The week before

We're leaving for Ireland and the UK on Sunday, via a four day stay in Tokyo Japan. So we've been quite busy with final arrangements and working through our to do lists. We're very aware however that we're leaving Canberra at its most beautiful time of the year. 

Our morning walks around the lake are just sublime at the moment - with subtle, ever more beautiful changes in light and colour as the peak Autumn month of May draws nearer.

Our weekly sunset visit to Redlands with Abi are just as beautiful too ......

The big event we're going to miss while we're OS is Ella's 17th birthday in May. To make up for our absence we celebrated with her, a month early, on Sunday, with a family breakfast at the Hyatt. 

What a stunner this girls is and what an amazing young woman she is growing to be. Nothing is going to hold this one back!

We weren't game to risk the dining room smoke alarms with the full set of 17 candles for Ella on this occasion.

Although we're very excited about the trip ahead of us - our first foray into long haul OS travel since 2018 we're really going to miss these gorgeous girls (and their Mum and Dad) while we're away .......

We had a farewell dinner together tonight - and fittingly, Canberra turned on  a spectacular sunset.

Narrawallee Easter

This is the third Easter break we've spent with the young ones at beautiful Narrawallee Beach - and the fifth stay we've enjoyed here altogether since 2021. This Easter we had perfect weather and all the conditions in place for a perfectly wonderful time together - lucky us!!!

We start Easter early each year - the girls are allowed an early mark from school on Thursday and Rob and I take them to the coast ahead of all the Easter traffic. We always enjoy a slap up lunch in nearby Milton and the girls enjoy a bit of a shop afterwards in some of Milton's carefully curated emporiums. Josh and Jody join us much later, driving down from Canberra after the work day ends.

 

Ella and Abi always score new PJ's from us every Easter too - its a long held tradition!

... and Joshy is always in charge of meal planning (and cooking) each night. The girls thought that being Easter they should say Grace before hoeing into this particular feast. This is a picture of them acting pious!

Every day we walked to nearby North Mollymook Beach - in perfect beach/surfing conditions .......

A highlight of this weekend was Elly and Abi conducting our parents & grandparents Easter egg hunt. Their cryptic clues (complete with adorable illustrations) were very funny (and pertinent). It raised lots of laughs... 

The girls still love a fishing expedition too. (Off Ulladulla Harbour is the best spot!)

And there were plenty of little fish biting (all released back to the water of course) .....

.... and then more beach time ..........

Rob looking out towards the Ulladulla Lighthouse from the North Mollymook Beach headland .....

Josh and Abi doing some strenuous rock hopping around the headland ....

Even now she's twelve, and so grown up, Abi still loves to explore nature and identify shells and rocks. It was a hard Easter for Abi in lots of ways because she had her new braces fitted the day before we left, causing her a fair bit of pain and discomfort for a few days - so hard at a time of the year when Easter eggs, seafood and all sorts of other foodie delights are on the menu. We thought she was very brave and quite stoic through all of that.

Its hard to get this crew to pose (for me) for a cheesy family shot!

Abi was pretty happy to find sorbet on the menu at the Mollymook Golf Club for the final meal of our stay - so soothing when you have new braces!!

We headed back to Canberra today after another wonderful Easter break at beautiful Narrawallee. We had a coffee and a last minute look around Ulladulla on the way home, and came across this amazing sight at the Fishermens' Co-op down on the wharf - a big catch of Albacore tuna. 

Rob and I are so lucky to share these happy times with J & J and A & E. With the girls growing up so fast these times are doubly precious!

Canberra Balloon Spectacular @ Enlighten Festival

March is a busy month for us here in Canberra (our city's birthday month!). The 10 day Enlighten Festival started on the 1st day of March this year - coinciding with the opening of a wonderful Vincent Namatjira exhibition at the National Gallery - and a chance for us to see (after hours) the superlative Emily Kane Kngwarreye exhibition being staged there at the same time.

 

Its a treat for us to see Enlighten and visit the gallery any hour of the day (or night during Enlighten) - only a short walk from home.

As part of the festivities the Canberra Balloon Spectacular lifts off as Enlighten is coming to an end. We set out this morning around 6.30 and fluked some superb views of the balloons launching over the lake as the sun rose in the eastern sky......

And have I mentioned the Alliance Française French Film Festival opened on the 7th March in Canberra too?? (We signed up for 6 films this year - starting this week!) Oh and Skyfire (fireworks display on the lake) is back - tonight - after a 5 year break!

It's a beautiful city we live in!!