The lighting, repetition and depth of this photo creates an interesting illusion. From one perspective, it looks like hundreds of cubicles inside an office building. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that it’s actually the outside of a skyscraper.

I was born on the 23rd of May, so it has always been a special number to me.

Archimedean spirals always interest me. Their perfection is present on snails, cyclones and this rope on a Sydney ferry.

Depth of focus is a relatively elementary principal in photography, but I’m only just learning how to use it to my advantage, especially when shooting repeated objects. It’s always difficult to figure out which item in the set deserves the focus. I especially like this shot, because the focus brings your eyes directly to the last triangle in the series.

Expect to see much more repetition and geometry in my future photos.

The Sydney harbour bridge spanning over the iconic Sydney Opera House.

The Opera House on a bustling Friday evening.

Circular Quay, the Circular Quay train station and the surrounding hotels, shops and office buildings. On the far right is the Overseas Passenger Terminal for large cruise ships.

Go to my Flickr page to see more!

Note: I once again remodeled my website. The last two posts were lacking in photos, hence this post.

So I joined two soccer teams: an indoor league at lunch during the week and an outdoor league on Sundays. I’ve been playing weekly in the indoor league although I’m just a sub. Luckily, they’ve needed me for over a month- so long may it last.

Honestly, I’ve been completely sucked into the hype surrounding the World Cup. The US has a tough road ahead of them, but if the Conferderations Cup is any indication, the US is finally a real competitor. I can’t wait for the games to begin.

We finally signed up for ADSL2+ internet. Can you say BT TV downloads, anybody? Steam was released for Mac so I picked up Portal, Half Life 2 and Torchlight, three fantastic games that were- until less than a month ago- Windows only. I’m very excited, although most of my gaming these days is on the iPhone during my morning and evening commutes. I recommend Real Racing, X2 Soccer 2010 and Zenonia all the way. Also, check out HLRB and Hearts- both were made by two of my friends back in California.

So there you have it. Hopefully next month I will have a bit more to write about.

Hayley and I were both sick of traveling, so we have stayed around Sydney for the last month. Just after our Sydney to Melbourne road trip, we moved into a new apartment. It is located pretty close to our old apartment, but down the steep hill that leads to the harbour. We have a nice, albeit small, harbor view from our kitchen table and every morning I walk to the ferry wharf to start my commute. The ferry ride rounds a point and opens up into a stunning view of the Harbour bridge and Opera House. I think it is safe to say that this is the best commute that I’ll ever have.

Living at the base of the north shore has its benefits; however, without a car we are at the mercy of public transport. Unfortunately, these options are not nearly as numerous as those on the top of the hill. Ferries depart every half hour to every hour, depending on the time of day. To help get around, I purchased a road bike on eBay Australia. Funnily enough, I arrived at the seller’s apartment to pick up the bike and they were from Chicago! After two years in Bondi, they had decided to move back to the States and were selling off their goods on eBay. It is a very nice bike, almost brand new, and I saved $400 off the sticker price.

Hayley and I boarded the train a few weeks ago for the AFL game at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Unfortunately, my directions took us to ANZ Stadium, which is in the opposite direction. Pretty stupid. Luckily, the Richmond Bulldogs from the National Rugby League were playing that night and we scored free tickets at the gate. NRL, which is a “league” version of the game, has different rules and a more structured feel. I would rather watch AFL, I think.

The next weekend, we attended a show at the Opera House featuring the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The music was fantastic- if there is a resonant frequency in music for bringing tears to the eyes, they know it and use it well. Lucky for me, the operatic singing was a silly distraction from the actual music, so I didn’t shed a tear.

Hayley and I decided to snap some night shots of the city. Please visit my website or my Flickr page to see them.

Hayley and I rented a car in downtown Sydney and drove it 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Melbourne. If you look at the Google Map, it doesn’t actually look like we went that far. That just shows how insanely large this country is.

On our first day, we drove the south Sydney coast- known by the New South Wales’ tourist department as the “Grand Pacific Drive.” The modern Sea Cliff Bridge is hard to miss since you drive right over it. Not knowing the area, we pulled off at the local beach and unsuccessfully tried to find a scenic point to take a picture. The consolation prize was a lizard the size of an iguana.

After stopping in a few other small towns, we drove through the dense eucalyptus forests out to Pebbly Beach, which is known for its beach dwelling kangaroos. The kangaroos were lounging on the north end of the beach when we arrived. Tamed by the constant human interaction from beach-goers, we walked right up to them and said hello. The male put the moves on Hayley, showing her his nasty roo teeth. It reminded Hayley of our monkey encounter six years ago in South Africa, which you can read about here. Hayley backed away slowly, saying “mike… Mike… MIIIIKE!!!” while I laughed and took pictures. Best husband ever, I am.

G’day mate.

Back in the parking lot, people were feeding the some wild birds bread and bananas. We saw Rainbow Lorikeets, King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, all of which are common parrots in the region.

Hayley loves their little blue heads.

We spent the night in Bateman’s Bay and in the morning we visited an animal rescue facility called Birdland. They care for all sorts of Australian animals, including wombats, wallabies, kangaroos and koalas. I tried to feed a few, but it didn’t go so well. First, the beady eyed emu ran towards me and tried to eat me instead.

Jerk.

Next a cockatoo tried to eat my finger along with the seeds. Finally, the ostrich tried to take the entire bag of from my hand, spilling the remaining bits all over the ground.

We drove out to the quaint town of Central Tilba and hiked up to the lookout point- the views were stunning.

Most of the lower New South Wales and Victoria coastline is farmland.

We arrived in Eden and checked into the Heritage House. The motel room was very nice and spacious, which is exactly what you need after spending an entire day crammed into a Toyota Yaris. Eden is a small fishing town on the coast and we ate fresh fish and chips from the local wharf.

The following day we went wine tasting at the Wyanga Park Winery. The owner runs the bar and is a clever fellow with a dangerously crude sense of humor. For us, that meant good company. We talked, drank and had an excellent time. We purchased a bottle of delicious Riesling for the road. We also inquired into the quality of a local restaurant called Miriam’s. “Of course it is good,” he said. “My daughter owns it!” Yes, Lakes Entrance is that small.

Behind the bar.

Following the advice of Mr. Wyanga himself, we drove out to Raymond Island to see wild koalas. Raymond Island has a population of 500 people who share the island with over 250 koalas. Arriving on a weekday, the island was empty and we had the trails to ourselves. We saw around 20 koalas in their natural habitat. It was seriously the coolest thing I’ve seen since leaving South Africa.

I love these furry little marsupials.

We drove into Melbourne, dropped off our stuff at the hotel and hopped on a bus to the Botanic Gardens. We walked around the park and had tea and scones in the café.

Not a bad spot for a picnic.

We made our way through a few other parks (Australia loves its parks) and walked through the CBD. We both thought that the city felt like a cross between London and San Francisco. It has hip restaurants on every corner, trollies that run on all the main streets and old London-esque buildings.

Hayley (in real life) and Tyler (on the Internet) both referred to this as the Willy Wonka river.

On our final leg of the trip, we drove the “Great Ocean Road” from Melbourne to Port Campbell. The road is exactly what the name implies, a long and winding ocean road that provides some of the best views in the world. We saw many amazing things from dense forests jutting out of cliffs above the water to wild koalas in the Otway reserve. Despite the build up from post cards, tourist magazines and friends who have seen them, the massive “Twelve Apostles” were very impressive.

The Twelve Apostles, although there aren’t really twelve.

We checked into the Parkview Motel & Suites, and were upgraded from a motel room to a two story town house, literally. The owner was very welcoming and the unit was perfect; I cannot praise Parkview enough. If you ever drive the Great Ocean Road, do yourself the favor. The suite was just like staying in a very nice house, only better.

We ate dinner at a nice restaurant in town and I had a delicious Prickly Moses Stout, a local brew, with my meal. It was very delicious. The following day we drove back to Melbourne and checked in to our hotel, nothing too exciting.

On our final day, we met our college friend and fellow expat Desiree in downtown Melbourne to catch up. We ate at a very nice café on the river and discussed this and that. We said our goodbyes, burned some time at the local mall and drove to the airport to catch our flight back to Sydney.

Pretty sweet trip.

2007

We drove into downtown Ensenada, Mexico to buy our friend Dutch a Mexican surfboard. I don’t remember the exact details, but without warning the entire city closed down and swarms of locals began parading down the street. I have absolutely no idea where they were going. We somehow found our way out of the city after spending hours waiting it out in a Papas n Beer.

2010

Hayley and I boarded a public bus that was shuttling at least thirty drunk high school kids over the Harbour Bridge to the Mardi Gras parade. People crowded around the street, standing on crates, propping themselves on windowsills or climbing trees and lamp posts to get a view. We didn’t have crates and there were no trees or lamp posts left. After a half hour we tried to escape the crowds, but we got stuck for twenty minutes in a human traffic jam. It was very claustrophobic.

People trying to get a view of the jumbotron that is setup in central Darlinghurst. The street is in the center of the photo, and you can see all the people standing on crates to watch the parade.

Beginning Friday at five sharp, I met Andy on Park Avenue in downtown Sydney. We quickly began our journey via public transport to meet Hayley and Jackie at Balmoral Beach on the north shore. Around the half way point we were nearly flattened by oncoming traffic while running to catch a bus. Luckily we made out alright and within 45 minutes, we were eating fish and chips and relaxing on middle-head peninsula.

The weekend was just as crammed. On Saturday we strolled through the Royal Botanic Gardens with Andy, Jackie, and their friends, and had tea and scones in the Rocks.

Then on Sunday morning Freddy and I surfed Bungan. Yes, I am a horrible person for ditching family, but who can resist a perfect left? Apologies to Andy and Jackie!

While Hayley and her parents explored the city and its surroundings, I worked a short three-day work week. On Thursday, we drove up to the Blue Mountains, an expansive region of cloud-clipping mountains and dense eucalyptus forest within the Great Dividing Range, or the continental divide, of Australia. As a UNESCO World Heritage site I was expecting to be impressed, and boy did it deliver. Our first stop was Echo Point, home to the Three Sisters rock formation.

The Three Sisters in all their glory, each over 900 meters in height.

For perspective, note the people in the bottom left corner. They are less than 25% of the way down the first Sister.

We walked around the park and feasted our eyes on the enormous eucalyptus forest that distantly bends with the curvature of the horizon. Down on the first Sister, we noticed a crowd of people collecting on a small walking bridge. Later in the day, we came back and walked down “The Great Stairway” to the first Sister. A journey in itself, the stairway hugs the cliff in scary fashion. I held the railings tight on our way back up, watching the cliff slowly erode from underneath the steel steps.

Hayley and I under the first entrance to The Great Stairway.

We walked back to Echo Point to have another look at the region. The Blue Mountains are surreal, easily one of the most amazing places that I have been. The forest and cliffs are massive, and to say I that was feeling insignificant would be an understatement.

Jackie and Hayley enjoying the view.

In the middle of the day, we checked into our room at the Chalet Blue Mountains. After resting for a bit, we got up again and drove a few kilometers to Govett’s Leap, which offered another sweeping expanse of plateaus, dramatic cliffs and valleys of eucalyptus forest. While Echo Point has the Three Sisters, Govett’s offers a waterfall that rivals the best in Hawaii.

The waterfall (to the right) sways with the wind, drenching the rocks and forest below.

Before sunset, we walked out to the Chalet’s garden and enjoyed a fine Shiraz (and what a steal it was) while watching the unique Australian bird life fly overhead.

The main hallway in the Chalet Blue Mountains.

For dinner, we drove into town and ate at Common Ground Café, a restaurant that could be easily mistaken for a commune. A folk band played music while we ate delicious, organic food. We later heard that the restaurant was owned and operated by The Exclusive Brethren. I seriously felt like we had stepped into a scene from a fantasy novel and I loved every minute of it.

The next day we ate a hearty breakfast at the B&B before checking out and driving out to Anvil Rock and Wind Eroded Cave, passing a hopping wallaby on our way. A short walk from the trailhead, Anvil Rock hangs over an enormous drop off:

Don’t jump! Those enormous trees aren’t as forgiving as they look.

About ten minutes in the opposite direction is Wind Eroded Cave, an enormous concave rock covered with small pockets and exposed rock layers. We climbed inside the so-called cave and took a few photos.

Hayley and I inside the rock.

Andy resting inside a smaller cave, which is inside the bigger cave.

On our way back to Sydney we stopped off at the Mt. Tomah Botanic Gardens. We walked around for an hour and saw many cool trees and plants, including the rare and ancient Wollemi Pine, which you can now buy for your garden. We also spotted some great birdlife, including this Eastern Spinebill:

Notice that the plant’s petals are perfectly shaped for the bird’s bill.

After the gardens, we drove back to Sydney and spent the next morning with Andy and Jackie before saying our goodbyes. We had a great time and it was sad to see them go, but we reminded ourselves that we will be seeing them again soon.

And so here we are, one week of work to go before we depart on our road trip to Melbourne. I will definitely write again when we return.

For more photos, feel free to peruse my flickr galleries, specifically the Blue Mountains Overnight Trip album.

Grilling some shrimp on the barbie. Click here to see the rest of the Aussie Day pics.

Last weekend, Hayley and I took a ferry to the Darling Harbour Maritime Museum. The museum has a large collection of nautical treasures on display, including a sailboat made of beer cans and a few large models of mythical sea creatures such as the Kraken and a half-monkey mermaid. More interesting though was the collection of century old whale bone crafts- including whale bone bones (dominoes) and a chair made from a whale vertebra. My favorite item by far was an old captain’s journal from the late 1700s. Old journals rule.

Afterward we walked about a hundred kilometers (or at least it felt like it) to the Rocks and collapsed at a table in an Irish tea shop. I had the raisin scones with my tea, and they were damn fine scones.

Mmmmm… delicious. Click here to see the rest of the pics from the day.

And now back to the rain.

From our pátio on Saturday.

Looks like it’s finally clearing though.

January

Nice waves in Del Mar, California.

February

Rugby Sevens in San Diego, California.

Rare powder at Mt. High, Wrightwood, California.

March

Noodle Scrabble in San Diego, California.

April

Crazy weather on Mt. Baldy, California.

White out at Mt. Baldy, California.

May

Hayley graduates with a Masters Degree in Journalism. San Diego, California.

June

Bellagio at night, Las Vegas, Nevada.

July

Visiting friends in San Francisco, California.

Epic surfing at Pipes in Cardiff by the Sea, California.

August

Tower Bridge in London, England.

Don’t stop! Somewhere north of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Elephant crossing in Kruger Park, South Africa.

A hyena and vultures feeding on a dead giraffe in Kruger Park, South Africa.

Just before one of our many elephant scares in Kruger Park, South Africa.

Impala horns in Kruger Park, South Africa.

African sunset over the bush in Kruger Park, South Africa.

Wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

“Jackass” penguins- after you know what- in Boulder’s Beach, South Africa.

Hiking up Table Mountain on beautiful winter day in Cape Town, South Africa.

Monster surf at Sea Point in Cape Town, South Africa.

Protea at Kirstenbosch near Cape Town, South Africa.

Kudu Crossing in northern South African farmland.

Cheetah sighting at Pilanesberg, South Africa.

Trampoline at Sun City, South Africa.

Township homes outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

Playing with lion cubs in the Lion Park, just outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

September

First cockatoo sighting in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Sydney, Australia.

Flying foxes in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Sydney, Australia.

Dust storm in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia.

October

Destroying my only surfboard. Sydney, Australia.

Walking to Cremorne Point, Sydney, Australia.

November

Ford Ranger Cup. North Sydney, Australia.

Balmoral Beach, Mosman, Sydney, Australia.

December

Opera House, Sydney, Australia.

Work holiday party at the Watson’s Bay Hotel. Sydney, Australia.

Attacked by cockatoos in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia.

NYE Sydney, Australia.

So that was my sales pitch. Did I do well? Perhaps this was all I needed to show you?

Gordon’s Bay, Sydney’s premium snorkeling location.

The walk passes through many amazing sites, none more unexpected and remarkable than Waverley Cemetery, final resting place of many Australian politicians, poets and athletes.

Not a bad place to spend eternity.

The McMurray grave, containing a small child-sized coffin, looks away from the ocean but is nothing short of spectacular.

Is that paint splattered on the side or something else entirely…?

Of course no Australian walk would be complete without seeing unique Australian wildlife. I present to you the Golden Silk Orb-Weaver, a toxic widow spider that spins webs strong enough to be used as fish nets.

One of three that were roasting in the sun near the trail.

The walk ends at Coogee Beach, where we went for a dip and ate yummy toasted sandwiches.

Coogee beach, definitely worth the walk on a weekday…

Afterward, Hayley and I split off from the group, riding forty minutes on a bus to Circular Quay. We watched a street performance and then boarded a harbour ferry back to Neutral Bay.

Definitely a fun day.