I had to attend SPIE in Canberra in December. I decided to fly to Sydney and drive down to Canberra, allowing me to touch a few bases at either end of the conference.
I visited Denis in the morning, and then drove through Newtown.
As I approached, the weather turned from sunny to thunderous,
as it can do in Sydney.
By the time I got to Chelmsford Street it was raining so hard
traffic was pulling over and windscreen wipers whipped as fast
as they could on all the cars.
I snapped this picture just passing St Peters, with thunderclouds chasing out
the sunny Summer day.
En route to maison Taubman-Quick, and with the weather again
sunny, I halted in Centennial Park.
I used to catch fish in the lake below this bridge when I was a kid.
I went there with Kay and Amelia in 1998, as you see here.
Amelia has grown up a lot since then, well
maybe.
I stayed one brief night with Andrew and Di in their fabulously renovated terrace
in Queens Park. Light, modern and stony in the rear, while original and woody
in the front, this 3-story house has a view that allows one to see
the buildings of UNSW and UTS, and were it not for intervening
buildings, SU and, on a clear day, all the way to the Blue Mountains
and the buildings of UWS as well. Close to rail and Bondi Junction,
it is rather super.
Brought back warm terrace-house memories.
Next morning I departed Queens Park, and discovering that
I was quite close to Bronte Beach, where I lived when I was 6,
I decided on a brief pilgrimage to the park across the road from
where I lived in Marine Drive. Bronte park had hardly changed
in 45 years.
In the vein of innovative playgear in the Antipodes,
as noted in our Wellington
trip,
I photographed this spectacular pedal-powered swing.
How odd that it should be the Americans who are more likely to
have to push their kids in the park!
As I approached Canberra I drove past Lake George. As usual it was dry, with animals grazing...
At ANU I found myself near Bruce Hall where I stayed in about 1974
as part of a mathematics camp. All those years ago,
in that place, I met some fellow called Eric Mills.
Kent's three horsemen met yet again on the conference turf.
The return drive from Canberra involved yet another startling downpour,
but I arrived safe and dry at the abode of that same Eric Mills.
This picture is classic thinking Mills.
That night I was taken out to dinner by Dr Blockley and his
lady Susanna. The Observatory is on a par with Tetsuya's even if
it does not have the same reputation.
It's also good to be taken there by customers so regular that
they get welcomed by the chef.
The next day saw visits to maison Carnovale (keep taking the medicine, guys) and to various shops and restaurants in the range of Hotel Mills. This counted as a rest.
On my last day I had arranged to meet Godfrey
for lunch in Newtown. After a little shopping for materials such
as Jimmy's Sate and hemp trousers, we had a very nice Thai
and talked antennas and people.
I had missed Ian and Vicki narrowly at Andrew and Di's place,
but I got a dash of their company as I oscillated about Newtown.
This is classic thinking Chapman.