Nan Tien Buddhist Temple

Ally and I noticed this temple on the way to Kiama and dediced to stop for a viewing. Turned out to be a photographer's paradise though we were not there long enough to give it justice (Mack was in the car.) Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere and is a serene and beautiful place. The vegertarian cafee does delicious (and cheap) vegetarian food which we sampled.

Sam gets her ears pierced!

Thanks for the photos, Jo.

Parent's Day at Matt's school

Thanks for the photo, Jo.

Sam's first hockey game

Another milestone in the Boting household. Sam was chosen to play her first hockey match. She only started playing this term but has a lot of natural talent and she is not scared of the ball and getting stuck in. Her team won 7-1 and hopefully she will be chosen to play Oakhurst next week.

Ps. In the 1st picture below, Sam is the girl 2nd from the Right. They all look the same with their hair in pony tails!!

Anzac Day Parade 2009

I watched the Anzac Parade (part of Anzac Day, Australia's annual remembrance of Gallipoli and commemoration of its armed forces) through Sydney this morning and I found it very moving at times. It reminded me of Gramps (in his uniform) and how proud he would have been to be in a parade like this and how he too, like many of the older veterans, would have stopped off and spoken to the clapping crowd as he passed by and created special connections. There were several veterans marching with their grandkids, and that added to the poignancy of the whole event. There are fewer and fewer Word War 2 veterans each year and it feels like the passing of an entire generation. Lest we forget...

Nothing but a hound dog

Sam's 9th birthday

Sam turned 9 today and Jo made her two great looking cakes. Well done Jo, you are turning decorative baking into an art form.



It never ceases to amaze me how grown up Sam looks. Happy birthday Sam! We are so excited to see the kids in December. It's been far to long...

North Sydney Farmers Market

Our monthly ritual is to goto the North Sydney Farmers Market, just 5 minutes from our home and an endless source of fresh produce including the most delicous pastries and coffee. Dogs are welcomed and Mack gets to meet a varied array of friendly mutts including the very strange looking fellow below.

Views from Garden Island

There was a dusty haze accross the city today but there were some nice views nevertheless from Garden Island where we took Mike to see the navy museum. We also went to St Mary's Cathedral but the photos did not really come out. I need to learn HDR.

Fun at the Belgian Beer Cafee...

A kilogram of mussels,a plethora of delicious sauces to choose from and a large side plate of crispy chips (with mayonaise of course) all for $12. What a great evening out. Plus I got to try out Charles super duper new camera - see photos below. The camera is so sensitive to light, I did not need a flash...

West Head

Today we went to West Head, part of Ku Ring Gai Chase National Park and one of the most popular look out points in the Sydney area. Unfortuntely the sky was overcast so the view was not particulalry photogenic. We had a lovely day out though with a good picnic. Nice to explore a part of the park we had not been to before.

Welcome Anna

Ingrid has just given birth to a little daughter. Her name is Anna and she is absolutely beautiful. Congratulations to Andreas and Ingrid on the new addition to their family. We look forward to watching Anna grow up...

Hungry pelicans fighting for scraps from the fish gutting table

The Australian pelican has the largest bill of any bird in the world.