So this is how I looked at Winter Magic.
My ears didn’t stand up without help though.
And without the hood …
Most of the day I looked like this *points up* as the tongue really got in the way of the lens! Who’d have thought?!
The best bit? I fit right in *grins* I love lime green fun fur!
Pics courtesy of Himself 🙂
It’s my favourite time of year! The shortest day, longest night, the Winter Magic Festival!
I look forward to this every year. The costumes, the drama, the magic! So much colour and laughter, with performances on everywhere you turn; It’s better than Christmas! (which in the Mountains follows straight after as they do a Yulefest/Christmas in July thing.)
This year I went as GIR because, well, why not really? How often do you otherwise get to wear lime green fun fur in public and have people fawn all over you and request to have their photo taken with you?
I may put a photo up later. Possibly. If you’re lucky.
But now on with the photos! Purely because I can and because it’s Winter Magic, I have set them all up for you as a rainbow! (which is the pervading theme each year) so these are by no means the best photos of the day, just some wonderful examples of the vibrancy of the day.
Damn I love the Red Hats so MUCH!!! (local link)
There was just an epic amount of people there this year, and each year it gets more and more popular. They may need to revise and expand how many streets are closed off for next year’s event! This next photo was taken at around 10am – over an hour before the parade was to start which used to be when the event packed out!
As is our habit, we enjoy trying lots of local businesses in an effort to both support them, and find a venue where we are comfortable spending hours (and sometime significant cash) at a stretch. There have only been a couple of places in the last seven-ish years that we’ve been on the search where things coalesced perfectly.. The first was Barzu on Norton St, which closed down. Then there was 2 Front Doors up the hill, which … closed down. We appear to have a new contender called Grind.
So far, on the plus sides they have amazing, friendly, prompt service. Good coffee (harder to find than you’d think in Leichhardt), and easily identifiable delicious food.
I just don’t feel comfortable pulling out the knitting and relaxing into sitting there for a few hours. Though it’s obvious a few of the other patrons can, and do!
They also have awesome brownies! This is a major positive!
I didn’t get a photo of the actual brownie, it disappeared too fast!
Next time we’ll sit upstairs and see what that’s like. Let’s hope it doesn’t close down!
We decided we needed to exercise our cameras on the weekend and ended up down in the Rocks (with seemingly the rest of Sydney) watching the spectacular light display that is Vivid.
We began at Customs House. Which was a moving display that took approximately 5 mins to complete and then looped.
But most of the installations were designed to be interacted with.
Some interacted with their environment. Like these rods which were activated by the vibration of the train on the tracks above them.
The MCA was one of the more eye catching exhibits. With people standing in front of it …
Throwing light paint!
The queue to participate was really well managed, and even some of the littler kids were getting involved.
The House sails were mesmerising, and I really want to go back before it’s over with the video camera to capture it and the Customs House exhibit.
We really do have a beautiful city.
Go see it if you can, before they switch it off!
Now I know I promised this post would be cuter and fluffier, but I had to put this little guy in here too. His mother thinks he’s cute!
Then it was on to the butterfly room! It took so long for the camera to de-fog in here that I though Himself would get bored and move on without me! I shouldn’t have worried! With wings closed –
and wings open to show off!
Kookaburras have always had one of my favourite calls in the bush, and this little guy was posed so picturesquely! I also remember hand feeding these guys off the back porch at the parents house when growing up … ah, fun times! 🙂
But now, we move on to the furry part of our brief overview. I’ll begin with the wombat, because they have always been one of my favourites dating right back to the one that tried to burrow under our tent while we were camping when I was a small child.
Then there’s the kangaroos who were nomming on their dinner when we got to them and they did look awfully tasty! (we eat skippy far too often in this house!)
I shall end our wee tour, and this post by being all patriotic. Or touristy. Take your pick.
Say it with me now … DAW!!!!
Postcard perfect!
ghoti industries 