Blue Groper

We've had a glorious couple of days weather in Sydney, despite forecasts warning of storms and showers. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that the rain only materialises when it comes directly from Manchester airport, as it poured down when Kath and Annette arrived and did exactly the same when my step brother flew back in earlier this week.

Now you might be wondering why Darren never appears to be at work recently and that's because I forgot to mention that he's been on annual leave since last Wednesday; a period of leave we'd hoped to use for a trip to New Zealand, that was until we realised that dragging Ella round the north and south islands looking at glaciers probably wasn't the relaxing holiday we wanted. And anyway, we can't afford to go, the holiday coffers having been well and truly emptied now I've given up my job.

And why pay for accomodation elsewhere when we've got this flat near Sydney's beaches? I've seen lovely beaches all over Australia but still you'd have to go some way to beat the ones here in the city, especially the ones with adjacent tea rooms.

Yesterday we went over to the north shore, to the harbour beach at Chowder Bay, which is directly across the water from Shark Beach. Like Shark Beach, it has both a tea room and a restaurant, but unlike Shark Beach, it also has a newly-built playground at Clifton Gardnens, so it was a hit with Ella. It's good to be in Sydney in this sort of weather; optimistic. And it's good to still find ourselves in the process of discovering new beaches and bays, the ones on the north shore of the harbour being more tricky to visit when Darren's on call from home because they're further away form the airport, so with summer offically beginning on Saturday, we have a whole load of new exploring to do.

Today we were child-free so we went snorkelling off the rocks at Clovelly, where I spotted an enormous Blue Groper like the one in the picture; the sort of fish you'd be pleased to spot anywhere along the barrier reef. And then I got out of the water and spotted the surf lifesavers attending to a bloke who'd collapsed on the side of the rocks so I alerted Batman to the situation and he came steaming out of the water in his snorkelling gear, like a regular action-hero.

So now we have Action Man Snorkel to add to Action Man Helicopter. I just can't decide which one to get him for Christmas.