddenly rolled back to reveal the Three Sisters rock formation. This is one of the most visited destinations in Australia – a claim borne out by the number of coach tours arriving every hour, bringing day-tripper passengers from the cruise ships temporarily docked in Sydney Harbour.
We made Katoomba the base for our visit, and enjoyed its fiercely independent culture – the main street lined with vintage clothes shops, second hand bookshops and antique warrens. Pick of the hipster cafes was the Yellow Deli, where I enjoyed this bowl of hot chilli, with freshly baked cheese and jalapeno bread, and a green chai latte.
I also liked this aubergine parmigiana at the Gourmet Cafe and Deli in neighbouring town Leura. It tasted like lasagne, but with aubergine in place of the pasta and bolognese sauce. Excellent to find a vegetarian dish that is low on carbs. I will definitely try recreating this when I get home.
I’ve also been discovering some new Australian indie bands for the ADK Playlist. I like this new track from The Rubens, a band who hail from New South Wales. This is Liquid Gold.
I want to share with you some of the great art in public places I’ve come across in Australia.
For reasons I can’t quite explain, my experiencing of art is inextricably connected with the consumption of coffee and pastries. Visit to a gallery? Sooner or later my wristwatch will be telling me it’s time to visit the coffee shop. Walking on a public art trail? I guarantee at some point there will be a minor detour to take in that nice, funky looking cafe over there. More about Australia’s cafe culture in a moment – let’s first take a look at some of the art.
I’ll start with the art deco entrance to Luna Park, Sydney’s retro amusement park that dates back to 1935, shown in my main photo above. It is a joy to behold – the huge grinning face is visible all the way from the other side of Sydney Harbour, getting progressively larger as you approach it on the ferry. If you look closely you will see visitors walking through the mouth to enter the amusement park, giving a sense of its vast scale.
My next photo below was taken at the graffiti wall which lines the promenade at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach – a place where chic boutiques and upmarket cafes co-exist with the bohemian grunge of the local surfing community. Our visit here soon led to a visit to one such cafe (see, what did I tell you), from which we enjoyed the free entertainment provided by the surfers. This was easily the best surfing I have ever seen – well-poised riders catching a wave for a good 10 – 15 seconds before diving neatly into the water, then doing it all again.
Back in Melbourne, Hosier Lane is known as Spraycan Alley, making it a popular tourist attraction – see below. It is positioned in the Lanes and Arcades quarter chock full of fiercely independent cafes. A visit to at least one of these is inevitable (for me, that is) when in this part of town.
Indigenous art influences are strong wherever we go. The tall three-legged, two headed Angel (by artist Deborah Halpern) is situated in Birrarung Marr, the public park that stretches out along the River Yarra from Federation Square to the home of the Tennis Open.
Again in Melbourne, the whole of the ground floor of the Ian Potter Centre (free to enter) is given over to indigenous people’s art. The paint used is generally derived from rocks, minerals and clay, giving it an earthy feel, and a colour palette based around an ochre spectrum. The abstract designs and patterns evoke the meditational nature of the aboriginal philosophy known as the Dreaming. My photo below is an example, by artist Willie Gudabi.
And so to the world of coffee and pastry that I associate with these images. Cafe culture is big in Australia. They are nearly all independents – you will only very occasionally see a Starbucks or other chain. Baristas take their work very seriously, and the making of a hot drink has itself been elevated to something of an art form. I can honestly say I have never had a bad cup of coffee since arriving in Australia.
At first the coffee menus were like a different language, but I now understand my way around them. There is no such thing as an americano – it is a long black and, if you want it white, you ask for a small jug of milk (specifying whether it should be hot or cold, and dairy, oat or other) on the side. A batch brew is a filter coffee, and a cold drip is an iced version – usually a latte served over ice cubes and, in some places, a scoop of ice cream.
Cappucino and flat whites are as you would find in the UK but, surprisingly, decaff is nowhere to be found on the menus. Seemingly this is because the serious coffee aficionados do not consider it to be a credible option. While there is no doubt that Australia makes great coffee, I do think this is one area where the approach is a little out of step with modern times.
So boil the kettle, or fire up your espresso machine, and fetch a nice coffee while enjoying these images. Which one is your favourite and why? Please feel free to leave a message in the comments section below, if you like.
The title of this post has probably given away the latest track I’ve chosen for the ADK Playlist. Paint Me Down is not one of Spandau Ballet’s biggest hits, but I have always really liked Martin Kemp’s bass line, which kicks in right at the start and stays prominent thoughout. Take it away, lads..
I don’t have a bucket list. However, if I did, one item on it would be an evening at Sydney Opera House, enjoying a delicious meal and some excellent musical theatre. What’s more, after this weekend, I would now be ticking it off!
Having been in Sydney for a few days, we had already seen the Opera House from a few different perspectives. It is prominently situated on a natural peninsula extending out into Sydney’s vast Harbour, which means it is visible from most of the bays, coves, trails and look-out points tucked away around the water’s edge.
My main photo, above, is taken from one of the many public transport ferries that pass it by, on the way back to the Harbour’s main ferry interchange at nearby Circular Quay.
For the photo below, I climbed up to the dizzy heights of the pedestrian walkway crossing the (equally iconic) Sydney Harbour Bridge.
This next one is taken on the terrace of the Opera House itself, on a walk out towards the nearby green spaces of the Domain and Botanical Gardens.
The world-famous building was opened in 1973, and has just begun its 50th year celebrations. The show we were watching was Amadeus, a play with music about the life of Mozart, told from the perspective of a jealous rival composer, Salieri, played by well-known Brit actor, Michael Sheen.
The show was great, my favourite aspect being the orchestral sound – looking up at those ceilings in the shapes of huge sails, it is immediately apparent that nothing has been spared on the quality of the internal acoustics.
I also really liked the fact that the building was designed to be spacious and social. We enjoyed a pre-show meal on the huge terrace alongside the building, in the sun, in full view of the Harbour Bridge and the passing seafaring traffic. A massive visiting cruise ship was departing just as we ate, providing further spectacle.
Interval drinks were served on a balcony high up at the front of the building, with peerless views from east to west across Sydney Harbour, as the sun set and the lights were coming on.
And what, as a food blogger, did I make of the restaurant meal? I’m pleased to say it impressed as well! Our party of four shared a range of platters of what the chef calls Pan-Asian Fusion. Our selection included vegetarian spring rolls with plum sauce, a bamboo basket of steamed dumplings with black vinegar and chilli oil, beef sando (a type of Japanese steak sandwich), karaage fried chicken, katsu curry and a dish of mixed sushi. Considering the location, the bill was very reasonable as well.
My final shot of this iconic venue I took as we walked home after the show, having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Enjoying a little night music, in a play about the life of Mozart? This just has to be the next track for the ADK Playlist: the instantly recognisable (and, be warned, hummable) Serenade in G Major from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
A Different Kitchen 