new south wales – Page 5 – Travelling Worm

Category: new south wales

Do snakes have legs?

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

Today we went for a stroll along the Spit to Manly Walk. It’s a ten-kilometre path which follows the shore line from Spit Bridge to Manly, near Sydney in Australia.

Of course, you don’t have to do all of it in one go. We didn’t. When you’re travelling with the TC, you can’t get very far without stopping to exclaim over the bird life. Occasionally she manages to trip over the odd snake or something a bit more interesting.

We started at 40 Baskets, near Balgowlah, and headed off towards Spit Bridge.

Traveller’s tip

Tread lightly, because you never know who’s under your shoe.

The book I’m in

Caravans, a novel of Afghanistan, by James A. Michener.

The photos

Let’s start with a bird’s eye view and move progressively to a much more interesting worm’s eye view. It’s spring in Sydney, and the Flannel Flowers are out in full force.

Do snakes have legs?

Here’s a closer view of a Flannel Flower:

Do snakes have legs?

The Spit to Manly Walk runs along the coast, so you get the Australian bush all round you and the sea right there too. Most of the time, it’s a fairly tame view because you are in the harbour rather than on the ocean. Still, it has a quaint appeal.

Do snakes have legs?

The Water Dragons are all over the place, looking at you askance and then scuttling away into the undergrowth. Here’s a rather unflattering view of one of them:

Do snakes have legs?

This one is about 80cm long and quite chubby. Here’s another shot of him:

Do snakes have legs?

And here’s his altogether more sauve-looking cousin:

Do snakes have legs?

Now we get to the question in the title of this blog post:

Do snakes have legs?

Check out this lass:

Do snakes have legs?

Is she a snake, or could she be a “legless lizard”, also known as Pygopodidae? Maybe she can even call herself Delma impar, one of the endangered ones? Take a closer look at her middle bit — there are little half-formed legs that move away from her body as she slithers along. She was not a fast mover, so the TC had ample time to take a photograph:

Do snakes have legs?

I’ve decided to call her Lizzie, for want of a better name. The TC narrowly avoided stepping on poor old Lizzie. I don’t know how she did avoid it, to be frank. She had her head in the trees, as usual, watching the birds and totally unaware of the far more interesting life that goes on at ground level. It’s lucky she has a worm like me as a travelling companion, or she’d miss out on all the important stuff.

If anyone knows what Lizzie is, let me know. She is quite short — less than a metre. Here’s a better look at her face:

Do snakes have legs?

Getting even more of a worm’s eye view, here’s a rather stunning little insect that was flitting about on the rocks on 40 Baskets beach:

Do snakes have legs?

This creature is less than a centimetre long. Tim P dropped a comment on my previous blog post, asking for more close-ups of the “intense detail apparent in tiny living things”. I know he was asking for more photographs of myself, being such a remarkable specimen of a worm, as well as of other small creatures. I promise to post some more of me soon. In the meantime, this one’s for you Tim.

Do snakes have legs?

Does anyone know what insect this is? It looks like a fly of some sort. Drop me a comment if you know anything about it.

That’s all for today, dudes.
Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

I’ll skip the introductions today. If you don’t know me by now, you will never never…. Oo-oo-oo, I almost got trapped in some song lyrics there. Anyway, read my other blog posts or my About Me page if you’re curious about me. And who wouldn’t be?

Today’s travel notes

The Travelling Companion has been playing around in the garden recently, digging and uprooting and planting and generally getting muddy. I have observed her antics from the sidelines, stepping in to suggest the occasional photograph.

It’s struck me just how beautiful we worms are, and our lesser brethren too. So I’ve decided to treat you to some photographs and a movie of us.

Traveller’s tip

If you can’t travel far to find some beauty, try digging around in the dirt instead.

The book I’m in

Troy, Fall of Kings, by David & Stella Gemmell.

Yes, I am still in the same book as last week. The TC has been quite busy, so she has not done much reading. This is a good thing, because it’s a comfortable book.

The photos

Me and Peg in the garden with Dianella.

Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

A centipede on a stone tile. This brave brother worm ventured into the Travelling Companion’s kitchen. He is just a common-or-garden centipede, perhaps a couple of centimetres long.

Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

The next dude (below) is awe-inspiring. He is a blue centipede, dubbed Scolopendra by some. This one is about 5 centimetres long. Beware, not all worms are as friendly as me. Centipedes are predators, and they can bite humans too. He was safely hidden in the soil amongst the roots of some Agapanthus plants, until he was so rudely uprooted. Here is a good view of his back end at bottom left, with his head disappearing into a hole at top right:

Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

He moves fast, this dude, and the TC had trouble getting a good shot. Below is her attempt to capture his head. You can just make out the lighter blue head and the two darker blue antennae at bottom right of this picture:

Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

And here’s a video. Alas, the TC did not excel in the making of this movie, but it’s a good laugh as well as giving you some idea of the beauty of the worm. The TC says she didn’t know the video was on, and she was trying to take a still photo. Hah!

Here’s sister slug, aka a tiger slug, a spotted leopard slug and a great grey slug. So many names for such an unassuming creature. I’m making her an honorary worm for this blog post:

Centipedes and slugs in Sydney

That’s all for today, dudes.
Chocolate in Sydney

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

It’s a pressing question in Sydney these days:

Where can I get a good chocolate?

The Travelling Companion and I have been scouting around to find the best chocolate shops and cafés in Sydney. As a conscientious worm, I feel it’s my civic duty to let you into some of Sydney’s chocolate secrets.

Traveller’s tip

Head to the nearest Max Brenner shop forthwith. Because, as Napoleon is reported to have said when asked why he consumed so much chocolate, it is just yummy.

The book I’m in

Troy, Fall of Kings, by David & Stella Gemmell.

The photos

Guylian has just opened a spanking new chocolate café in Circular Quay. I was there last week, to check out this new addition to the Sydney chocolate scene.

Me at Guylian’s:

The TC was not overly impressed with the chocolate at Guylian’s. She’s a bit particular about her chocolate, is our TC. Rumour has it they plan to open a second shop in The Rocks very soon. Here’s the one in Circular Quay:

Chocolate in Sydney

I go along with the TC and recommend Max Brenner in Manly. This chocolate café is a must for all chocolate lovers. It’s right in Manly Wharf. Just step off the Manly Ferry and straight into heaven:

Chocolate in Sydney

Here’s some of the fare the TC and her friends saw spread before them at Max Brenner:

Chocolate in Sydney

A Lindt Chocolat Café would be my second choice. There are two in central Sydney. The one in Martin Place resides in lofty elegance with Fabergé and a number of big names in the fashion world. I don’t have a photo to show you. (As you can probably guess from the attire in my picture, high fashion is not a world I frequent.) But the TC says that the dark hot chocolate drink is divine. The shop in Martin Place was the first ever Lindt Chocolat Café in the world.

Then they opened another in Darling Harbour, where the dark hot chocolate and rich cakes meet with equal approval from the TC:

Chocolate in Sydney

As well as the cafés, Sydney has a number of take-away chocolate shops. Here’s Haigh’s in the Strand Arcade in George Street:

Chocolate in Sydney

And here’s Darrell Lea also in George Street, on the corner with King:

Chocolate in Sydney

Earlier I mentioned the snooty neighbours of the Lindt café in Martin Place. Darrell Lea has the new Apple Store for a neighbour. Handy if you need a quick iPhone consultation while you wait for your chocolate order:

Apple in Sydney

Choc tactics

I’ve inhabited many a health book which warns you off chocolate. It’s reputedly bad for your skin, bad for your weight, bad for your teeth and your heart… But I’ve also wormed my way through the online archives where people are saying chocolate is good for you. They say there’s no proof that chocolate causes pimples and it may even help to prevent tooth decay by killing off the bacteria.

Confusion reigns supreme. As it usually does.

Perhaps we can learn from history. Chocolate has been around a while. The Central Americans were the first to cultivate the cocoa tree, 1400 years ago. Even way back then, no-one knew what to make of the gift of the bean. Was it the curse of the Aztecs or the food of the gods? Quetzalcoatl, a god himself, was disgraced for passing the secret of chocolate down to humans. The humans, though, were suitably impressed with the gift — especially as it was a powerful aphrodisiac. So much so, that some societies forbade women to use it. Cocoa beans became a strong trading currency. One pumpkin was valued at four cocoa beans. One hundred beans could buy a slave.

Then the Spanish conquered Mexico, and took the magic bean back to Europe. But the Spaniards decided to keep it a secret. So when Dutch and English sailors found these strange dark little objects on captured Spanish ships, they mistook them for sheep droppings and turfed them overboard in disgust.

The rest of Europe finally caught on. Chocolate became the drink of royalty. Doctors recommended it as a cure for almost everything. But then, once again, people started to look askance at the stuff. It was not quite kosher — a drug from deepest, darkest America, an aphrodisiac at that, and perhaps its medicinal properties were a bit too potent for civilised mores.

Confusion was reigning supreme then too. All hail confusion.

Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, phenol, phosphorus, magnesium, theobromine, and trace levels of anandamide. Uh-huh…? Phenyl ethylamine is a mood elevator which acts directly on your central nervous system. At low levels, it makes you feel good. But it can also make you paranoid and it is addictive. Anandamide acts on the same pleasure receptors in the brain as marijuana. The other ingredients raise energy levels, increase concentration, improve your mood, and do other good things.

Me and Peg with chocolates by Jessica Walker, Belgian Chocolate Seashells and Coles Belgian mint chocolate:

Chocolate in Sydney

What about the belief that chocolate is a potent love potion? Both Casanova and Sherlock Holmes downed mugs of cocoa for breakfast. So we must deduce that chocolate builds stamina in the brain cells as well as in the other bits. Elementary, my dear worm.

That’s all for today, dudes.
By the light of a gibbous moon

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

Spring has arrived in Sydney. Joy. The birds are awake at 5 a.m. And so is the TC.

Traveller’s tip

Beware of those you meet on your journey.

The book I’m in

Dakota, by Martha Grimes.

This atmosphere-laden book is all about a journey. It’s a good thing I don’t have feet, because the itch would be driving me potty.

The photos

A moody Sydney September moon:

It’s time to catch up with the brood. Drool and Hand have hit it off in a big way, sunny personalities both. Here they are in Drool’s lair.

I spied them there in the darkest hours of the night, scheming and plotting. I distinctly heard Hand say:

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but somehow Wordsworm gives me the creeps.

Is trouble brewing amongst the brood? This worm will keep you informed of all eventualities.

That’s all for today, dudes.
Birdsong in Sydney

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

Noisy creatures, birds. The Travelling Companion has been up and about, recording the dawn chorus in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She also found a rather garrulous magpie in Curl Curl. I’ve put some videos on my YouTube site and also posted them below.

There are no photographs of me this time. Sorry to disappoint. I try to avoid appearing in the same space as a bird. On one occasion I did get perilously close to Jonathan, a seagull. There are some pictures to prove it in my blogpost about Surfers Paradise.

Traveller’s tip

The early worm catches the birdsong.

The book I’m in

Cry No More, by Linda Howard.

Linda writes really comfortable books.

The videos

The sun is still below the horizon in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I don’t know the name of the first bird you’ll hear. Then there’s a raven’s mournful cry and a butcherbird’s yodel:

It’s a bit lighter now. The kookaburras are always naively cheerful this early in the morning. The currawongs chime in, and then the rosellas utter their first chirps of the day:

Here’s the sunrise, pretty enough if you like that sort of thing, with the rosellas still chirping and squawking away (they do that most of the day, I’ve noticed):

A magpie might draw a laugh and a bit of grudging admiration with his performance in this video. The hissing in the background is the sea at Curl Curl:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Red-flowered tree in Sydney

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt. Keep an eye out for the witty but subtle use of puns.

Today’s travel notes

Me, Peg and Hand went for a bit of a stroll today. You’ll remember Hand. We met in Surfer’s Paradise, and he has been one of the Travelling Companion’s companions ever since. I wrote about it here.

Getting back to our stroll. Along the way, we stopped to hang out with Blue. And now I’d like to enlist your help.

Blue is a tall, wide-spreading tree. There are a number like him, in and around Sydney. At this time of year he becomes encrusted with showy red flowers. That’s why I call him “Blue” — because of the red flowers. (Australians have an obscurely endearing habit of calling people with red hair “Blue”. I think it’s their attempt for world recognition in the eccentricity category. Or something.)

How can you help? By telling me what sort of tree Blue is. I’ve searched diligently through the TC’s books but have not been able to pin down Blue’s family. Please take a look at the pictures below.

Traveller’s tip

Trees don’t travel much, but they are good company.

The book I’m in

Poltergeist, by Kat Richardson.

The photos

Me and Peg out on a limb with Blue:

Me and Peg out on a limb with Blue

Hand seeks out the darker corners where fleshy greyish-pink weirdos congregate. As you might have gathered, I’m not much of a botanist and don’t know what these plants are called either:

Hand skulking around in the undergrowth

Zooming out to show a bit more of Blue’s red floral showiness. This outburst happens in late July and early August.

Can you identify this red-flowered tree?

The whole tree:

Can you identify this red-flowered tree?

Hand got a bit out of hand, so I had to tether him at the base of Blue’s trunk. He felt quite at home, because some equally unsalubrious characters had been there before us.

Hand lurking amongst the litter
Sydney winter flora seen from down under

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

From time to time, I’ll say something meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

I’ve been spending some time with flora and Peg recently. You’ll notice me, Peg and flora in the photographs below.

Have you ever been to Cape Town in South Africa? There’s some similarity between the Sydney vegetation and the Cape fynbos. Both specialise in low-key, low-down beauty. It can be hard to find, especially if you’re not a worm. But once you’ve moved past the drabness and started looking at the detail, there are some fairly pretty things to see.

This blog post is about Sydney. I’ll dig up some of the TC’s photographs of the Cape fynbos and write about it soon too. I promise. I know you’ll be eagerly awaiting my next post.

A worm’s eye view is also interesting from another perspective. Often, I get to see the bits that the plants are least proud of.

Traveller’s tip

Don’t ever let yourself be photographed from below. It’s a very unflattering angle.

The book I’m in

Dead Famous, by Ben Elton.

A tip for my fans: Look out for my appearance on the next hip, bigged-up and mad-for-it reality TV show. I’ve had so many requests you’d hardly, like, believe and hey I’ll make my choice soon. One survivor, that’ll be me. I’m, like, dead sure of that.

The photos

Me and Peg hanging out under a rocky overhang with flora:

Sydney winter flora

♥ As a special treat for you the faithful reader, the rest of the photographs are taken from the bottom looking up. That’s my usual perspective on life. It’s what keeps me so humble. ♥

The least flattering end of a bee:

Sydney winter flora

Another bee derriere:

Sydney winter flora

The underside of Old Man Banksia:

Another banksia I do believe, but there’s the faint possibility that I may be wrong:

Sydney winter flora

Some cone clones:

Sydney winter flora

A spray of grass:

Sydney winter flora

It’s difficult to make a flower look bad, even from the bottom looking up:

Sydney winter flora

Another distressingly pretty flower seen from down under:

Sydney winter flora

And here’s the last bottoms-up flower:

Sydney winter flora

Oh dear…

Sydney winter flora seen from down under

That’s all for today dudes.
Goulburn
This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1.

Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while the TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

I’ll keep it meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

We passed through Goulburn last weekend. Goulburn is a city (it has a couple of cathedrals) in New South Wales, Australia. It’s kind of a detour between Sydney and Canberra. At least, that’s how I’ve always thought of it.

My impressions? “Oh no, what am I doing here?” closely followed by “Ah yes, that was good”.

First we went to the outskirts of the town (yes, I do know it’s a city but it’s rather small) to find Drool. He’s our latest acquisition — a rather fetching gargoyle. There’s a photograph somewhere below. He hales from the Menduni Garden Artistry centre, 26-28 Gulson Street, Goulburn. I’d recommend a visit if you’re in the area. You’re greeted with big smiles, strong local accents and lots of variety, from devilish gargoyles to lightly-swaying giant emus and everything between.

Then we hit Goulburn in search of lunch. We found that and a lot of impressive architecture too.

Traveller’s tip

A warm worm is a happy worm.

Recommended restaurant

The Roses Cafe, 10 Montague Street, Goulburn, NSW.

Great pies and cheese pastries, fresh tasty salads, superb florentines with lots of nuts and stodge and a good layer of chocolate. Faultless service.

The book I’m in

I have just emerged from Falls the Shadow, by William Lashner. Alas, the TC (she with whom I travel) yanked me out when I was only half way through the book. I’m guessing she grew tired of it. I couldn’t help noticing this bit before I left, because I found it strangely apposite. It’s something said to the lawyer who is the anti-hero of the book, with his reply:

“You’re an insignificant worm.”
“Yes I am,” I said cheerfully, “on a useless piece of rock hurtling through a universe devoid of rhyme or reason.”

I suspect that Goulburnians might often hear the phrase “an insignificant town in the middle of nowhere”, or words to that effect. Goulburnians could reply with something like the lawyer’s response above.

Or maybe, like me, they would reply:

“Yes, but that’s irrelevant when you’re as good-looking as me.”

The photos

Me at the fountain in Belmore Park, Goulburn:

Me at the glasshouse in Belmore Park:

St Peter’s and St Paul’s Catholic cathedral (it’s just one building, probably named by someone in dire need of saintly appeasement):

St Saviour’s Anglican cathedral:

The Big Merino, one of Australia’s famous “big things”. They say you can go inside to buy souvenirs and to see the world through the ram’s eye at the top. I didn’t do that. This dude is more than 15 metres tall and weighs 97 tonnes:

The Goulburn Club, established 1877:

The inviting open door of the Goulburn Club:

The Roses Cafe has a narrow shop front, but is long and spacious inside, modern in hues of pink and purple:

A row of buildings in downtown Goulburn:

Get closer to me baby:

Technical College AD 1900, now the Goulburn Regional Conservatorium. If you peer inside, you’ll see lovely old wooden doors and staircase:

Drool the gargoyle:

A worm’s eye view

This section is for me to put things that are not necessarily relevant but meant something to this worm at the time. Here’s a shot of the dawn before we set out on the trip:

Other travelogues of note

These travellers have been to Goulburn too:
- Elke went back to visit family.
- Jamie went through on the way to Canberra.
- Jon & Jules were impressed by the big merino.
- Marillionkm gives lots of details.
- Darryl writes about the drought.
First past the post

There are no wordpress.com blogs tagged “Goulburn”. This worm will be the first!

That’s all for today dudes.
Kangaroo Valley, Berry and Kiama

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while my TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

I’ll keep it meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

Yesterday I took a round trip down Australia’s east coast. We started off just north of Sydney and drove through the city, past Wollongong to Kiama, Berry and Kangaroo Valley, then through Mittagong back to Sydney.

My impressions? Just out of Sydney yet so very different.

It’s an easy day’s drive. You’re never more than two hours away from the city, but of course there are lots of unavoidable scenic views, lunch opportunities and shopping stops. These tend to slow you down, so do take them into account. In my experience, your round-trip velocity depends largely upon your companions. My Travelling Companion is a bit of a liability in this respect.

The previous paragraph notwithstanding, I did enjoy the views. There are some good photos below, including some of me suspended in the usual fashion over some breathtaking drop. There was also a bit of wildlife, including those big furry grasshoppers*, your common-or-garden sulphur-crested cockatoos, the wilder black cockatoos, a coupla kookaburras, plus galahs, ravens and butcher birds.

Also along the side of the road was the occasional self-service kiosk, where you can take fudge or potatoes or whatever and leave the money in return. Honesty rocks!

* “Furry grasshoppers” — That’s what we locals call the kangaroos 🙂

A word of explanation: worm or caterpillar?

Some of my readers may be concerned about the difference between a worm and a caterpillar, and in particular you may be wondering which one I am.

In my experience, caterpillars are ephemeral and fickle creatures, apt to take flight when things get tricky. Your humble worm is here to stay.

Travel tip

Never underestimate the return trip.

Recommended restaurant

Berrylicious cafe, 89 Queen Street, Berry.

Excellent hamburgers, a variety of breads and some good options for vegetarians.

The book I’m in

The Radiant Seas, by Catherine Asaro.

The photos

Me suspended over the drop at Bulli Lookout, with Wollongong in the distance. Here’s a tip — if you’re coming from Sydney down the Princes Highway (route 1) towards Wollongong, ignore the first turnoff labelled “Bulli Lookout”. It takes you to a private hotel and an inferior lookout point. Instead, drive past the hotel or take the second turnoff to Bulli Lookout. Anyway, here’s me and the view:

Me waiting for the blowhole to blow at Kiama:

FYI, here’s a “duh” moment — a sign next to the blowhole says something like this:

“Danger. Do not go beyond this point. Deep hole and blowhole.”

Me not getting wet:

Me at the drive-through bottle store in Berry. Check out the hubcaps on the wall:

Kiama Post Office:

Kiama outcrop behind the blowhole, and the blue blue sea:

In the hills approaching the town of Kangaroo Valley:

More of those hills (do you see what I mean about the TC being a bit of a liability with respect to stopping for photographs of anything that moves or doesn’t move):

Hampden Bridge, outside the town of Kangaroo Valley:

A worm’s eye view

You’ll see some pictures taken from a worm’s viewpoint in my earlier blog posts too. Now I’ve decided to put this sort of picture in a special section.

Kiama rock looks volcanic, with lots of small cosy holes:

Autumn leaves in Berry:

Brother caterpillar tripping the light fantastic (on plastic sheeting in Berrylicious Cafe):

Hair lichen on a post near Kangaroo valley:

That’s it for today dudes.
Manly

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, viz 95 HBM 80-1. Twenty-five years, and I don’t look a day older than one! Alas, I can’t say the same for my Travelling Companion. I spend most of my time inside a book (well, duh) while my TC sees the world. Read all about me and follow my blog posts to share my experiences as bookmark and travelling worm.

I’ll keep it meaningful. Like a t-shirt.

Today’s travel notes

Today I’ve been in Manly, haunt of surfers and rollerbladers on the east coast of Australia just north of Sydney.

My impressions? Ramshackle charm plus lots of action.

It’s all happening in Manly. Rollerblading, skate boarding, surfing, diving, snorkelling, street markets, skid row sidling up to millionaire’s lane.

The ride on the Manly Ferry is one of the most beautiful in the world. The boat takes half an hour to wend its way from Manly Wharf to the city, passing close by the Sydney Opera House and the coat hanger. (That’s what the locals call the Sydney Harbour Bridge.)

A good place to snorkel is Shelly Beach, at the southern end of Manly Beach. Shelly Beach faces west, at an angle to the main beach and sheltered from the waves rolling in from the ocean. Take just a couple of paces into the water, and you’ll find Nemo. Scuba divers bubble way down below. My Travelling Companion gets distressingly enthusiastic about close encounters with gropers. Settle down, a groper is a fish.

Rollerbladers abound. There’s a good path running along the beachfront. For a longer run, set off in Manly Vale at Addiscombe Road, follow the cycle path down Kenneth and Pittwater Roads to Manly Lagoon, through Manly Lagoon park to the sea, then all along the beach to Shelly. This is about 4 kilometres of easy skating. If you’d like a hill or two, there are two good slopes in Manly Vale. There’s a skate park across the way from Manly Lagoon park. My intrepid Travelling Companion has crawled the lower slopes but never really dropped in.

A word from a wise worm

Bladers beware: surfboards are a hazard. This could happen to you: You’re in the zone, skating along with the sea by your side, the wind whistling past your ears, the cockatoos screeching overhead and the picturesque surfer-dudes posed next to the path assessing the waves. Surfer-dude turns to greet mate on other side of path. Surfboard swings over path. Rollerblader hits ground.

Travel tip

Dare to be different — like the flower in the photo down below.

Recommended restaurant

Ironbark wood fired Italian restaurant. 208 Pittwater Road, Manly. www.ironbarkmanly.com.au

They have gluten-free pizzas. This worm didn’t know such things were possible. I guess there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy.

A fan

A humble worm says thank you to STA travelbuzz for reviewing my site.

The book I’m in

Stern Men, by Elizabeth Gilbert.

The photos

Me and the Manly Ferry:

Me looking for a cosy hole on Manly Wharf:

Smooth empty tarmac, blading heaven. The path along Manly Lagoon:

Manly Beach seen as you emerge from Manly Lagoon Park:

Blading from Manly Vale to Manly:

Blader in Manly:

Looking across Manly Beach to Shelly Beach at top left:

Manly Corso:

A seagull on Manly Corso. (Beware all worms!):

Surfer dudes doing it the hard way:

A white azalea flower daring to be different: