Highlights of trip Sydney Luna park Canberra 60th and Northern Beaches
 

As thanks for all help given here -some things we enjoyed on our 60th celebration holiday!

The weather was super sunny for 3 weeks and the harbour sparkled for us!!
SYDNEY-we stayed a week in Newtown which we enjoyed-cheap good food and interesting shops and Church Street -with old little houses not tarted up, an ancient cemetery and dog park -which we walked down to our lovely 2 bed 2 bath apartment The Elms found on Stayz for $185 night.Also a very old pub there and only 10 mins to city by bus.

As well as usual tourist sites loved lots of ferry rides, Manly on Sunday where I got a lovely chinese paper cut pic at tiny market and walked around Fairy area!
Loved all the old buildings-had forgotten that Sydney had so many as we live near Perth and nearly everything is new sadly.
QVB building superb and Paws shop for doggy gear-got bedlington terrier pen and car stickers!!

Loved Nutcote where May Gibbs lived and wonder if many overseas tourists know of her beautiful work for children drawing Australian animals and plants and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
Loved Brett Whiteleys studio and next day while staying at North Sydney Harbourview hotel-(superb view of bridge and bay and just renovated luckily as entrance and lifts a bit daggy-$150 night great)walked down steps to Lavender Bay and met Wendy Whiteley who has made a stunning garden on Railway land for all to enjoy and chatted to artists all painting along the boardwalk to Luna park. Wow. As for

LUNA PARK I had never been there even when I lived there but it is FREE to go in and wander and WOW like a slice of 50s history preserved-so cool-and I didnt even go on rides-best view from a ferris wheel on earth! Bought a snow dome and had photos printed on a postcard and a penny squashed into a pic of luna park. Fantastic that it has been preserved -took lots of photos-I hope people appreciate it enough so it never disappears. Tacky is Great.
Seaplane up to North beaches was superb and smooth and weather perfect.Meals we had at Aqua dining (yum $300 for 2-wine started at$55 a bottle) and Ripples (yum and good value)with great views of Bridge and swim pool- Fantastic and we even swam in the pool there too next day.
CANBERRA was beautiful with all the autumn trees reds and yellows and it feels so open and quiet after Sydney. Loved Bowral and Husband enjoyed the Cricket museum on the way. Museum building most impressive-very modern and interesting. Enjoyed the art gallery and old courthouse too. Drove to Braidwood and Goulbourn and more photos of old buildings.
NORTHERN BEACHES
Stayed at Avalon amongst lush gardens and palm trees, saw them filming Home and Away near Palm Beach and enjoyed seeing all the beaches and hearing of our friends brushes with the stars that live there eg nearly backing into Elle McPherson! Had a beer at Newport Arms pub and took the postmans ferry boat trip-very interesting and quite long about 4 hours. One day went to Blue Mountains and walked in vain to see the Wentworth falls but amazing views and old shops again!!

Finally one night at Altamont Hotel which was ok but slightly scruffy-very handy to where we dropped off our near new and cheap hire car from Bayswater carhire and close to cafes where we ate tapas.
Now back to rain and reality at home! Thanks all.

Hi Bevzy, I was wondering how it went! I'm so glad to hear you had a good 60th.

I have never been to Nutcote, that's at Neutral Bay, right? I loved Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as a child, I even had aversion to banksia because of the Banksia Men.

Hi Susan-yes get the ferry to Neutral Bay and walk up hill. Charming old- and cold- house and in the short video of May Gibbs talking she is delightful.Volunteers keep the place going-I dont think we treasure our history enough-always seems to be a struggle to preserve these places from greedy developers.
I was interested to read that May and her husband were friends with Captain de Groot see story below for those that do not know it-

Depression-era Sydney was elated by the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Crowds of up to one million people lined the foreshore to see the celebrations. They included a procession of passenger ships, a ‘Venetian carnival’, marching bands, a gun salute and a fly-by.

But there was an unexpected drama at the official opening ceremony. The NSW Premier Jack Lang was due to cut the ribbon to officially the open the Bridge, when a mounted protestor interupted proceedings. The ribbon was slashed instead by the sword of Captain Francis De Groot of the paramilitary group, the New Guard. A militant monarchist, De Groot believed that only a member of the Royal family should have the honour of opening the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And this-we did not do the bridge climb but saw so many up there!!-The first ticket on the first train over the Bridge, numbered 00001, was bought by BridgeClimb founder Paul Cave’s father-in-law. A teenager at the time, he queued for two days to claim the ticket that became an integral part of the BridgeClimb story.

You live in a really beautiful area at Avalon but just have to note the beaches in WA are white and we dont have to deal with all that traffic so we still love WA !

Thanks Bevzy, it's now on my list!

The northern beaches are beautiful, but I'm not a local. It's Bokhara who is the northern beaches person and Pat is ex-northern beaches, I'm an inner westie.

Thanks for posting Bevzy - it's always great to hear back of people's experiences ... you know, "did they agree with my recommendation or did they think I'm a complete nutter?" :))

We'd have a lot fewer old buildings, but for the Green Bans of the 60's, too. Developers, aided & abetted by the gov't were hell bent on knocking down everything in sight & replacing it with gawd-awful 60's boxes. Old Timers has temporarily ripped the name of the leader of the BLF out of my tiny brain - but someone else will chip in, hopefully. Mundy! Now what was his first name? Reg? Anyway, there but for the grace of Mundy - we'd have no old buildings - just wall-to-wall bland boxes.

Delighted you had such a good time - and that the weather held for you. It can be the pitts in "another town" when it's wet.
Good for you for taking some of our "less travelled" paths, too.

BTW, Perth's one of my favourite places - I love it's young, vibrant feel and generally get a flat on the South side & commute when I'm there. Freeo on a Saturday is my idea of heaven ... good coffee .. good book shop ... and then some fish in one of the pubs :)

Mind you, we did get lost in one of the new "sprawls" on our way back to town a few years ago ....took eons to find our way out of the maze - thought they'd find our skeletons in the car a decade on ...

I haven't been to Nutcote either, Susan. Bit worried about feral Banksia men.

Got it, Bokhara - Jack Munday!

Nice report bevzy, from another ex-northern beaches resident who's never been to Nutcote.