Hornsby's election anarchy!

The election's only a week away, and everyone is a bit bored after a very long campaign.

I'd been noticing how few election posters were on show around the streets. Apparently the electricity companies are taking them down quickly from their poles, and charging the parties for the work.

At the pre-polling booth at Hornsby TAFE it's the usual carnival of colour and relatively civilised democracy out the front. But look at some of the other posters I stumbled on around the streets the other day! Not nearly so restrained or civilised! One had an A for Anarchist symbol. None of the required authorisations unsurprisingly. The good old anarchists don't field candidates of course, but seem to do a good line in eye-catching posters. And they don't seem to be very fond of the three main party leaders!

Batman vs Superman

Actually Eagle vs Osprey. a juvenile White-bellied sea-eagle, in fact. I was watching whales at Long Reef, near Collaroy, when I saw the eagle pounce on something. A rather big fish, by the look of it.

Then it was on. The Osprey chased it for several minutes. They twisted and turned, dived and parried. Eagle held firm, and eventually Osprey had to admit defeat. It was a close thing though.

Funny, there was a school group on an excursion there. They were standing around, the teachers barking orders about some project they'd dreamed up. None of the teachers  and none of the students noticed any of the whales, nor the battle of the raptors that was going on around them!

Collaroy collapsing

We've visited Collaroy's Beach Club many times, usually in the company of an old friend who lived in the area. He died a few months back, and then two weeks ago a big storm came through and nearly washed away his beloved club.






 Several waterfront homes were nearly washed away too. Collaroy's been front page news, and there's lots of debate about sea walls, whether they're more trouble than they're worth, and who should pay for them if they do get built.

And yet more Vivid

Sure it's only a light show, and some are saying they're livid about Vivid being only a light show once again. But I went back anyway to see a little more.

This time to Circular Quay, the Opera House, and the Botanic Gardens (celebrating their 200th year as 'Australia's oldest scientific institution' with a light show).

Vivid again

It's Vivid time again. Better go and check it out, I thought. I never could quite decide what Vivid's for, but it's been getting bigger year by year, and the punters are liking it. The crowds are big.

Rather than the prime Circular Quay venue, this time I went to see some of the newer, more peripheral sites. Like Martin Place, Central Park, The Galeries, and Pitt St Mall.

Tom Uren's Balmain Trail

A couple of weeks ago they opened the Tom Uren Trail. It's a newly-signposted route around the streets, alleyways, and parks of East Balmain. Tom Uren was a well-respected politician (yes, we used to have them!) who died last year. He was a Balmain boy, who spent much of his retirement years walking around the area, chatting with other locals.

There really is an abundance of parks and interesting little nooks, crannies, and scenic lookouts over the harbour. Lots of local history on display too, well described on the new signboards.

Sea of hands

Looking across from Balmain the other morning, I could see an Aboriginal and a Torres Strait Islander flag spread out on the grass of Barangaroo Park.

It was ANTaR's  'Sea of Hands', sprung up once again to mark Reconciliation Week. I made my donation and planted a hand.





ANTaR, by the way, stands for Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation. You can read about the fine work they're doing on their website:  https://antar.org.au/

The Marramarra

Once more unto the breach, as in into the Marramarra National Park. It's one of the 15 or more national parks within an hour and a half's drive from Sydney, yet hardly anyone's even heard of it.







It's a great place for off-track bush-bashing, and there are very few other bushwalkers. Unfortunately quite a lot of off-road motor bike riders know about it, and they noisily and illegally navigate the fire trails. They don't penetrate the wilder bits though. You tend to be the only people within kilometres, which is wonderful.







The Marramarra Park has lots of fine examples of Aboriginal rock art, like this one.