Best Shot Monday: On The Rocks Sydney Style

Sunset on the Bradfield Highway: these incongruously modern apartments rear up from the depths of The Rocks, nestled away beneath The Bridge in a tumble of Victorian Terraces, rockfaces and stairs. For all their stark, concrete, geometric design they reflect a certain beauty as they catch the last light of the setting sun behind me.
This is one of my favorite shots from my trip to Sydney last week. To see what else is on offer, click over to Tracy's for Best Shot Monday.




I wish I had thought to have my camera ready however, as I emerged from the aero tunnel in Sydney airport last Wednesday; my Baby Angel's face was a picture.

She had been lured to the airport to pick up a 'friend of Dad's' who was coming to stay from Canberra and was 'bringing her an early birthday present'. Because of this elaborate fiction she had absolutely no idea that I was coming although; after she had picked up her jaw and hugged me, she was still looking over my shoulder to see where dad's friend was with her birthday present!

We had a wonderful time together and were given space by her sensitive dad and stepmum to do some sight seeing together. First stop was 'The Rocks' one of the oldest and most atmospheric areas of Sydney, right under the south pylon of the Harbour Bridge. I wonder whose feet wore down these steps over the last two centuries?



This is a mural depicting a street which was truncated in the 1930s by the construction of the highway approaching the Bridge. I thought it was wonderful for trying to imagine what the place would have looked like at the turn of the century. That's the BA peeking over the wall there.

We headed down to the waterfront and enjoyed the Autumn sunshine in front of the Bridge and the Opera House. The BA shot this one looking straight into the sun. It's had minimal processing!


Here's my effort on her. I think she did better :-)
The ubiquitous Opera House shot.

And so we kept on snapping. These are the concrete apartments viewed from the base.This was Himself's choice as Best Shot Monday. It's a wild sculpture depicting a row of terraced houses, torn down in the early 1900s. This part is at street level.This is the same thing viewed from below street level. These would have been two story terraces and the part where the BA is sitting was the lower floor. The sculptor has placed large steel household objects throughout the ruins of the houses.

I loved the setting here at the top of a winding staircase. Checkout the toe/fingernails. The BA and her step mum had been for a mani/pedi thing earlier in the week :-)

Peering down from Bunker's Hill over the rocks which give the area its name. I love the many levels in the area.

Being near the waterfront and the docks, The Rocks had a pretty seedy reputation in the early days of Sydney Town. This narrow lane is called Suez Canal and was a place to be avoided for fear of the notorious 'Rocks Push'.

I often wonder what the inhabitants of that early version of Sydney would think if they could see the place now. I had a mild taste of it on Friday when I took the BA back to King Street Newtown to see my old Teacher's College. Basically, it was gone! Disturbing.
Still, if I was feeling bad, I could always sit on Bondi Beach admiring the surfers and the power of nature :-)

Best Shot Monday: The Sydney Trip

Was this my Best Shot from the Sydney trip?

I loved the textures of these whale skeletons enclosed in perspex bodies. They hang over the escalator at Cockle Wharf: Darling Harbour.

The whole Darling Harbour area is a kaleidescope of curves and lines, textures and angles. I went over with my camera for an hour but as usual was not able to capture what I saw in my mind's eye.

Here's a shot which I, strangely, love. I like all the diagonal lines and lines at right angles. I also like the warning against over priced fashion labels which accost you as you get onto the train.

And what about these?


A selection of the fine materials available to the most aggressive shopper at the Picton Library Book Sale ( $5.00 to fill a bag). I acquired a book on ocean racing for Himself, several audio books for the car and a manual on Self Defence for Women for the Baby Angel. Well you never know...
I did not purchase Tropical Tempest or Winter at Whitecliff.

Back in Sydney:

A shot taken standing below the monorail station on the bridge at Darling Harbour with Centrepoint on the skyline.


Further out into the suburbs and the sub-tropical climate gives rise to these fantastic rain forest style plants, growing wild by the path where we walked the dog. I think they're called 'Elephant Ears'.
I don't know why this caught my eye; apparently it happens frequently, according to Himself. The wide variety of brands of 'liquid amber' cooling wildly on their way to your glass cause the whole tap and line system to freeze up with condensation. I must have seen it in pubs before but perhaps I was too busy to notice. Maybe I noticed this because I was on holiday and because it was a delightful 30C+ outside?

Or perhaps the best shot is this one.
Or this one, if we could lose the 'tuckshop' arms....

Good friends. Great holiday.

It's Best Shot Monday! Pop over to Tracey's and see some photos to cheer and inspire you!