Sydney on the Harbour

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go out on Sydney Harbour with my family and many others as guests of the Variety Club organization who provided a day for parents and carers of children with disabilities. I have been on Sydney harbour many, many times and yet the tour we had today was the absolute best I have been on. It took in every corner of the harbour and there were many opportunities for a snap happy guy like me. There was someone who died in the harbour an hour or more before we arrived and there were police everywhere. As you will see, they were in the air, on the ground and in the sea on boats and Sea Doo’s as well.




That sad note aside and judging by the amount of pleasure craft on the harbour, everyone was having a great time. The weather here was a lovely 28 degrees Celsius and the sky was a beautiful blue, the sun was out and so was everyone who lived near here.








It was hard to wipe the smile off my face as I looked around the harbour and photographed the different things I saw. I thought of how many people who would love to be here. I have many friends in the US and Europe who would love to be here in Sydney. I thought of photographers Ruby and Melissa from the US who would certainly like to drink in the life and beauty through the lens that Sydney offers. I am proud to live here. It is a great country and an even better city. It so happened that we positioned ourselves at the back of the Ferry boat which looks like the ferry you see below.

It just happened that it appeared to be the Arabic section of the boat as there were dozens of people who were seated there when we arrived. Not long after the ferry left the women were doing their vocal shrills with their tongues which is great. I can’t do it! They were singing and chanting to some music that they created by singing and tapping on the side of the ferry. It sounded Lebanese, as I have photographed a wedding or three that was Lebanese and it sounded similar. It was fun to watch them enjoying themselves, and it was easy to tap along with the beat they were creating and throughout the 75 minute ride around the harbour some of the teens yelled out to me saying “Hey Mr. take my picture!” I of course obliged. They never asked me how to get a copy of it, so I post them here. Apart from the can of drink they threw in the harbour that saddened me, they were great kids.

I got a picture of my first bird that was flying – that was sharp and clear in focus! I was so envious of Ruby’s bird photographs on a recent blog post a while ago, and whilst I have heaps of shots of birds I couldn’t get what she did. She did real good. I have achieved something close to that today though.

It may be interesting to note to people who read here that the two main areas of photography I have yet to have any significant success in, is lightning photography and pictures of the big full yellow moon that happens occasionally. I have even stood on someone’s flat roof at the height of a rain and thunderstorm with lightning flashing in the heavens around me, but because it was so cloudy when the lightning flashes came it lit up the whole sky, preventing me from getting an actual strike. On the few other occasions when I have seen the best lightning strikes, I have either been in a terrible geographic vantage to utilise any image or never had my camera when I was well positioned. It is a small bugbear of mine. The other one with taking shots of the big yellow moon is the same, never been in the right place at the right time. It is one of those things that I already know I will capture in a coming day and it will win awards. I guess it is like the fisherman who knows that he is going to come face to face with his scaled nemesis and win. That is how it will be for me.

In my quest to realise my hopes and dreams, a fellow traveller on life’s path told me recently that the universe could give me whatever I have the courage to ask for. I was told further that once I asked, the second part of “HOW” that would happen would be beyond my control and hence out of my hands. The third aspect to this amazing and interesting revelation is, that I would need to display my commitment to my request by living into that reality, by FEELING it as something that has already happened, and by basking in the feeling of that accomplishment. I figure I would experiment upon those words and see if they hold any kernels of truth for me. So, here goes. I want a Sydney Harbour home!!!!....and I believe!