Taking Procrastination to a new level

I just bought a new vaccum cleaner in order to clean my house better the next time I procrastinate. As it's coming up to exams it's needless to say that my house is the cleanest it has ever been!

The mystery of the missing wheelie bin

It was about 1:30 in the morning when I awoke to a loud banging sound. It took me a few minutes to realise what it was. As I looked outside I saw a group of around 7 or 8 kids milling about outside the front of the flats. I say kids but they were probably around 15 or 16 years old. The banging continued. It sounded like they were trying to break down the fence that stood at the end of the row. Why? Who knows. I'm sure they didn't even know, it was just something to do. I was just wondering if I should tell them to leave when one of the neighbours yelled out of her bedroom window that they should move along. After a short argument (with lots of short four letter words) the boys departed into the street with my neighbours wheelie bin where they proceeded to make a racket for the next 15 minutes or so giving each other rides and chasing each other up the street. When they got tired of that, they went on their way. When I first moved into this flat my wheelie bin was missing. I'm pretty sure I know what happened to it now. Lucky my replacement was full of stinky rubbish otherwise I think they would have taken mine as well. Lucky I forgot to put it out to be emptied this week.

The Floating City and Sydney

Floating City, originally uploaded by Ryan McLean.

Overnight this ship docked at Circular Quay. It dwarfed the ferries below and even stood it's own against the skyscrapers. You can see why they are called floating cities.

Visiting my new Niece

The next morning before the city had started to rise (it was about 8 o’clock but it was a Saturday bear in mind), I was sat on a train heading for Newcastle, to visit my new little niece (and of course Lewis and Naomi). It was a nice train ride up there. You leave Sydney through the back end before turning north. Before you know it you’re travelling through forest and along the Hawkesbury River. I arrived at the station and, with the help of my iPhone map application, found my way to Lewis and Naomi’s door. Inside Edie was just waking up and before I knew it I was holding her. She certainly was small. She just sat in my lap and stared up at me. I thought I was facinating her but it turns out that it was just the light she was looking at. At the moment to her, I'm just a blur. I’d arrived early so Lewis was out on a bike ride. He returned before long and we went out for lunch at one of the local cafés.

After lunch Lewis and Naomi took me out to the local wetlands centre. They'd been past it many times but as I was there they thought that they'd go in and have a look. The wetlands were filled with birds. There were sacred ibis, splendid fairy-wrens, welcome swallows, many other species of bird all living in the wetlands. I took lots of photos as we walked around. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Lewis and Edie

A Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

Lewis and Naomi with Edie


Lewis and Naomi going for a stroll

We left the park when it started to rain and headed back home. After gorging myself on many mulberries from the tree in their backyard, I headed back down to Sydney.

To the Zoo

The next day I went to Taronga Zoo. Taronga Zoo is perched on the hill on the banks of Sydney Harbour. The zoo had everything that one would expect in a zoo. Lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants, seals, penguins, kangaroos, birds and reptiles. What I really enjoyed was the setup that they have for the platypus. There was a massive tank set up like a creek bed. It was well put together and the platypus was swimming up and down. The Australian Nocturnal house was good although it made me wonder. They had the sounds of the night being piped in to the background. I think that they must have been going for show rather than realism as on several occasions the wail of a coyote came through the speakers as I stared at ring-tailed possums and phascogales. A coyote is not something you expect in the Australian bush. By the end of the day I was exhausted. Another day of walking, but well worth seeing (again).

A cormorant sunning itself in the aviary

An Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis) outside the Zebra enclosure

A Peaceful Dove (Geopelia striata) sitting on a rock

A Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

A Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)

The view of Sydney Harbour from the zoo's amphitheatre