One Last Exploration

On my train ride to and from work twice a week I would pass Waverton Station, which has a big sign for Balls Head. After all the times I saw the sign and snickered, smirked or snorted at the name, I finally looked up Balls Head the last week I was there.


Balls Head is a little reserve in North Sydney with walking trails and picnic spots. I decided it’s be a great last exploration with my friend Becky.


It was a beautiful day so we wanted to enjoy the early winter sun. We wanted to do something we hadn’t done before, though I thought it’d be good to say goodbye to Sydney’s familiar spots.


Balls Head is right on the water a few stops over the Harbour Bridge so we got a new view of the Opera House and the skyline. It was a perfect panorama from North Sydney over the Harbour Bridge to the CBD and Darling Harbour, across the Anzac Bridge to Balmain and Rozelle.


It was a nice little walk and a fitting end to our adventures.

Sydney Weddings

One of our hobbies in Sydney was taking photos of people taking wedding photos. Sydney is one of the most scenic cities I’ve seen, and there are just so many great spots to serve as your matrimonial backdrop. Argyle Park in the Rocks is a common spot.




So are the Botanical Gardens.


And just outside the Domain.




Balmoral is lovely.




As were these spots near the beach in Terrigal.




Of course, there’s nothing wrong with iconic either.


(The last shot, probably my favorite, was taken by my partner in crime, Becca.)

Last Fish Supper

The last dish I made in Sydney was fish in green curry. As I’ve said before, I never follow recipes to a tee. For this one I sautéed an onion and garlic in green curry paste, then added what seemed like appropriate amounts of chilies, ginger, lemongrass and lime zest.


I continued to add coconut milk until the whole thing wasn’t unbearably spicy.


I threw in bamboo shoots, bell pepper capsicum and green beans. I mostly cooked the angelfish separately so it wouldn’t absorb too much heat when I tossed it in the pot.


We didn’t do anything fancy presentation-wise, but the whole thing was tasty with just enough bite. The fish was perfect in texture and flavor, so I thank the woman at the fish market upstairs above Paddy’s Market for telling me which one to get.


The real star was dessert, custard-filled puffs from Puffy at upstairs Paddy’s. I could watch the workers at the custard machines fill those baked puff pastries all day. I bought a dozen, and let me tell you, best $16.80 I ever spent.