After spending the Easter/ANZAC weekend on work standby I wanted to take the family away. Our original plan was to take the caravan up to the Lane Cove Caravan Park, but the prediction of wet weather dampened our idea of camping in the caravan. Still wanting the get away we chose to stay at the Formule 1 motel at Homebush Bay.
We headed up to Sydney early on the Saturday morning where we headed straight over to the CITO event in the Lane Cove National Park. Here we met up with a few familiar faces and assisted in the clean up around the river. The onset of rain was our signal to leave and from here we headed over to our motel.
The idea of staying in a motel always has our kids excited and today was no exception. Upon checking in we were pleased to see our room had good views of the Olympic area and the kids quickly took dibs on which bed was their’s.
For the rest of the afternoon we took the kids around to the Aquatic Centre where we all had fun playing and swimming in the activities on offer. We only left when we did cause we’d all turned into wrinkle prunes. However what it did do was wear out the kids sufficiently enough that they were almost ready for bed. Which, after showers and an easy dinner that’s what they did. This allowed Leonie and I to have a relaxing night together.
Sunday and it was family fun day on the public transport, which we took full advantage of. We boarded a Rivercat at Ryldemere for the one-stop trip into the city. The kids were so excited with our water transport and were constantly spying new things out the window, meanwhile Leonie and I were awe of the money which adjoins the foreshore and harbour. We were soon heading under the harbour bridge for the first time and soon after were docking at Circular Quay.
After a short stop we were on our way around to Pyrmont Point where we had to time to have a quick look around and do a spot of cache maintenance. Back on a ferry its back to Circular Quay where after a change of ferry we were on our way to Cockatoo Island. This was to be our first ever visit to this inner city island and it was very rewarding.
Once on the island the kids got right into the kids tour while I completed one of the few remaining virtual caches still available. The weather was perfect for a day out in the sun and our time on the island was absolutely wonderful. We checked out the camping for a possible future adventure and took a number of great family pics with the harbour as our backdrop.
Regrettably it was soon time to leave and after another Rivercat ride we were soon at Rydalmere. From here it was an hour trip home in the car and the end of a great weekend.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
10 Year Wedding Anniversary
Reaching this milestone in our marriage has been filled with an array of highs and lows, but it has been a journey that I wouldn't change.
To celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary I had originally thought of surprising Leonie with a weekend on the Gold Coast. After deciding to do the planning as a team effort we both agreed to head to Melbourne for a weekend.
On the 10-12th Apr the 2 of us took a flight to Melbourne where we stayed in the luxurious 5-star “Stamford Plaza Hotel”. Amongst other things, we had planned a relaxing 3 days soaking up the sights of Melbourne. Once at the hotel we were immediately taken by the quality. Bell-boys, concierge and countless staff seen to our comforts. The room was majestic, a TV screen welcomed us with a message of enjoyment.
The rest of our day was spent enjoying a walk in the rain around the Botanical Gardens, like two big kids. That night we headed into Chinatown where we dined in a little quaint Chinese restaurant enjoying a 2-course meal with a bottle of red.
Sunday was to be a fun filled day, we headed up to the Queens St markets where we strolled the isles in search of that night’s dinner and some treats for the kids. Heading back into town we freshened up before hitting the theatre. Our first stage-play in many years and we’d picked a ripper. “Rock of Ages” was absolutely unreal. We both sung and danced along to all the songs.
To complete the night we dined on a home cooked meal in our room before relaxing in the spa with a number of alcoholic beverages.
Our last day in town and we chose to do a bit of shopping. We headed down to the DFO shops but were sadly disappointed as they didn't open within our time constraints and had to leave. Our last appointment before heading home was to partake in a relaxing Japanese massage. This experience was just what we needed to unwind before we headed home.
Reality was soon upon us as we boarded our flight home and back to our awaiting kids, who’d missed us deeply.
If this is how we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I can’t wait for another 10 years.
I love you Leonie with all my heart.
To celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary I had originally thought of surprising Leonie with a weekend on the Gold Coast. After deciding to do the planning as a team effort we both agreed to head to Melbourne for a weekend.
On the 10-12th Apr the 2 of us took a flight to Melbourne where we stayed in the luxurious 5-star “Stamford Plaza Hotel”. Amongst other things, we had planned a relaxing 3 days soaking up the sights of Melbourne. Once at the hotel we were immediately taken by the quality. Bell-boys, concierge and countless staff seen to our comforts. The room was majestic, a TV screen welcomed us with a message of enjoyment.
The rest of our day was spent enjoying a walk in the rain around the Botanical Gardens, like two big kids. That night we headed into Chinatown where we dined in a little quaint Chinese restaurant enjoying a 2-course meal with a bottle of red.
Sunday was to be a fun filled day, we headed up to the Queens St markets where we strolled the isles in search of that night’s dinner and some treats for the kids. Heading back into town we freshened up before hitting the theatre. Our first stage-play in many years and we’d picked a ripper. “Rock of Ages” was absolutely unreal. We both sung and danced along to all the songs.
To complete the night we dined on a home cooked meal in our room before relaxing in the spa with a number of alcoholic beverages.
Our last day in town and we chose to do a bit of shopping. We headed down to the DFO shops but were sadly disappointed as they didn't open within our time constraints and had to leave. Our last appointment before heading home was to partake in a relaxing Japanese massage. This experience was just what we needed to unwind before we headed home.
Reality was soon upon us as we boarded our flight home and back to our awaiting kids, who’d missed us deeply.
If this is how we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I can’t wait for another 10 years.
I love you Leonie with all my heart.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shellharbour STP Floods
As a volunteer emergency service worker I’m often the one who is helping others in times of need, but on the 21st Mar 2011 I was at the mercy of the weather when my place of employment flooded due heavy rainfall.
The proceeding days had been ones of constant rain with the surrounding areas being at saturation point. On the Monday, extremely heavy rain began to fall early in the morning and it didn’t seem to let up. By midday the grassed areas contained within the plant had begun to pool and the creek, which runs down the back of the plant, had turned into a raging torrent.
As we sat and had our lunch we watched in amazement as the floodwaters rose that fast that we quickly had to go and rescue cars and personal items before they were engulfed in the floodwaters. We laughed and joked about the rain earlier in the day, but now laughter had been replaced with shock and surprise.
The water engulfed all driveways, grassed areas, sheds, admin offices and soon galleries. In vain we attempted to sandbag doorways and roller doors but it was no use. The gallery sumps couldn’t keep up with the volume of water and eventually pumps and motors downstairs all went under water.
With nothing left to do we chose to evacuate the site, driving through rather deep water to make it to higher ground.
The following day upon our return to work you never have known that the plant had been inundated with water, except for the huge clean up that still continues a couple of weeks later.
The proceeding days had been ones of constant rain with the surrounding areas being at saturation point. On the Monday, extremely heavy rain began to fall early in the morning and it didn’t seem to let up. By midday the grassed areas contained within the plant had begun to pool and the creek, which runs down the back of the plant, had turned into a raging torrent.
As we sat and had our lunch we watched in amazement as the floodwaters rose that fast that we quickly had to go and rescue cars and personal items before they were engulfed in the floodwaters. We laughed and joked about the rain earlier in the day, but now laughter had been replaced with shock and surprise.The water engulfed all driveways, grassed areas, sheds, admin offices and soon galleries. In vain we attempted to sandbag doorways and roller doors but it was no use. The gallery sumps couldn’t keep up with the volume of water and eventually pumps and motors downstairs all went under water.
With nothing left to do we chose to evacuate the site, driving through rather deep water to make it to higher ground.
The following day upon our return to work you never have known that the plant had been inundated with water, except for the huge clean up that still continues a couple of weeks later.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Swiftwater Rescue Multi Agency Training Day
On the 9th March 2011 Twenty-one (21) Illawarra Emergency Service members participated in a Multi Agency Swiftwater Rescue training day. The activity was the first of its kind held at the Penrith Whitewater facility.
Members from attended the day;
· Police Rescue Squad - Illawarra
· NSW Ambulance Service – Illawarra
· State Emergency Service – Wollongong
· State Emergency Service – Kiama
· State Emergency Service – ISC Region
With not every agency having ‘Level 3 technicians’ the day proved very successful in sharing various rescue techniques, skills and knowledge that may be used in future operations together.
Some of the skills and techniques undertaken on the day were;
· Defensive and Offensive swimming
· Rescue rope work
· Live bait rescues
· Tensioned diagonal rescues
· Shallow water crossings
· Foot entrapment
The day concluded with all members participating in a free swim around the whitewater course. Feedback from all participants was very positive and rewarding. All Services voiced their approval and interest in future activities.
Members from attended the day;
· Police Rescue Squad - Illawarra
· NSW Ambulance Service – Illawarra
· State Emergency Service – Wollongong
· State Emergency Service – Kiama
· State Emergency Service – ISC Region
With not every agency having ‘Level 3 technicians’ the day proved very successful in sharing various rescue techniques, skills and knowledge that may be used in future operations together.
Some of the skills and techniques undertaken on the day were;· Defensive and Offensive swimming
· Rescue rope work
· Live bait rescues
· Tensioned diagonal rescues
· Shallow water crossings
· Foot entrapment
The day concluded with all members participating in a free swim around the whitewater course. Feedback from all participants was very positive and rewarding. All Services voiced their approval and interest in future activities.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Cyclone Yasi
On the 3rd Feb 2011 Cyclone Yasi impacted on FNQLD. This category 5 cyclone packed winds of up to 290km/hr. It crossed the coast at Mission Beach before moving inland. Some of the more effected areas included Tully and Cardwell where communities had houses destroyed, essential services cut and many crops were destroyed.
On the 4th Feb a taskforce of 100 NSW SES members flew out to assist the residents of FNQLD. Arriving in Cairns the first thing that hit me was the humidity. I’m one of those people who love the heat but the humidity was a real surprise. Our first night was in the Lakes Resort at Cairns. In between briefings and relaxing in the pool I managed to duck out and grab a local cache.
Bright an early the next morning we were on a bus heading to Tully and Cardwell. As we headed south the magnitude of the cyclone became evident. Banana crops were destroyed, massive advertising signs beside the highway were blown over like match sticks, houses and sheds randomly destroyed. Once in Tully the full extent was witnessed, massive trees were uprooted, nearly every house suffered some form of damage. Cane trains were piled up like mangled pieces of metal while power lines littered the roads. Yet amongst all of the carnage the locals and the Army went about cleaning up.
Further down the coast and we made our way into Cardwell. Most of the time this sleepy hollow is a picture postcard with the Pacific Ocean on one side of the road, with parks and a few shops dotting the highway. Many in our taskforce could draw on previous experience to explain the beauty that once was this place. Now it was a town near completely destroyed. A 3m storm surge and 200km/hr winds had reeked havoc here. The highway was blocked by a metre of sand on it. Houses and business’s had roofs lifted off and water inundation. Many homes were only shells with nothing left inside. Power lines, bus shelters, trees and furniture littered every road. But already there were signs of repair. Large power poles, transformers and heavy earth moving equipment were arriving in town.
The local RSL would be our base for the next few days and we quickly established a command post. What remained of the first day was spent doing recon, before any work could start a picture of the damage had to ascertained. I was fortunate enough to elevated to strike team leader of sector south. It was here that my sector would witness destruction on a mass scale. Sector South was the home of Hinchinbrook Mariner and the multi-million dollar homes.
With rain still falling we made our way into the field and were faced with scenes previously unseen before. Some residents had already started the massive clean up while other homes looked deserted. As we made our way around the streets words can’t describe some of the scenes. Multi million dollar mansions had been totally trashed, mud littered the floors of every house, cyclone roofs were holed like pin cushions, fenced and palm trees were flattened, which in itself was dangerous cause that meant the local crocodiles could roam freely.
It wasn’t long before we set eyes on the mariner and it was here that the full extent of damage was seen. The cyclone and storm surge had totally destroyed the mariner. Hundreds of boats were either on the bottom of the harbour, on top of other boats or washed up into residents’ yards. This was a scene unfathomable and unbelievable. The cost of peoples loss in this area was beyond comprehension. After the initial shock we continued about our business and by days end we had recon’d the whole area.
Our day’s adventure wasn’t over yet as our accommodation details had been revised and we now had to drive back to Innisfail. It was here that we finally got a bed for the night, in the local showground, specifically the horse pavilion. It certainly wasn’t the 5 star resort of the previous night but it was fitting to the situation we’d witnessed today.
The following day and subsequent 2 days were pretty much 3 days of standard storm damage callouts. The only difference being that every house in our southern sector was of the massive scale and we had very limited tools to undertake any repairs. My 7-team strike force shared 2 chainsaws, 2 ladders and 3 RSK’s amongst them, we didn’t have a hammer, nails or tilers batten. But we made the best of what we had and every resident was appreciative of the job we did. While the work wasn’t hard, it was hard working in the unfamiliar humidity.
As we navigated our way around the wealthy streets of Hinchinbrook Estate it was easy to see “what money can buy”. Some of the houses we visited were 3-storey, multiple bathroom and bedrooms, full size billiard tables, swimming pools and indoor spas were a common feature, then there was the water craft that adorned every house. This place was right out of the “lifestyles of the rich and famous” and here we were helping fix their houses.
In the following days, heavy machinery started arriving at the mariner and the arduous task of recovering the damaged boats begun. Many of the boats were loaded onto semi trailers and carted around to the nearby dry-dock while various vessels did their bit to drag other boats back into the water. It’s a sight I wont forget for a long time to come.
Away from the mariner 2 of my strike teams worked their way through an acreage style estate where there had been mass tree job style damage. This was another unique experience as every tree had been stripped bare by the cyclonic winds. Trees that appeared to have survived a bushfire were in actual fact sticks left standing, leaves stripped by the cyclone.
By the end of our 5th day, many of our taskforce were looking forward to heading home. The heat had taken its toll on a few members and after driving back to Cairns, we were treated to a final night at the Lakes Resort.
Our adventure had one final twist to it. As we departed for Cairns airport we were informed that the wealthy mining magnate “Clive Palmer” had offered to fly us all back to Sydney on his personal jet as a sign of gratitude for the fantastic job we’d done in supporting the victims of Cyclone Yasi. What a great gesture it was and a very memorable flight.
To conclude I’d like to thank the guys of my strike force team who my job so much easier. You guys are the real heroes.
On the 4th Feb a taskforce of 100 NSW SES members flew out to assist the residents of FNQLD. Arriving in Cairns the first thing that hit me was the humidity. I’m one of those people who love the heat but the humidity was a real surprise. Our first night was in the Lakes Resort at Cairns. In between briefings and relaxing in the pool I managed to duck out and grab a local cache.
Bright an early the next morning we were on a bus heading to Tully and Cardwell. As we headed south the magnitude of the cyclone became evident. Banana crops were destroyed, massive advertising signs beside the highway were blown over like match sticks, houses and sheds randomly destroyed. Once in Tully the full extent was witnessed, massive trees were uprooted, nearly every house suffered some form of damage. Cane trains were piled up like mangled pieces of metal while power lines littered the roads. Yet amongst all of the carnage the locals and the Army went about cleaning up.Further down the coast and we made our way into Cardwell. Most of the time this sleepy hollow is a picture postcard with the Pacific Ocean on one side of the road, with parks and a few shops dotting the highway. Many in our taskforce could draw on previous experience to explain the beauty that once was this place. Now it was a town near completely destroyed. A 3m storm surge and 200km/hr winds had reeked havoc here. The highway was blocked by a metre of sand on it. Houses and business’s had roofs lifted off and water inundation. Many homes were only shells with nothing left inside. Power lines, bus shelters, trees and furniture littered every road. But already there were signs of repair. Large power poles, transformers and heavy earth moving equipment were arriving in town.
The local RSL would be our base for the next few days and we quickly established a command post. What remained of the first day was spent doing recon, before any work could start a picture of the damage had to ascertained. I was fortunate enough to elevated to strike team leader of sector south. It was here that my sector would witness destruction on a mass scale. Sector South was the home of Hinchinbrook Mariner and the multi-million dollar homes.
With rain still falling we made our way into the field and were faced with scenes previously unseen before. Some residents had already started the massive clean up while other homes looked deserted. As we made our way around the streets words can’t describe some of the scenes. Multi million dollar mansions had been totally trashed, mud littered the floors of every house, cyclone roofs were holed like pin cushions, fenced and palm trees were flattened, which in itself was dangerous cause that meant the local crocodiles could roam freely.
It wasn’t long before we set eyes on the mariner and it was here that the full extent of damage was seen. The cyclone and storm surge had totally destroyed the mariner. Hundreds of boats were either on the bottom of the harbour, on top of other boats or washed up into residents’ yards. This was a scene unfathomable and unbelievable. The cost of peoples loss in this area was beyond comprehension. After the initial shock we continued about our business and by days end we had recon’d the whole area.
Our day’s adventure wasn’t over yet as our accommodation details had been revised and we now had to drive back to Innisfail. It was here that we finally got a bed for the night, in the local showground, specifically the horse pavilion. It certainly wasn’t the 5 star resort of the previous night but it was fitting to the situation we’d witnessed today.
The following day and subsequent 2 days were pretty much 3 days of standard storm damage callouts. The only difference being that every house in our southern sector was of the massive scale and we had very limited tools to undertake any repairs. My 7-team strike force shared 2 chainsaws, 2 ladders and 3 RSK’s amongst them, we didn’t have a hammer, nails or tilers batten. But we made the best of what we had and every resident was appreciative of the job we did. While the work wasn’t hard, it was hard working in the unfamiliar humidity.
As we navigated our way around the wealthy streets of Hinchinbrook Estate it was easy to see “what money can buy”. Some of the houses we visited were 3-storey, multiple bathroom and bedrooms, full size billiard tables, swimming pools and indoor spas were a common feature, then there was the water craft that adorned every house. This place was right out of the “lifestyles of the rich and famous” and here we were helping fix their houses.
In the following days, heavy machinery started arriving at the mariner and the arduous task of recovering the damaged boats begun. Many of the boats were loaded onto semi trailers and carted around to the nearby dry-dock while various vessels did their bit to drag other boats back into the water. It’s a sight I wont forget for a long time to come.
Away from the mariner 2 of my strike teams worked their way through an acreage style estate where there had been mass tree job style damage. This was another unique experience as every tree had been stripped bare by the cyclonic winds. Trees that appeared to have survived a bushfire were in actual fact sticks left standing, leaves stripped by the cyclone.
By the end of our 5th day, many of our taskforce were looking forward to heading home. The heat had taken its toll on a few members and after driving back to Cairns, we were treated to a final night at the Lakes Resort.
Our adventure had one final twist to it. As we departed for Cairns airport we were informed that the wealthy mining magnate “Clive Palmer” had offered to fly us all back to Sydney on his personal jet as a sign of gratitude for the fantastic job we’d done in supporting the victims of Cyclone Yasi. What a great gesture it was and a very memorable flight.
To conclude I’d like to thank the guys of my strike force team who my job so much easier. You guys are the real heroes.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
U2 360° Tour
In the scheme of things I haven’t been a U2 fan for that long, maybe 8 years or so, but in that time I’ve grown to love their music and have managed to see this great Irish band twice now.
In Nov 2006 I saw them as they toured the world as part of their Vertigo Tour. I took the extraordinary lengths of camping outside the ticketek office in Wollongong to ensure I got a ticket after their first show sold out in minutes. Back then, the concert was my first at the ANZ stadium and I along with 80000 other’s weren’t disappointed with their performance.
This year U2 announced they were returning Australia as part of their 3600 Tour. Once again I took the extraordinary lengths of camping out to ensure my seat. I was the first in line as tickets went on sale and was very pleased to secure 2 A-reserved seats.
On the 13th Dec, Leonie and I headed up to the ANZ stadium to see U2 once again. We were blown away by the amazing stage, which is where the tour obviously gets its name, nicknamed the “Claw” this 4-legged amphitheatre towers high above the band. It has revolving screens and walkways linking a 360° platform.
As with the previous concert, the boys didn’t disappoint. They played plenty of their renowned famous old songs along with a mix of new stuff. Fortunately my favourite song “Beautiful Day” was amongst them. For 2.5 hours the band rocked out song after song, they dazzled the crowd with an amazing lighting and sound spectacular and only after 3 encores did they finally close the curtain on a great night.
Thank you U2, for an awesome concert.
In Nov 2006 I saw them as they toured the world as part of their Vertigo Tour. I took the extraordinary lengths of camping outside the ticketek office in Wollongong to ensure I got a ticket after their first show sold out in minutes. Back then, the concert was my first at the ANZ stadium and I along with 80000 other’s weren’t disappointed with their performance.
This year U2 announced they were returning Australia as part of their 3600 Tour. Once again I took the extraordinary lengths of camping out to ensure my seat. I was the first in line as tickets went on sale and was very pleased to secure 2 A-reserved seats. On the 13th Dec, Leonie and I headed up to the ANZ stadium to see U2 once again. We were blown away by the amazing stage, which is where the tour obviously gets its name, nicknamed the “Claw” this 4-legged amphitheatre towers high above the band. It has revolving screens and walkways linking a 360° platform.
As with the previous concert, the boys didn’t disappoint. They played plenty of their renowned famous old songs along with a mix of new stuff. Fortunately my favourite song “Beautiful Day” was amongst them. For 2.5 hours the band rocked out song after song, they dazzled the crowd with an amazing lighting and sound spectacular and only after 3 encores did they finally close the curtain on a great night.Thank you U2, for an awesome concert.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
V8 Supercars – Sydney 2010
This year’s Telstra 500 had a little more hype associated with it than last year, because this round would decide the championship. James Courtney had a slim lead of defending champion Jamie Whincup and nether team could sit back and watch what the other would do.
As with last year I headed up on the Saturday to par-take in the days’ activities. Cloudy skies with the forecast of rain were expected, this coupled with rain over the past few days had kept teams guessing on race setup. As we arrived on track the heavens had opened making the Fujitsu V8 cars very unstable as they tried to qualify for their race.
We watched a few laps before heading through some of the pavilions and onto the pits where we were amazed to see the biggest indoor pit garage I’ve ever seen. The pit pavilion housed 8+ B-double racecar transporters plus a double pit bay for each team, all this in air-conditioned comfort. It was great to get up close to the teams as they worked on their cars. Over the day we saw an engine change, some panel repairs and various other minor improvements.
As the race drew close we made our way around to “turn 11” which is at the back of the train station and is at the end of a 600m straight. We had a position right on the fence, which proved to be very entertaining.
The race started as per the script and from our position we got to witness numerous cars clip the concrete barriers, various overtaking manoeuvrers and a good 180deg spin. The race was marred with a number of pace car incidents that kept the racing exciting. Late in the race the weather played a big part in the outcome of the race and the championship with a downpour of rain catching most of the field on slick tyres, as the track became a skating rink. The resulting accidents and carnage saw over half the field retire from the race. Those that had played Russian roulette with the weather and gambled on wet tyres came to the front, giving rookie driver Jonathon Webb his first race win.
As always the V8’s proved to be very entertaining with the Sydney venue being a great spectacle.
As with last year I headed up on the Saturday to par-take in the days’ activities. Cloudy skies with the forecast of rain were expected, this coupled with rain over the past few days had kept teams guessing on race setup. As we arrived on track the heavens had opened making the Fujitsu V8 cars very unstable as they tried to qualify for their race.
We watched a few laps before heading through some of the pavilions and onto the pits where we were amazed to see the biggest indoor pit garage I’ve ever seen. The pit pavilion housed 8+ B-double racecar transporters plus a double pit bay for each team, all this in air-conditioned comfort. It was great to get up close to the teams as they worked on their cars. Over the day we saw an engine change, some panel repairs and various other minor improvements.
As the race drew close we made our way around to “turn 11” which is at the back of the train station and is at the end of a 600m straight. We had a position right on the fence, which proved to be very entertaining.
The race started as per the script and from our position we got to witness numerous cars clip the concrete barriers, various overtaking manoeuvrers and a good 180deg spin. The race was marred with a number of pace car incidents that kept the racing exciting. Late in the race the weather played a big part in the outcome of the race and the championship with a downpour of rain catching most of the field on slick tyres, as the track became a skating rink. The resulting accidents and carnage saw over half the field retire from the race. Those that had played Russian roulette with the weather and gambled on wet tyres came to the front, giving rookie driver Jonathon Webb his first race win.
As always the V8’s proved to be very entertaining with the Sydney venue being a great spectacle.
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