Long Gully Bridge (Northbridge)

Long Gully Bridge has always been one of my favourite bridges in Sydney and it is quite close to where I live.

The bridge connects Northbridge with Cammeray, crossing the leafy gully above Flat Rock Creek and Tunks Park. Opened in January 1892, it was originally a steel suspension bridge, built by private developers to encourage residential development on the northern side. Its most distinctive features are the sandstone towers, with their castle-like turrets and battlements. The bridge also gave Northbridge its name, reflecting the suburb’s position to its north.

Although still commonly called the Suspension Bridge, it has not actually been a suspension bridge since 1939. The original supporting structure was replaced with a reinforced-concrete arch, while the sandstone towers were retained, preserving its familiar appearance. This combination of Victorian stonework and later engineering makes it an unusual Sydney bridge—and a particularly photogenic one, with the arch best appreciated from below and the towers standing prominently above the surrounding greenery.

The view of Tunks Park from the bridge

View from below

The views of the bridge from Tunks Park below are wonderful too

After photographing the bridge, I went on to explore Flat Rock Creek. Walking through the greenery, it was amazing to think that the upper reaches of this gully had once been a vast rubbish dump, with tipping continuing until 1985. Decades of restoration, planting and bush regeneration have helped transform the former tip into a place full of life again. It’s a powerful reminder of nature’s capacity to recover when we give it the space—and a helping hand—to do so.

I found these photos in an old email today

Taken by Niki, a photographer friend back in 2006. They were taken in Betties Bay area and Russell is in some of them. They are really good photos and I especially love the juggling one!

Favourite photographers: Nick Brandt

I love Nick Brandt’s black-and-white photographs of African wildlife. They are evocative, moody and powerful. The animals feel like individuals, each with its own presence and dignity. Without colour, the textures, light and shadows become even more striking: wrinkled skin, pale grass, vast skies. There is something timeless about these images, and often a sadness too—a sense of how magnificent these creatures are, and how much we stand to lose.

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Carriageworks Art Fair

Wow, what an absolute feast for the senses!  So much stunning art on display. Xenia and I were in heaven. What made it even more special was that many of artists were there, fronting their works and both Xenia and I had some beautiful connections.