We interrupt the sculpture exhibition....

...to celebrate thae most magnificent of Sydney seasonal events - November's display of jacaranda blooms. They are everywhere. If you stand at a high point, whichever direction you look there is this glorious display of mauve. This tree is on my walk to the station. Here it was in 2006, and this is what the jacarandas looked like elsewhere in 2007: click here. And here's the jacaranda in the main quad at Sydney Uni.

Wattle

One of the native harbingers of spring is the wattle. This is golden wattle (acacia pycnantha), Australia's floral emblem. It was introduced to the northern hemisphere in the 1800s.

Wattle is sometimes called "Mimosa", and in fact my house name is "Mimosa" (it had that name from when it was built about 100 years ago)

September 1 is officially designated National Wattle Day (I'm a bit late this year!). Australia's sporting colours are green and gold, apparently derived from the wattle.

Wattle, though not specifically the Golden Wattle, is also depicted on the Australian Coat of Arms.

Spring is sprung

On 2 Sep, ie 8 days ago I showed you the dental hospital with London plane trees (Sydney's predominant street planting). I said they were just strating to come into leaf. Now a week later, look how far the plane trees have come! These aren't the same ones, but about 100m away along the same stretch of Elizabeth St. I took this photo this morning.

Afternoon sun

This bougainvillea blooms throughout a sunny winter, though the blossoms will become more abundant as we move towards spring and summer.

Ice creams in winter

It's slow trade right now, cos it's pretty cold. Still, sometimes, perversely, I quite like a cold drink or ice cream on a cold day. Do you?

Belmore Park and Central Railway Station, winter

Autumn morning, Arncliffe Park

White chairs, autumn leaves

As autumn digs in, and cool winds strip the leaves from the plane trees, it's a bit cold for outdoor cafe life.

Last swim for this summer?

I can't describe how beautiful today is - a tiny breeze, air temperature about 26 (no Adelaide like heatwave), not too humid, fresh-smelling, sea temperature about 22-24. Just a little "bracing" as you slowly immerse yourself, but as we say in our house BOYGI - "boy-gee" - Beautiful Once You get In.

This morning my son and I headed down to Oak Park at Cronulla for a swim. That's him with his towel around his neck - he's just washed off his thongs. That's a beginner's scuba diving class in the middle ground just outside the rock pool, and Bundeena and the Royal National Park across Port Hacking in the background.

Temperatures are predicted to fall for Easter, though sea swimming is usually pretty good in Sydney up until mid-April.

For more pictures of Oak Park, taken in January, click here.

Hot Summer Night

As I write this, my son is playing video games with his friends in their open-doored garage across the road. A great place to be on a hot summer night!

Swimming can include everyone

Still at Cronulla. Another of the rock pools - there are about four along this short stretch of coast. Behind me is a large, shady, green park where lots of families were having picnics and barbecues and playing games from cricket to soccer.

Swimming and learning to swim is such an important part of Australian life and culture than many traditional Muslim women are taking part by wearing a "burquini" - designed by an Australian, Ahead Zanetti. You can see a woman in this photo wearing one. They have been adopted by the Surf Life Saving Association for Muslim women members - see article here

Here's an article about Mecca Laa Laa on patrol at North Cronulla beach. (My sister taught Mecca).

Personally, I love to feel the water on my skin and would feel too restricted, but, hey, if it helps some young women learn to swim, interact with their children in the water, and feel comfortable and culturally included, more power to them.

There's lots more pictures of Shelly beach, here on my "Swimming" blog.

Slip! Slop! Slap! (and Wrap)

This is one of my favourite positions for summer.

'Slip-Slop-Slap' is the name for a campaign in Australia exhorting people to "slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat" when they go out into the sun in order to prevent skin cancer. It is probably Australia's most recognisable health message

The campaign started in 1981 and its mascot is a seagull called Sid. (See Sid here). The campaign included advertisements and a jingle and has been adopted universally as part of SunSmart campaigning. As a result the incidence of skin cancer in Australia has decreased.

The health campaign was extended in later years to encourage the use of sunglasses. That is, slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on some sunnies: "Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap". By this stage however the skin cancer aware message of the campaign had successfully been absorbed into the Australian psyche and "slip, slop slap, wrap" was neither as memorable or as necessary as its precursor. (Source: Wikipedia)

Most primary schools require hats to be worn when kids are playing outside. They have a "no hat, no play" policy.

More than all that, though, we're exhorted to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Australia still has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. About 280,000 skin cancers are diagnosed each year in Australia including about 8,000 melanomas, the most dangerous form. Each year 1,200 Australians die from skin cancer. Here's all the facts and figures from the Cancer Council.

Some people from overseas have commented about the tops that everyone wears to swim in (see yesterday's photos, and there's one over the deck chair in this one). They're called "rash vests" (or, inevitably, "rashies" in Australianese). They were first worn by surfers, in conditions when a wetsuit isn't needed, to prevent chest rashes developing from the wax on their boards. Now they are a staple part of beachwear, in order to prevent sunburn.

An Aussie summer

At this time of year, the lazy days of January, Australians in droves decamp to the beach. So has Sydney Daily Photo. Here are some of the essential ingredients: an umbrella for shade, clothing to cover up from the ozone-hole strength sun, board shorts and rash vests, boogie boards and beach cricket. (That brown house nestling a third of the way up the cliff in the background, with the log cabins in front, belongs to Nicole Kidman and family). This is a really busy day on "my beach" !

On the Beach

Time for summer holidays!

Hats and thongs

Essential accessories for the Australian summer

Spring is here

Last year I noted the arrival of spring by posting about Wattle Day (1 September).

In Australia (and New Zealand?) the conventional Northern Hemisphere seasonal names begin on the first of each month: 1 September - Spring; 1 December - Summer; 1 March - Autumn; 1 June - Winter. The reason for doing it that way reather than by equinox and solstice is a bit hazy. There is one story about colonial soldiers changing from wionter to summer uniforms on 1 Sep and vice versa on 1 March.

Anyway, in much of Australia, it's all entirely meaningless anyway, because the seasons don't necessarily resemble the conventional European ones much. Traditional Aboriginal people had a very sophisticated understanding and depending where they lived identified numerous seasonal variations. Up in tropical Darwin/Kakadu and surrounds, there are 6 named seasons, for example.

Whatever, I always know spring is coming by mid August when I get my first waft of jasmine scent. The jasmine growing over my side fence is well and truly in bloom now, though the Japanese maple will take a while longer to come fully into leaf (it's still got a few of last year's clinging on too!).