The Sydney Tower is the Sydney's tallest structure and second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere at 309mt (1014ft). Accessible from Pitt street Mall, Market street or Castlereagh street, it sits above the Westfield Sydney shopping centre. There is an observation deck (Sydney Tower Eye) and and open air glass floored platform encircling the Sydney tower eye - Skywalk, which extends over the edge of the main structure (entry fee applies). The only time I visited the tower was on our first visit to Sydney in 2006, just before our final move from Portugal to Perth. If you ever want to enjoy a special dinner or drinks with a 360 view over Sydney, then the 360 Bar and Dining Revolving restaurant is the place for you. I won't scare you with the prices, but you can have a tour for free, just check the link below: https://content.pixelcase.com/360-images/dining_360/360_bar_and_dining/
Whenever I take the freeway from the city on the way home , (which is not often as I live and work south of the city) I always spot two decorated electrical sub-stations just behind the Royal Perth golf course in the suburb of South Perth. A few months ago after searching on google maps to see how I could reach that spot, I parked the car nearby and walked a narrow track behind the golf course until I reached the boxes. Both boxes were painted on all 4 sides, but one of them was behind a wired fence, so not easy to photograph, and with the Swan river just across from the freeway the sea motives and birds were just right. Not sure who the artist is, it looks a bit like Amok Island's style, but I've been unable to find anything on these murals. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you; just follow the Linky steps below. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week. Thanks, Sami.
The following birds were seen during my recent visit to Sydney. LINKING TO SATURDAY CRITTERS.
The Rainbow Lorikeet, a type of parrot found in Australia are very cheeky birds that love to eat fruit, pollen and nectar.
When we visited Dangar Island, north of Sydney, a few of them were picking on mulberries, while just below them we also ate them.
I get a lot of Lorikeets visiting my garden when our loquat tree is fruiting or when our fig tree is fruiting. We shoo them away but as soon as we turn our backs they come back 😊
The Indian Myna or Common Myna, is an Asian bird that is reaching pest proportions in some areas in Australia. I've not really noticed them in Perth, but in Sydney they are very common. They are very territorial, and have adapted extremely well to urban environments and food sources - I've seen them eating pollen, fruit, seeds and even pick on bones like on the photo below.
The Kookaburra a species of Kingfisher, is native to eastern Australia and New Guinea and grows to between 28 and 42cm. They live from 11 to 15 years in the wild, mate for life, live in pairs or small family groups. They feed on insects, snakes, small reptiles and even goldfish from garden ponds or sausages from a barbecue in a park. They have adapted well, and live in wooded areas, farmlands, parks and gardens. You can listen to their unusual "laughing" sound on this Youtube video:
Kookaburra at Dangar Island
Kookaburra at Bradley's Head (Sydney Harbour National Park)
Another bird I've never seen in Perth is theBrush Turkeys (also knows as scrub turkey or bush turkey). They are mainly found in Eastern Australia from north Queensland to south of Sydney and they too have managed to adapt well to city life. They like to dig up leaf litter, twigs, etc. making a mess of gardens, which they use to build their nests which can go up to 1 to 1,5 metre high. The females lay about 20 eggs a year under the heap of mulch and the chicks are incubated by the heat of the composting mulch. They are ready to fly a few hours after birth, and don't rely on their parents. At one point they were almost extinct as their huge eggs were used in times of war and hunger, but they are now a protected species and their numbers have been growing in parks and urban areas, and they don't seem to fear humans.
Brush Turkey at Bradley's Head (Sydney Harbour National Park)
The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, and New Guinea and some Indonesian islands. Like other birds they have adapted well to city life.
They eat seeds, fruits, nuts, roots, blossoms and even insects. They are known to raid farmer's crops, and can be considered pests when in large numbers. They also tend to be very loud.
A white cockatoo at Balmoral beach, Mosman
Have a wonderful weekend :)
Links to my recent Sydney posts where I saw these birds:
When researching what I could do in Sydney during my recent visit, I read that Sculpture by the Sea would be in Bondi Beach from the 18th October to the 4th November.
So on Monday 22nd after my husband left for work I walked 20 min to a bus stop where I would catch the M40, a direct bus to Bondi station via the city. There I caught another bus for the 15 min ride to the beach. After taking some photos at the famous Bondi beach I walked to Hunter Park from where I started exploring the Sculpture by the Sea exhibits.
On it's 22nd year, this year it started on the 18th October and will end this weekend 4th November, extending from Bondi to Tamarara Beach, a 2km long, free coastal sculpture park with over 100 sculptures from Australia and around the world, bringing in half a million visitors to the area. Some of the styles looked familiar from previous exhibitions, some sculptures were very impressive, others just very plain... Overall I loved the leisurely walk on a warm day, admiring the views as well as the art. Even though here they have a nicer background setting, than when they are exhibited at Cottesloe Beach in Perth, our exhibition is more wheelchair accessible with ramps on the flat beach. In Bondi, a few of the big exhibits were in a flat area accessible to all, but the ones on the walk by the sea, with steps up and down wouldn't be accessible to all.
Bondi Beach, a lifeguard tower, Lifesaver sculpture
Views on the walk
The tiny life-surfers sculpture honours the Black Sunday tragedy at Bondi in 1938, when freak waves washed swimmers to sea, and lifesavers saved saved hundreds. In the end 5 people died in this tragedy.
Views from the walk from Bondi to Tamarara beach. Lifesavers sculpture honouring Black Sunday, Waverley cemetery in the distance (with sea views)
Bondi Beach and sea pools
Apparently 1/4 of the sculptures get sold every year, some to private art collectors, but most are acquired by municipalities for public display, and I was pleased to find out that Western Australian municipalities are the biggest buyers. After Bondi some of the exhibits will come to Cottesloe Beach (Perth) in March 2019, so I look forward to seeing which ones make it. But some of the exhibits I saw there I had already seen in Cottesloe this March, some I presume it could be local artists who first exhibit in Perth and then show the art in Sydney later in the year... I walked back to Bondi beach after my visit and boarded the bus back into the city and got off in Elizabeth Street, across from Hyde Park, close to where my husband works. But that's a story for another post...
