Australia Day Cruise

Yesterday was Australia Day, the 221st anniversary of white settlement in Australia. It was also my Aunty Margaret's 60th Birthday. She had long dreamed of one Australia Day going on a harbour cruise, to enjoy the changing scene over beautiful Sydney Harbour from daylight to sunset to twilight and then the sights of the city lights in the night sky. So for her 60th Birthday she decided the time had come, and invited family to join them. (This is the card I made her)



But unfortunately the dream of the sunset just didn't happen. After an overcast day it began to drizzle around 5.00pm and it is still drizzling now (the following morning!). So instead of the beautiful photos I wanted to post (the Harbour Bridge with the sunset in the background, the Opera House in the blue twilight ....) I have these:

as we approached the wharf, we went in the white catamaran

scene from the foredeck (with flash)


the harbour bridge as we headed towards the fireworks (great photography - huh?)

We arrived at the fireworks just as they were beginning ... other cruise boats were in front of us, we weren't so close as we could be ... but we just had to laugh, because the mist had closed in and we couldn't see a thing. Just a few lazer lights down low. We couldn't even see the lights of the city buidings. The drizzle got worse, coming in sideways. Those of us who had umbrellas held them in front, not above, and we laughed hilariously, Aunty Margaret laughing most of all, because it was not the fireworks cruise we had dreamed of. We heard the fireworks, and later smelt them, but the only visual sign was the mist turning pink twice!

All night my long pants were constantly being soaked from the bottom cuff upwards ... with my flat sequined sandals I was standing in puddles ... but I'm still so glad I went. It was nice to have a special celebration for Aunty Margaret, it was a new experience for me, the dinner was delicious, and overall lots of fun.
At the end of the cruise they handed out the helium balloons which had decorated the inside of the boat, and I ended up carrying home (on the train!) a big bunch of balloons, like a balloon seller (much to my mother's embarrassment, I think) I put them in the girls' room when I got home to surprise them. But in the morning they were on the floor, looking like I felt. I'm sure I have a cold coming on now from all that time in the rain. It's the last day of the holidays, school starts tomorrow, but I feel too tired to do a thing with the girls.

But I'm glad I went.
And with my inadequate night-time camera skills I made fireworks of my own: