AUSTRALIA DAY 2011

After the recent natural disasters which have struck the country, I think everyone needed a fabulous Australia Day. The weather came to the party first, delivering a scorching day - the hottest Australia Day in 20 years. This was perfect because some sort of water activity (be it beach, pool or backyard sprinkler) is a must for most Australians.

We ourselves started off the day relaxing at home. The kids played in the backyard, enjoying their slip 'n' slide, playing soccer and searching for worms...which they found and named Willy and Jim as they relocated them to a new home in a pot plant...


The Slip 'n' Slide never gets old...



Clowning around



One day I'll get Thomas to not pull a face in a photo!

 

Daniel and his inside out bucket hat - very Australian!

 

Nonno playing with the boys



Willy or Jim?

No Australia Day is complete without a Barbie (barbeque for our overseas friends, not the long-legged impossibly proportioned plastic version), so that was next on the agenda. Nothing like it on a gorgeous Summer day...


BBQ King...except he burnt some lol

Lunch with my Mum and Dad...Thomas pulling a face as usual

Aussie Barbie staples - beer and sauce

We would have liked to have got in an afternoon nap, but that didn't quite happen. After cleaning ourselves up, we headed off to the city to have dinner at Darling Harbour. Flag waving, a walk along the harbour, pre-dinner ice-creams and roaming street performers - Sydney looked gorgeous!


Proud Aussies

Sydney Tower towers over the street performers

My in-law's, sister and brother in-law, niece and nephew joined us for a seafood feast at Criniti's... they'll probably kill me for adding photos of them! I didn't add the stair ones guys!!


Thomas and Sarah - Thomas, stop with the silly faces!!!

 

Jack and Daniel clowning around

 

Maria and Mario

 

My in-laws



Sarah and Sam

Me and Daniel



Our YUMMY seafood feast! 2 of these plus other food - we were stuffed!

We had to leave our prime position in the restaurant by 8pm and we were dreading standing amongst the crowds, but the waiter gave us permission to stand on a side balcony so we had perfect views. The kids got to sit and watch their first big fireworks display...and they loved it! I must admit, I was one of the people supporting a call to cancel the fireworks and give the money saved to Queensland flood relief funds...but when that didn't look like happening, I thought I may as well enjoy them properly :) The display actually started with remembering the many volunteers and professionals saving lives and helping out in flood regions...

 

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi



Guess who "konked" out on the way home??



On a political note, I think the reason many indigenous Australians are opposed to or upset by Australia Day is the date it is celebrated. January 26th is the anniversary of white settlement. But I would venture to say that most Australians, young and old and from all corners of the globe, don't even give that fact a second thought on Australia Day. The day is all about barbies, sand and surf, partying and a PUBLIC HOLIDAY! It's simply about celebrating living in the greatest country on Earth - a land of freedom, where anyone can work hard and get ahead... And perhaps it's because those freedoms and easy going lifestyle have been eroded a bit over the past decade, that suddenly AUSTRALIA DAY means more and is celebrated more patriotically than ever before.

For all our hardships, I think we still live in the lucky country. We are blessed. And hey, now that Oprah's broadcast it, the whole world knows it too ;)

Happy Australia Day!

Hope you all had a good one!