By Charley on April 11, 2012
Muddy, brown swirling flood waters. Semi submerged flotsam and jetsam from way upstream. Deceptive currents invisible on the surface but strong enough to sweep away the humble tinny. Best head to the coast then, beyond where the rivers expel their coffee coloured dregs and where the magnitude of the Pacific surf has the power to wash away and dilute the murky masses of water that empty into it. Floods punctuated the close of a Sydney summer that never really was. Thank goodness for Rock pools, their crystal clear waters renewed daily by a fresh tide that inundates it. Perfect for exploring whatever the weather.
Mesmerised….
Emerald city….
Pretty shells all in a row…
King Neptune’s necklace…
A rose petal bubble shell (very exciting find!)..
Pipeline..
Sea urchin…
Sticking…
Potholes…
Mr Pincy…
at the kiosk..
Someone else’s sandcastle
What did you do last summer? 
Posted in Beaches, Beautiful Things, Fur, Feathers, Foliage Tagged #playoutdoors, #rockpooling, #rosepetalbubbleshell, #southcronulla
By Charley on December 16, 2011
There just hasn’t been time for blogging these past few months. If I took a photo everyday you’d be looking at a whole pile of cardboard boxes and a lot of sweat and swearing. Here’s what the good bits looked like instead (whilst I relocate my writing mojo…)
A trip to Bundeena to escape the packing…



Lots of takeaway…
A wedding by the sea…




Farewell to Brighton Le Sands…but we’ll be back..

She sells sea shells…a 4th birthday..
Getting stuck into the George’s River..
Rhubarb after her first foray into the mangroves…
Something we’re pondering (because we don’t already have enough renovations in the pipeline)
The last few months have passed at break neck speed and we are now finally looking forward to a long lazy summer holiday (if the summer weather ever decides to make an appearance!). I will be mostly eating cheese and cherries, heading out in the tinny, catching up on some good books and dipping my toe into some ocean swimming like I promised. Oh and finding my blogging mojo from under the packing boxes :). How will you spend yours?
Posted in Beautiful Things Tagged #playoutdoors, #wedding by the sea, Bundeena Ferry, Mermaids
By Charley on July 8, 2011
{this moment}: A Friday photo tradition with Soulemama. One moment from this week, one that you want to hang onto and not forget. No words. And if you’re a blogger playing along, please leave your link!

Godrevy Light, Cornwall
I was sent this lovely photo postcard this week from a dear friend in sunny Cornwall. Her photo, her moment, but shared with me it brought back memories of many happy moments of my own. Have a great weekend one and all.
Posted in Beautiful Things, This Moment Tagged Cornwall, Godrevy Light, Photo postcards, This moment
By Charley on June 29, 2011
Its not everyday you get invited to a 100th Birthday, but two in a fortnight is unheard of. I had the privilege this weekend of attending a celebration of 100 years of the beautifully restored classic yacht Uteikah II. It was on this yacht that I came across the nautical chart that inspired my post “The Magic of Maps”. She has been owned by a friend of the family for the last thirty years or so and has just undergone a complete restoration project which has taken more years than was anticipated, but the final restoration speaks for itself. She is a thing of great beauty and I had a job to put my camera down. 





The celebration included a blessing of the boat. I couldn’t hear much of the pastor’s words from my spot on the wharf but, depsite still being unsure of my own religious persuasion the occasion rather stirred the emotions. I think anyone who “goes down to the sea in ships” might relate to this. It seems fitting and right to launch a vessel with a prayer that might help her and her crew weather any storms that come their way. Sailors are a superstitious bunch. The occasion reminded me of going with my Dad to the blessing of the fishing fleet and the harvest of the sea service in Porthleven. My Dad would say he is not a deeply religious man at all but he often went along to these occasions.

Uteikah has a long and rich history which I won’t attempt to record here in any detail at all as I’d probably get it wrong. The celebration was made particularly special though, by the attendance of the son and grandson of Uteikah’s original owner. The former of which pipped Uteikah to the post and got his telegram from the Queen last year. How special for a man and a boat who have shared the same century to be reunited in this way. Sent a shiver down my spine.

To some people boats are just a means of transport; a collection of wood, metal and cloth that are fashioned together to float and move from place to place. But to a sailor, like the once in a lifetime family dog, some boats are a bit more special than others. They bind together the people who have sailed on them through their shared memories and voyages and they take on a personality of their own by absorbing the spirit that is borne out of life at sea.
I’d love to hear about a vessel that was special to you and any thoughts or recollections on faith and seafaring?
I took too many photos to label and comment on so here are the best in a gallery. See if you can spot Grandad Water’s chunk of cedar that was once a table, then a wireless casing and is now set for a new life at sea.
Posted in Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sailing Tagged 100th Birthdays, Cedar, Faith, Music of The Rippling Waters, Seafaring, Uteikah II
By Charley on June 15, 2011
Now and then every ship needs a bit of maintenance. Sand back the weathered edges, a bit of varnish, some new sails. Secret Water recently got a bit of a renovation with the addition of a beautiful custom banner by the talented children’s illustrator Cassandra Allen.
I first came across her work via Inner Pickle who had one on her lovely blog. I hopped over to Cassandra’s site and fell in love with the illustrations in “There Was An Old Sailor”.Mothers day approached so instead of chocolates, flowers and a spa treatment I asked for a new blog banner. This is perhaps further evidence to Reg’s argument that I have become a computer club nerd? Not really, I’m saving my pennies to buy the original painting to put in my new kitchen..if it ever gets built. I had to wait a few weeks and exchanged a few emails with Cassandra about colours, fonts and the angle and shape of Rhubarb’s ears blowing in the wind.

In case you hadnt twigged, the illustration includes some of my favourite people in the world. I think Cassandra has captured the essence of my blog perferctly.
What do you think?
Posted in Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam Tagged Blog banner, Cassandra Allen, childrens illustration, inner pickle
By Charley on June 6, 2011
Oh, where to start? As sad as I am to admit, when I check the BOM website these days I’m mainly interested in whether its going to rain or not (washing). Friday arvo web surfing at work used to be all about the Saturday Nor’ Easter (skiffs) or the Sunday Southerly Buster (CYC Winter series). This is why, having not checked the marine forecast, it was a pleasant surprise to find the surf conditions absolutely pumping off South Cronulla last Friday.

Surf's up!

Blown spume

Flung Spray

One more wave
I took the kids down to the beach to make sandcastles and rid myself of the cabin fever that was still lurking from Thursday and the working week.

King of the castle

Fort Banksia
The surf conditions had created that lovely aura of diffused winter light; rays of sunshine bursting through millions of almost invisible droplets thrown up by the spume.
Posted in Beaches, Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam, Fur, Feathers, Foliage Tagged Banksia, down by the sea, Oak Park, play outdoors, sea air, South Cronulla, water
By Charley on May 13, 2011
With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You’re a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite
Mary Poppins might be in Sydney town right now but she, nor anyone else, was down at Dolls Point yesterday. It was blowing a chilly Southerly so we decided to see if any of the regular kite surfing crowd had skipped work to take advantage of it. Sadly they were all at their desks so instead we shook the dust off ours and sent it up where the air was clear.

We're experiencing some technical issues

Ready for take off!

We have lift off!

Fist holding tight

Bye bye Bob!

Shadows on the sand

Up to the heighest height

Feet on the ground you're a bird in flight

Mums turn

Busy with other stuff

Foraging for food

Jonathon Livingstone turned up

Up in the Atmosphere

Just because

Feet firmly back on the ground
Wanna go? Put this in your diary
Festival of the Winds
Posted in Beaches, Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam Tagged Cool things to do with kids, Dolls Point, Festival of The Winds, Kites, Kiting
By Charley on May 8, 2011

Parked at Redjacks
Yesterday I described to Reg, the fantasy Mothers day that all mums imagine but which I now realise will never materialise. Funnily enough this fantasy was much like the one described by Kerri Sackville in the sunday paper today, which gave me a chuckle. In this fantasy I awake to a sparkling house, filled with fresh flowers, folded clothes, freshly brewed coffee and a gaggle of shiny clean smelling children waiting patiently to present some expensive jewellery and a voucher for the day spa. Previous posts may have unintentionally created the false impression that I lead a charmed nautical sort of life in which my house is kept in ship shape bristol fashion just like a boat, and that we just scoop up the kids and head out to sea to take pretty pictures as soon as the sun comes out and the tides are favourable. In the interests of keeping it real I was going to post a photo of the carnage that is our lounge room, just to disprove this notion, but luckily for you Reg put his foot down. Instead of the Hallmark fantasy Mothers day we shut the door on the mess and made our way to Redjacks Point to a super special picnic spot we came across this time last year. Jones number two loved her second trip out in the tinny with the arm flapping and squeaking proportional to the increase in speed as we left the 8 knot zone. The picnic fairy was on hand to look after the food….

Precious picnic cargo
We picniced (is that how you spell it?) on some salmon sangers and leftover roasted veggies with feta, washed down with thermos tea. I was kicking myself for not chilling some champers as the view certainly deserved it…

View to Lilli Pilli

Look up
A spot of fairy hunting to work up an appetite for pudding…..

MUST find fairies
We didnt see any actual fairies but we know they are there because we found these…..

Magic Toadstools
Followed up with a few sandcastles…..

Fort Locks

Aerial view
…spotted some strange looking jellyfish…

Jelly bean
A visit from our friend Percival….

Sir Percival
And time to head home….

Heading for Home
And that…is the last time I ever wish for the Hallmark fantasy Mothers day. How did you spend yours? 
Posted in Beaches, Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam, Tinny Tracks Tagged Fairies, Fantasy Mothers Day, Mothers Day, Red Jacks Point, Sandcastles, Sir Percival Pelican
By Charley on February 23, 2011

Stepping up to see the grand lady
A holiday on a cruise ship really isn’t my cup of tea. Perhaps when I’m ninety five and other options are becoming less accessible. However, I have nothing against those whose cup of tea it is, and I have to confess when one of the really grand Cunard vessels visits Sydney I can’t resist tripping down there to soak up the nautical magnificence that only a grand ocean liner can conjure, not to mention the people watching that goes with it. To my delight there were nautical stripes, deck shoes and gold braid aplenty as well as a few dinstiguished gents in blazers and panamas. Spiffing. Rather than view the grand lady leaving through a pair of binos from a lofty harbourside lookout I chose to get up close and personal, if only so I could get that tingly feeling when she blows her horn right in your ear. Harriet’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Here’s some snaps that resulted from a couple of pleasant hours loitering Quayside.
It was an overcast grey morning, but the colours worked well and the weather brought a certain Britishness to the occasion, as if any more was required!
Posted in Beautiful Things, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sailing Tagged Cruise Ships Sydney, Cunard, Cunard Line, Ocean Liners, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth Circular Quay, Queen Mary