By The Monument

New Years Eve 2007/8

Still trying to fight off the germs in my body, I was going to do something I've not done since the Millenium NYE (due to a poorly timed bout of the flu), and stay sober as 2008 rolled in.

Lauren had gotten back from her trip to England early and so after meeting up with her after work, we got some dinner and then headed over towards Cremorne on the North Shore to join Aaron, Emily, Kate, Ryan & Katrina.

Getting a park proved time consuming and we were forced to watch the 9pm fireworks from the front seats of the car. After a long walk, we finally found the guys by the waters edge. With more food & drinks, we had the party cranking with the iPod chucking out some beats.

Much like last year, we totally missed the countdown, and before we knew it - the harbour bridge was a mass of exploding light and colour. The explosions also carried on up and down the harbour and we could see around 4 sets of syncronised fireworks. A really awesome display this year with plenty to look at including some 3-d fireworks (fireworks that exploded into a cube).

Even with me driving, we still had to endure a killer trip home as the traffic back across the bridge and through the city was generally grid-locked. An early morning McDonalds kicked my 2008 off in healthy style...

Happy New Year to you all - I wish you all the best... and hope to catch up with you all at least one time this year!

Break the Night With Colour

Christmas break: Pool Party Thursday

Aaron and I took advantage of the days off between Christmas and New Year as best we could. Thursday morning, we took a shopping trip to buy some supplies for what was to be a real highlight of the break - a long overdue pool party.

During the preparations, I managed to walk into a table – head first. No, I wasn’t already crawling, but a mis-hap as we raised a picnic table up high meant I would get to spend the afternoon with a ridiculous red graze smack in the middle of my forehead. That’ll be the Christmas/New Year bad luck kicking in then…

I’m pretty sure Az has done this before, preparing blank canvasses with poster paints for all attendees to sign in on, play-dough and a pool full with inflatable toys. The guests drank, shot hoops and fuusball, swam, bounced the trampoline and munched on BBQ – in-between basking in the sun.

Unfortunately, a number of our male guests didn’t make it along and so sadly we had to endure a 2:1 female to male ratio. Bummer. Really.
As night fall fell, the party looked to be gearing down, before everyone was once again back in the water – along with a bunch of glow sticks to provide one of the best party props I’ve seen in a while. A great way to spend one of those Christmas in-between days.

Moruya Friday & Saturday

The fallout from the pool party felt very much to me like it might last an awful long time. With some persuasion however, Az got me in the car for a road trip down to visit one of his old uni mates in a town around 5 hours South of Sydney - Moruya. He promised, peace, quiet, the possibility of surfing, golf, fishing and more importantly - an alcohol free environment. Golf & fishing were the two here that didn't happen...

We took what must have been the most segmented drive down, with many a stop off at McDonalds, greasy spoon kebab parlours and Servo's. Somehow we made it before nightfall.

Up early-ish the next day, Evo took us down to the beach for a surf. I was honestly quite dubious about trying what has in the past yielded the most injuries per hour of any sport I ever tried. The rocks visible around the beach and break compounded this further, but with a bit of a "whatever" attitude I made it down to the water.

I managed to surprise myself. After barely getting my feet on the surface of a buoyant surf board during my whole time in Australia, I nailed around 4 out of 5 waves that came my way. Factors contributing to this: shallow water- I could literally walk to the waves, no rip, reasonable size waves rather than killer Luke-flipping big mama's. This was enjoyable surfing as I remember it back in the UK and Thailand. (Although I have some shots of me cutting back into some huge 6ft barrels, I figured you'd sooner see me fall over than show off...)

An afternoon in the pub gave more surprises and another first for me - except this time not the variety I really like. I took a break at the pool table, and didn't get another shot all game. Evo cleared up on me and it was time to drop trou and do a lap of the table as forfeit for being on the wrong end of pools most impressive feat.

After all this excitement, the 3 of us wandered back for a BBQ and general chill out session culminating, not necessarily at the same time, in the 3 of us passing out in front of the telly.

The final day of the year dawned, and we took an early exit to get back to Sydney in good time for an evening of more celebrations.

There's a few more pictures on my photo site from the Moruya trip. (www.fonfara.blogspot.com)

New Years Eve

The last day of the year, again. I've become a grumpy old man when it comes to New Years. Bad stuff seems to happen to me around this time of the year traditionally (I get the Flu, I fall off a motorbike or the night just ends up being such a big let down due to the nature of an over-hyped event). Today I tried my hardest to forget it was new years and to just pretend I was just going along to any old barbeque/pool party at a luxury house on the North Shore of Sydneys harbour.

From 2 or 3 o clock in the afternoon the final big drink of the year got underway, everyone in attendance in high spirits. After that initial period of meeting a bunch of new people, we were soon messing about and playing drinking games. Though as more and more people (also read - girls) left the playing area, we knocked it on the head for some grub.

9 o clock ticked up and with this came the family fireworks display - or practice run for the main event. Far too soon we’d been back to the house and were back out looking over the harbour toward the Opera House and bridge awaiting the countdown. 7 years ago I’d climbed a tree and watched the millennium fireworks over Big Ben, this year I scaled a wall and sat on the front of someone’s balcony, lucky the party didn’t mind so Az & Moretti followed me up plus some randoms - everyone loves a random afterall.

A little hazily I recollect nothing of a countdown before the fireworks were unleashed. A pretty great show, which I did absolutely nothing for in the shaky photographs that I took. I've thrown a couple on here for token representation... just don't look too closesly!

3hours later, we finally made it back to Manly where we crashed out during those first hours of 2007. Finally a succesful New Years Eve, I even managed to wake up with a smile on my face.

Happy New Year!! Have a great 2007.

Pain

As the blog takes a kind of seasonal sabaticle, I have wandered to myself (whilst lying on the beach) what I might write in each new post. I guess this could have been just asking for fate to intervene with some interesting stuff for you to have a read of!

I travelled the 20 metre journey down to the beach with my feet still raw from the football the day before. I hadn't done enough however. The group of us decided to take kayaks around to the next beach along. It was a pretty warm day, the water was especially clear which made for some cool viewing.

After arriving back on our beach (pictured above), I dried off for a while before venturing out with my snorkel and mask. I'm just starting to get to grips with the whole thing, and even spotted a stingray, some crabs and a fish - yes, one fish. Rubbish! The little fella was darting in and out behind some coral as I tried my best to catch a half decent picture. After that adventure, it was time to get in some Frisbee. Anyone that thinks I may be wasting time with this whole travel thing, will eat their words when they find out how good my forehand frisbee throwing has progressed in the last week!

New Years eve was creeping up and we'd still not really seen any of Koh Pha-Ngan. So on the eve itself, a few of us decided to rent motorbikes to help us go check out the islands waterfalls, and also Haad Rin (The location of the islands Full Moon & New Years Parties). After fueling the hogs, we set off on some of the most dubious roads I've ever ridden on - let alone driven. It was not far that we met our first steep incline. The road had lots of washed sand across it as well as large cracks in what once may have been tarmac. I had to slip the bike down through the gears as two of us were on it. As I hit first, the gearbox must've caught hard as I felt the back wheel travel under me and the horizon disappeared and was quickly replaced with a set of motorcycle handlebars. My mate fell off the back and in doing so let the front fall toward the ground again - though the bike had spun 180 degrees. I held on like an Ewok (hmm, those who know me well will know this isn't the first time!) and battled the bike away from the road and toward some shrubbery. I slipped and gave some unneeded gas which sent me off the back being dragged by the kneecaps.

Whoops.

With claret running down my shins I pulled the bike back up and zipped back to the bungalow for my medical supplies.

Strapped up, we headed toward the waterfalls. By the time of arrival, my joints were pretty well seizing up so I didn't have much of an appetite to clamber over the falls. We carried on in to the afternoon and made it to Haad Rin. I had the Schitzel and recommend it! (As far as the beach goes, there were a couple of thousand bodies on it - we were happy to turn back and spend new years in our chilled little village and on a beach where we wouldn't be fighting youngens for space!

New Years Eve was happening. A group of 10(ish) got together and after dinner, we headed on our secluded beachside village bar crawl. As midnight struck, fireworks were let off all around the bay throwing awesome reflections across the calm low tide.
Maybe after the days earlier trauma I was in mood for some food - somehow I managed to eat a Bombay bagguette, several cookies and 3 banana and chocolate pancakes. Well fed, I boogied the new year in, in style (legs not moving on the dance floor style). HAPPY NEW YEAR! (200 litres???)

New Years day I awoke in slightly more pain than I fell asleep with. So I thought it wise to go to the hospital to get me left knee checked out properly. I took great delight getting carted around in a wheel chair for a while. I got an X-Ray and awaited the doctors inspection...

It isn't broken!!!

24hours on, the pain and swelling has reduced considerably, so hopefully I should be back on my feet and ready to contest some more beach soccer by the weekend.