Homebush Bound

It's Sunday night of the Queen's Birthday weekend in Sydney and surprisingly, there's little to do. No major events, no fairs or festivals and apart from a very cosy bonfire last night, there's little to report. Although I have to say, living on acreage has it's advantages. All you need is a Hazard Reduction Certificate from the Rural Fire Service during winter months and we can enjoy a little pile burn and campfire fun. After all the rain of the past two weeks, this one took some lighting but once 'embery' provided hours of cosiness and reminiscences.

The wet tinder proved a bit of a challenge to get ignition going

The 'firestarter' soon had it toasty

True to my "If I have nothing on, I'm going to do something every Sunday" rule, we pretty much eased out of bed this morning. Adam is planning an explosive start to our big bonfire and spent the day playing with toilet rolls and explosives. Clare's date cried shy due to long working hours and the onset of a virus so we decided after the Million Paws Walk, that we'd take another look at Olympic Park's walking trails.

We weren't too disappointed although the whole site, once a munitions dump, marshy toxic wasteland and home to the Homebush Abattoir . .it's not a bad site full of cycle tracks and parks and barbecue areas. We parked in one of the many parking bays, chucked the pooch on a lead and walked for God knows how many kms but the sun shone briefly and barbecues smelled of onions and enjoyed the day . . here's a glimpse . . .It was really chilly today but the sun shone briefly . . .

The last remaining buildings of what was once Homebush Abattoir, then the site for the Olympic Coordination Committee (for whom I worked in that very building for a short temp stint in 1996) and now the Visitor's centre.


Pretty fountains on the main Stadium Concourse

Despite the modernity there are still fantastic Moreton Bay figs . .and Clare . . and Lily

What's the point of a 'lookout' when you surround the platform with wooden slats . .

Skateboarders enjoyed the spray fountain and nobody seemed to mind

Don't you love the look on her face . . Chess at the overflow

What was once toxic waste is now frog ponds for the rare
Green and Gold Bell Frog, they were mighty quiet today!\

The remnants of the Olympic Cauldron now a fountain and great fun
to ride your bike around amid the shower of spray.

Not at all sure what relevance a wire centaur has outside the showground

This is a circular walkway around the old Brick Pit . . we couldn't walk on it because we had a dog and they're not allowed but I think it's like a 'whispering wall' where you can hear conversations from the other side of the circle.


And one of the sad things about the site . . a young girl remembered - crushed in the mosh pit at a Limp Bizkit concert is remembered by the promoters. The only little shrine on the entire site. If only she hadn't taken Ecstasy, her heart might have withstood the crush.

Nah . .not dead . . just dog tired!