Sydney Harbour magnificent city with the best harbour in the world. We spell it harbour & Americans spell it harbour, wonderful if you have a good boat.
I have know Richard for over 30 years & I’m pleased to say I gave him his nickname when we were in Thailand in 2004. He is quite a character & loves to brag about how much money he is worth, which is considerable. He lives in a beautiful home in one of Sydney’s premier harbour front suburbs, Point Piper. Richard had the unfortunate habit of drinking & eating twice as much as his friends then splitting the bill equally.
When travelling with his buddy Ken Shelly in Thailand he would show off & buy countless drinks for the girls in the bar then expect poor Ken to share equally when the bill came. Sitting on the beach at Koh Samui one day a Thai lady was reading his palm, she looked him in the eye & said “Oh I see you have a lot of money, but sadly you are very stingy”. Well that was perfect I thought so from that day one I Christened him “Mr Stingy”.
Ken & I on Stingy’s boat
Stingy’s long suffering friend Ken Shelly & I enjoying a few cold beers at Darling Harbour.
Stingy’s boat
A terrific boat for exploring Sydney Harbour, lots of room and very stable if seas are rough.
Centrepoint tower from Darling Harbour
In my book Sydney certainly ranks in the top 10 cities in the world.
Western Sydney skyline
That’s Centre-point tower dominating the skyline.
Sydney Harbour magnificent city
A great view of Sydney Harbour magnificent city, if you don’t have the luxury of a boat just catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly for an amazing view of this great city.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon’s 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The NSW Government, led by Premier Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958, with Utzon directing construction. The government’s decision to build Utzon’s design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect’s ultimate resignation.
View from the front
Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people.
Point Piper apartments
What a perfect place foe an apartment.
Royal Motor Yacht Club Point Piper.
You can just see a corner of Stingy’s home on the left of the club.
Stingy’s $6 million home
Richard designed & built his lovely home, he is an experienced builder who made most of his fortune by building most of the Red Rooster outlets in Australia.
The incredible view from Stingy’s home
A sensational view of Rose Bay.
Luna Park at Milsons Point north of the harbour
The park was constructed at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during 1935, and ran for nine-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. Luna Park was closed in mid-1979, immediately following the Ghost Train fire, which killed six children and one adult. Most of the park was demolished, and a new amusement park was constructed; this originally operated under the name of Harbourside Amusement Park before resuming the Luna Park name. The park was closed again in 1988 as an independent engineering inspection determined that several rides needed urgent repair. The owners failed to repair and reopen the park before a New South Wales government deadline, and ownership was passed to a new body. Reopening in 1995, Luna Park closed again after thirteen months because of the Big Dipper roller coaster noise pollution complaints from residents on the clifftop above the park caused the ride’s operating hours to be heavily restricted, and the drop in attendance made the park unprofitable. After another redevelopment, Luna Park reopened in 2004 and has continued operating since.
Richard, Ken Shelly & Peter Hobbs.
Here we are at Bar Reggio in Crown St Darlinghurst, a very popular Italian restaurant.
My new second hand Lexus.
I have Stingy to thank for finding my beautiful Lexus, I have owned many luxury vehicles including Jaguars, Mercedes & Porsche’s but $ for $ this is the best car I have ever driven. Japanese technology at its best.
Watching Australian Football
Watching my team the Sydney Swans at the SCG in Peter Hesky’s private box.
Anne Lacey & Ruth Vincent with our host Peter Hesky
Sydney City has a special place in my heart, I was born & grew up in the western suburbs. There is no doubt the harbour is the best in the world & each time I fly in my excitement & anticipation is electric.
Thanks for visiting my Sydney Harbour magnificent city photo blog.
Sydney Harbour Circular Quay was the first place I took my English friends Joan & Bill after driving down the Pacific Highway from the Gold Coast QLD in 2010.In my eyes this represents the front door to the city.
Bill is the brother of my friend Alan Austin who is a guest of Her Majesty, Bill & I met when I first visited Alan in 2007. Joan was an Olympic runner who competed in the 200 meters at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Bill was a Para Military man who served time in Ireland & many other countries.
Diamond Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. She began operation in March 2004 and primarily cruises in Alaska during the summer and Asia in the winter along with Australia cruises.
Sydney Opera House
Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts center’s in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people.
Being an ex Para Military man who has made over 500 parachute jumps Bill naturally had to climb to the top of the bridge, and what an amazing view he had from there.
There are many good restaurants surrounding Circular Quay, to me it is one of the most interesting areas of this great city. If I had to choose between Circular Quay and Bondi I would choose Circular Quay every time.
Two restaurants, Doyles and the Quay.
As you can imagine both these restaurants are very expensive.
Peter Hesky’s 60th January 3rd 2007.
We celebrated my friends 60th at the Quay restaurant in 2007.
The Rocks
The Rocks is an historic part of Sydney adjacent to Circular Quay, this is an old warehouse which is now a restaurant.
Historic buildings
The small building is Cadmans cottage the oldest surviving residential building in Sydney, having been built in 1816 for the use of the governmental coxswains and their crews.
The Sailors Home opened its doors in February 1865. Naval personnel lodged there until 1891 when the Royal Naval House, with accommodation for 300, opened in nearby Grosvenor Street. The sailors used to consume opium and alcohol, because in the nineteenth century, opium is legally consumed. Passers-by could smell opium when near the Sailor’s home. In 2002, Sailors Home was changed to The Australian Mariners’ Welfare Society.
Maritime Services Building
The Museum of Contemporary Art was established to fulfill the museum aspect of the visionary bequest of Australian expatriate artist John Power (1881-1943), who left his personal fortune to the University of Sydney to inform and educate Australians in the contemporary visual arts. The traditional owners of the land on which the MCA building is situated are the Eora people of the Gadigal nation. This site also marks the landing place of the First Fleet in Port Jackson in 1788. In 1802 Sydney’s first hospital and wharf were built nearby, with commissariat stores built by Colonel Foveaux in 1812. In the 1930s the commissariat stores and taxation building were demolished to make way for a new Maritime Services Board (MSB) building (the previous MSB offices were displaced by the Cahill Express Way and Circular Quay railway development). Government architect W.H. Withers began work on the building plans in 1939. Work resumed in 1944 under government architect W D H Baxter after a postponement of four years from 1940 due to Australia’s involvement in World War II. Builders were appointed in 1946 but difficulties in securing labour and material due to post war shortages delayed construction. The foundation stone was laid in 1949 and in 1952 the MSB building opened. With the relocation of the MSB to larger premises in 1989 the building was gifted by the NSW State Government to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Funded by the University of Sydney and the Power Bequest, restoration and refurbishment of the building commenced in 1990 under the direction of Andrew Andersons of Peddle Thorpe/John Holland Interiors and in November 1991 the Museum of Contemporary Art officially opened.
About a 40 minute trip from Circular Quay to manly, one of the world’s great boat rides.
Ferry arriving at Manly
So much to see on Sydney harbour.
North Sydney with Luna Park in the foreground.
A city within a city.
Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House is the official residence of the Australian Prime Minister in Sydney, New South Wales. The house is located at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue in the harbour-side suburb of Kirribilli straight opposite Circular Quay.
The Oaks Hotel Neutral Bay.
I know it’s a few kms from Sydney Circular Quay, however it’s my favourite Australian pub, I have been drinking here for over 30 years, I can’t begin to imagine how much money I have spent there. 🙂
Well in this post we covered a few more subjects than Sydney Circular Quay and Bondi beach, I hope you enjoyed it as much as did.
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Chinatown Hyde Park Darlinghurst may not be as well known as other Sydney icons, however it’s the area where I like to stay when I visit Sydney. In fact this is not in any of those districts mentioned in the title, it is right in the city centre, Chinatown is 3 blocks further down George St.
Relax among the skyscrapers around Chinatown Hyde Park Darlinghurst
Walking from Town Hall to Chinatown nestled among the tall buildings are many places where people can relax & eat lunch.
China Republic World Square Sydney
Upmarket Chinese restaurant in the World Square.
View from the Laughing Buddha bar.
I would sit in this bar at happy hour and watch the passing parade before wandering down to Chinatown for dinner.
The Laughing Buddha.
Friendly little bar next to Chinatown on the corner of Liverpool & George St Sydney.
Corner Campbell & George St Sydney.
Capital Square Hotel is in this building and is very good value, rooms are quite good and there is a Starbucks downstairs where you can access free wifi. The hotel charges an outrageous amount for their wifi.
Pensione hotel in George St.
Pensione is another good value hotel with free wifi and a good bar on the ground floor. Rooms are rather small but the location is terrific, you walk out the back door and you are in Chinatown.
The ANZAC War Memorial, completed in 1934, is the main commemorative military monument of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by C. Bruce Dellit, with the exterior adorned with monumental figural reliefs and sculptures by Rayner Hoff.
The memorial is located at the southern extremity of Hyde Park on the eastern edge of Sydney’s central business district, and it is the focus of commemoration ceremonies on Anzac Day, Armistice Day and other important occasions.
Hyde Park Sydney
It certainly is a nice oasis in the heart of the city.
Hyde Park Sydney
A beautiful park to relax an eat lunch in the middle of the city.
Stanley St Darlinghurst.
There are many great little restaurants & pubs in Stanley St, and in fact all around Chinatown Hyde Park Darlinghurst.
Bar Reggio Stanley St Darlinghurst.
This trendy bar restaurant has been a popular Sydney meeting place for many years.
Chinatown Hyde Park Darlinghurst
Bar Reggio is very popular and usually packed for lunch on Fridays.
My friends at Bar Reggio
Ken Shelly & Justine and on the right is Richard, aka Mr Stingy. Sydney was my last stop on myseven super cities tour in March 2014.
The Herd clan at Dixon st Chinatown
Sadly on January 5th 2016 we lost Michaels partner, our great Björn Lüders, we will miss him.
Chinatown duck
This is as good as it gets, thanks for visiting my Chinatown Hyde Park Darlinghurst photo blog.
This photos defines 1991, this post is part of my personal online photo albums, as opposed to my FiveStarVagabond travel blog.
Surfers Paradise life 1991
Surfers Paradiselife 1991 was as good as it gets, a new house, a nice car, a good job and a gorgeous girlfriend, a kiwi named Karen Greenwood. Karen was the main interest in my life for over a year. The relationship could safely be described as reasonably volatile. 🙂 It took me 2 or 3 more relationships over the next 4 or 5 years before I finally realised I was just not good at them. Consequently here I am happily alone 37 years later living in Thailand.
Above is one of my all time favourite photos, one of the many dinners parties at my new home at 106 Upton St Bundall, Surfers Paradise. My great buddy Harley Bradstreetused to love dressing up in his military gear, the other guy on the left was Harley’s gay flatmate. If Harley wore his Military gear he would do the same. The girls from the left were Leanne Sanderson, Mary Simpson, Kandice Aldington& Nicola Botica.
Kandice & Nicola wash the dishes.
These two lovely girls were always a great asset to any dinner party, an example of Surfers Paradise life 1991.
Another night another party with the usual suspects.
And the beat goes on, I think Kandice was feeling no pain on this particular evening. 🙂
Kandice was feeling no pain at all.
As I said before, another night another party with the usual suspects.
Here is another great kitchen shot. 🙂
I think Jill is about to cook breakfast, or pour us another drink perhaps. 🙂
New fence at 106 Upton St
I moved into my new home July 1st 1990 but my huge fence was not built until early 1991.
Harly & Madison guarding the house
Before I had the fence I needed an armed guard to keep my screaming fans at bay. 🙂 OK, I am joking, it is only my old buddy Harley dressing up again.
Roger Williams surrounded by special forces.
On the right is my old friend Harley Bradstreet who loved dressing up in his military outfit, he had a gay flatmate the guy on the left. This particular night they came to my home for dinner & you could have knocked me over with a feather when the flatmate was also dressed in military fashion. 🙂
Old friend Ian Rich
Ian was from Newport in Sydney, we met around 1968.
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Claudia Scrupin & Tony Murphy
Another old friend is Tony Murphy who I see regularly when he visits Thailand, plus I often stay at his home on the Gold Coast when I am there every 18 months or so.
Robyn Aylwood & Tony Murphy at Palm Meadows.
Robyn was a lovely lady who was the PR girl at Gold Coast international hotel, she moved to Melbourne Married & sadly passed away October 2010, RIP. Strangely enough her husband David Austin also passed away shortly after in July 2011.
A rose between two thorns
I don’t think so, two lovely ladies Kim English & Sharon Lee at Mariners Cove.
Dianne Bryce & Larry Wilson.
Larry was a terrific humour, he is the on coin coined the phrase about our mutual friend Harley Bradstreet “ANYONE CAN HAVE A BAD DECADE”. I often told people “if you need a good solicitor on the Gold Coast avoid Larry.” (only joking) Dianne was a fun lady who I took out a few times in the previous year or two. Ah Surfers Paradise life 1991 was very good indeed.
Two more old friends
I used to have regular drinks at the Avenue in Orchard Avenue with Len Jones & David Robertson. This was Surfers Paradise life 1991 and the Avenue is still there now in 2018 but it moved across the road.
Porsche, what Porsche? I can’t see a Porsche.
Two lovey ladies posing outside my home. Sharon Lee is on the right, I forget her girlfriend’s name.
I had such a good year with Karen however I have no allusions why she stuck around for so long. She was surviving on a pension raising a young child so money was very tight. The week before we met her car gave up the ghost which obviously curtailed her ability to get around. Along comes the white knight, aka David Herd who just happened to have a spare car which he generously provided as her much needed transport. During our time together each time there was a major disagreement I would repossess the vehicle & poor Karen was grounded. Upon making up the car would be returned and things would be back to normal, so folks therein lies the major reason this super hot babe stuck around for so long. 🙂
Xmas day in Auckland
We spent Xmas & New Year in Auckland with Karen’s parents, towards the end of the holiday we were desperate for some time away from each other.
In the Bay of Islands
A gorgeous lady who smoked like a burning brake drum. 🙂
Happy times in Port Douglas
A nice trip to Port Douglas & Airlie Beach, little did we know (well I didn’t) there was only a week or so left in our volatile relationship. 🙂
Whitehaven Beach Whitsundays
Is that the definition of sexy or what?
Perhaps one of the sexiest girlfriends I ever had
I took this photo 5 minutes after making love to this sexy lady.
This will amaze you…..
This was taken 26 years later in March 2017, she still looks fantastic.
Alan Pearson in Airlie Beach
I have known Alan for nearly 20 years, we knocked around in the same group when I lived in Adelaide in the 70s.
Mum & Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary.
My wonderful Mum & Dad celebrated their 50th with close friends at my brother Bryan’s Home in Leppington south west ofSydney.
Roberta at the Gold Coast Indy.
Roberta Aitchison in her sexy Meter Maid outfit at the Gold Coast Indy. Shortly after she took over the Meter Maid company and still runs it today. Another example of my Surfers Paradise life 1991′
Surfers Paradise life 1991 & here is Harley laying it on thick,
Yes ladies, I am a well known chick magnet.
Susan Hutton & her niece
Susan was a friend from Brisbane who would come to the coast and spend the weekend with me.
Another great photo to finish which shows Surfers Paradise life 1991
Surfers Paradise life 1991 as you can see was fantastic mainly due to some very interesting people.
Life was just one big party in the 90s, thanks for visiting my post.
My favourite song from 1991.
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Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
Gold Coast 1995 life was good, & in fact all through the 90s, my home at 106 Upton St Bundall was “party central”, 1995 was no different, I was working for the NRMA as a Financial Planner and enjoying life to the max, this post shows many of the people who made it another memorable year.
I love this photo
My old friend Harley Bradstreet on theGold Coast 1995 telling one of his long winded stories that used to bore everyone to tears. He had a million stories but they were all about himself, the look on Kerry’s face is priceless. The other guy is Barry Madden who worked for the NRMA in Newcastle, it is now 2014 and we are still in touch often on Facebook.
Grahame Kinsela & Harley Bradstreet.
Harley was & still is a terrific guy, he now lives in Perth and collects & restores old Jaguars. Grahame was also an old friend of mine from the northern beaches area of Sydney.
In those days Harley seemed to stumble from one disaster to another, a mutual friend of ours Larry Wilson, a Gold Coast solicitor, coined the phrase referring to Harley, “anyone can have a bad decade”. This seemed to describe Harley to a tee. 🙂
November 2016 & I saw saw the sad news on Facebook that Grahame had passed away, RIP my old buddy.
My new jetty Gold Coast 1995
I remember this photo so well. My Doberman Ziggy is taking his first look at my new jetty, he was a very confused dog for the next hour or two.
This is what the jetty was designed for.
Drinks, drinks & more drinks, my jetty turned into the main party area for my house. On the left is Jim Bell, he rented a room in my home for 15 years, that’s what I call a long time tenant. Michael Gray aka “the Doc” was a local Radiologist & a well know collector of beautiful women. Finally on the right is John Hunjadi, a partner in several Gold Coast nightclubs, including ” “Cocktails & Dreams”, The Party”, & “The Bourbon Bar”.
Good buddy Phil Thompson.
Still one of my best friends today Phil was a handy guy to have at my Sunday BBQs.
My gorgeous girlfriend of the year was…..
Carolyn Clarkwas & still is a gorgeous girl, we were an item for about a year and a half in 1994 & 1995. Twenty years later and I’m glad to say we still keep in touch.
What do you think of these little puppies?
I gotta say I think they are gorgeous. 🙂
A weekend in Sydney
Carolyn & I flew to Sydney for a weekend, I caught up with my good friend Paul Slaughter, 2nd from left. The guy on the left was an actor from “The Bill” Tony O’Callaghan.
Great shot of the Gold Coast girls in Sydney.
On the left is Marie Stephens beside Carolyn Clark, far right is Kandice Aldington withMichaela standing at the back. It was a good weekend
My favourite song from 1995
The Oaks Hotel
Old friends meet for drinks at our favourite pub. Derek Pugh and Ian Rich,Paul Slaughter in the foreground with his sister on the left and girlfriend Clode on the right.
Drinks at my home before dinner.
I was always entertaining people in my home in Upton St Gold Coast 1995, after the year 2000 I started to entertain less & less due to my frenetic overseas travel. Wendy is 2nd from the right, sadly she passed away in 2017, RIP.
Beautiful Argentinian girl
Surely one of the most beautiful girls that ever visited my home, sadly I can’t even remember her name.
Photo bombed
Greg Johnston aka Greg Bin Laden looking like a middle east terrorist photo bombed me with the Argentinian Princess.
A gorgeous girl from Rio.
This is Andrea from Rio, my good friend Andre (RIP) bought her to Australia for a holiday.
Brazil on the left & Argentina on the right
Why does imported fruit always seem so much more exotic? 🙂
Time for some local talent
This is Jade, only on the Gold Coast would you go out like this. Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.
Fun on the Broadwater
Much of the Gold Coast 1995 life revolved around the water, many people like myself lived on the waterfront with our boat tied up to our jetty. The guy in the yellow shirt was a good friend of mine from Melbourne Ross Ansell, & as you can clearly see they seem to be enjoying themselves.
I was having fun as well
Here I am with Pascale & Rene, both gorgeous ladies.
Another party on the jetty
And the beat goes on at Gold Coast 1995, yet another party on the jetty, the guy on the left with his arm around Kandice was John Merryman from Sydney. We knew each other from the old days at Eliza’s in Double Bay in the 70s. The guy in the middle is John Gombos beside my sexy hairdresser Dianne in the red top. On the far right is Ziggy, same name as my Doberman.
Sadly Ziggy passed away around 2018, RIP.
So many girls in 1995 & such little time. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my Gold Coast 1995 photo blog.
Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history.
Adelaide 1972 exciting life for me, it seemed all the planets were perfectly in line to produce perhaps two of the best years of my life.
Planet one, I was 29 years old and in my prime.
Planet two, I was sent there by Sanyo Office Equipment to be State manager on a Sydney wage package, which was around 50% better than an equivalent Adelaide salary.
Planet three, there was an excess number of gorgeous single women waiting to be swept off their feet, and most motivated talented young Adelaide businessmen had headed to the Eastern capital cities to work, because that’s where all the head offices were with most of the top work opportunities.
Mid 70s in Adelaide
All my planets were aligned in Adelaide 1972
So here I was, the new boy in town with loads of money, motivation and truck loads of confidence. It was a similar situation to my arrival in Melbourne four years earlier except I felt decades wiser and totally bulletproof.
I remember the drive from Sydney in my blue MGB, flashing along the highway with the number one tune at the time playing over and over, American Pie by Don McLean. In some way the lyrics seemed to me to symbolize a new beginning, I was excited by the thought of new horizons to conquer, new people to meet and of course new ladies to pursue.
A long, long time ago… I can still remember how that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
Anzac Highway Plympton
The first thing I did was rent a luxury Penthouse on Anzac Highway Plymton in the most prestigious residential building in Adelaide, it was known as “the Spanish Flats” and before too long I turned my apartment into “Party Central”.
The only Adelaide people I knew were Joyce Weir and Vera Lukic, two fun girls I had met a couple of months before while they were holidaying in Sydney. They were both very social out and about types who happily introduced me to many of “the right’ people, party animals like myself.
Another early contact was Charlie Bradley, and neighbour on the ground floor, a good style of a guy who like myself dedicated most of his spare time pursuing the fairer sex. The following year Charlie banned everyone from using that name and insisted on being referred to as Charles, obviously much more refined.
Vera Lukic & Joyce Weir
Two great ladies, sadly Vera passed away around 2012, Joyce lives in Sydney and I still often see on Facebook.
Drinks with friends at Plympton
My circle of friends started to swell exponentially due to these early contacts, and soon ten minutes on the phone was all it took to arrange the next party at my Penthouse. Along came a host of new friends, Wolf Wottke, Graham & John Farquhar, Mike Poulter, Dave Brooker, Dick Wilkins, Ronny Walsh from Broken Hill, Steve Rado, Jan Seagars, Dianne Butson and many others, but more about them later.
Steve was my flatmate in the Penthouse and was I think often quite shocked by the constant shenanigans. A great guy who now in 2015 lives on the Sunshine coast I think. We stay in touch on Facebook, this photo was from 1979 in Sydney.
How time flies when you are having fun, 41 years have past between the previous 2 photos.
This shot was actually in 1975
Taken at Dick Wilkins home in 1975, I thought it was worth including as all the people were close friends when I lived in Adelaide. Angella Savic, Hank Wottke, Di Parkinson & Trevor Beech.
Richard (Dick) Wilkins Adelaide 1972 life
Dick Wilkins was a terrific guy who lived one kilometre away on Cross road Edwardstown, probably the only guy I knew who threw more parties than I, (a lot more) so between the two of us it was nonstop hedonistic heaven.
Angella Savic & Wolf Wottke
Wolf became my best friend while I was living in Adelaide 1972, he eventually left Adelaide and moved into my apartment in Sydney around 1983. Angella also moved to Sydney and became a Qantas hostess, a job I believe she still does to this day. Wolf & Angie were an item for a few years then he hooked up with Jenny, another Greek girl in Sydney. They are still together today.
My favourite Adelaide girl Adelaide 1972 amazing life
Di Butson was a beautiful girl with a lovely nature, if I ever should have married a lady it would have been Di. However at that time of my life in Adelaide 1972 I was just too wild & committed to being single to change my status. Over the years however I sometimes think of Di & how different my life could have been.
Perhaps Glenn Frey can help me here
Dianne’s 21st birthday
Di was one of the nicest ladies I ever knew, I often wonder how life turned out for her.
Did I mention Di was a dancer?
Di was also a teacher with Arthur Murray dance studio in Adelaide.
Jan Seagars & Baxter
Here are three of my favourite memories from when I lived in Adelaide 1972, Jan Seagars, Baxter my red Doberman & my wonderful E-Type Jaguar. Baxter & the Jag came with me to Melbourne in 1974 then on to Sydney in 1976, sadly Jan did not. 🙂
My apartment block and the ones on either side became our own self contained fun park; I could write a book just based on the events that took place there. Six or seven of my friends all ended up living in the complex. One great looking 18 year old was living in the block next door, her name was Jan Seagars and her boyfriend was a well known Norwood football player named Des Flavel.
Jan & I had a nice arrangement going, Des would leave for work at 8 am, and if my bedroom blind was open 50%, it would mean I was alone and she was welcome to visit. Which she did on many occasions, this gave me just enough time for a “quickie” before opening the Sanyo office in Grote St at 9am. Jan had recently won the title of Miss South Australian Beach Girl and at 18 years of age was as close to perfect as a girl could get.
Here is Jan 40 years later in October 2014
Here we are at my friends Droama vineyard 40 years later. Now known as Jan Klain she is still the life of the party.
Check out the red outfit, what was I thinking?
Here I am at Darwin airport with Arch Wilkey & the Ansett hosties from my flight. On the right is Sue, Leah is in the middle & I forget the name of the blonde on the left. Arch was a well know footballer with North Adelaide. Now you can laugh all you want at my crazy red outfit, but I soon got rid of it as you will see in the next photo taken a couple of hours later. 🙂
R.I.P Arch
North Adelaide premiership player Arch Wilkey died on the 29 th September 2007 at the age of 61 after a long battle with an inoperable brain tumour. Arch played 73 games for North Adelaide between 1966 and 1974 and was a member of the 1971 premiership side. He was a mercurial footballer who epitomised the North Adelaide style of the late 1960s.
North were renowned as a high marking, long kicking side full of brilliant players and Arch fitted the mould perfectly. It is contended that Arch was the first player to make the number 23 as famous as it is today – being followed by the likes of Michael Jordan, Dermott Brereton, Shane Warne, David Wildy and Andrew McLeod. No doubt each was inspired by Arch’s brilliance as an athlete and chose to wear “his” number.
In his early career he played mainly at half forward but when Mike Patterson came to the club Arch played more as a defender. Injury curtailed his career. He missed the complete 1972 season with a knee injury, and after playing in the 1973 preliminary final missed the Grand Final with injury.
He retired in 1974 and moved to Darwin to live. As much as Arch was remembered as a brilliant player, he was also known as a wonderful and happy character. Soon after he moved to Darwin, Cyclone Tracey hit. When asked what it was like, Arch replied that it was almost as scary as playing Port at Alberton.
On the way to Manton Dam
Adelaide 1972 exciting life with Leah & Sue
Manton Dam 70 Kms south of Darwin
Leah & Sue at Manton dam
Lets see more of Leah 🙂
Those were the days my friend we thought they would never end.
Bob (Fatty) Francis
Another old friend of mine was well know DJ Bob Francis, he retired in 2013 after 57 years in Radio. This photo was from 1997, sadly I just received the news in November 2016 that Bob has passed away peacefully in his sleep, RIP old mate.
Thanks for visiting my Adelaide 1972 exciting life photo blog.
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Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life, was a very good year for me, as were many others. I intend to publish posts on the years I remember most vividly, & there have been quite a few. The header shows the view I had from my apartment at 112 Wrights Rd Drummoyne in Sydney, where I lived from 1979 to 1984. With my white Mercedes Sports in the garage, my Bertram 25 moored out front, plus my very own liquor store in Sydenham, some good friends and a string of beautiful girlfriends, life was very close to perfect.
The boat
I had the perfect mooring right outside my apartment, we had so much fun on Sydney harbor visiting all the great beaches & restaurants.
The car
My beautiful Mercedes Sports was the ultimate chick magnet.
The babes
As I said earlier, my life was as close to perfect as you could get.
Lets begin on New Years Eve 1981
One of the best NYEs of my life, we overloaded my boat with 16 people and headed off to a seafood restaurant at “the Spit” for dinner before heading to the Opera House for the incredible fireworks. My girlfriend for the night was the gorgeous one in the middle, very unusual that I can’t remember her name.
New Year’s Eve 1981, the Great Escape.
It was like we were caught in a Beirut bomb zone with huge sky rockets peppering the overloaded boat, causing some of my friends to dive overboard in the middle of the harbor to escape the carnage.
Let’s backtrack to the start of our adventure, it was NYE 1981 and 15 of my friends boarded my Bertram 25 and headed for a seafood restaurant near the “Spit bridge” on Middle Harbor in Sydney. Onboard were some of my best friends, Wolf Wottke, Harley Bradstreet, George McEwan & Graham “Biff” LaRoche from Melbourne and 6 or 7 gorgeous girls. My boat was licensed to carry around 10 or 12 people however it was New Year’s Eve so who really cared?
We moored on the edge of the sand at the rear of the restaurant and at 8.30 pm sat down and ordered a feast. Here is where things started to go wrong, we hadn’t factored in the NYE crowd and the food was very slow to arrive, in fact it was after 11 pm by the time the waiter started to serve our meal. By then we were well along the road to intoxication as we had started drinking late afternoon at my apartment in Drummoyne.
As the Sydney fireworks were due to start at midnight we decided to pack up most of the food and head for the Sydney Opera house to watch the spectacular event.
We faced our second problem re-boarding the boat as the tide had come in and the boat was now floating 30 meters from the shore. Our only option was to wade out carrying the boxed up food in water almost up to our backside. The good news was our nice view of the girls hiking up their skirts waist high, which endorses the phrase that every cloud has a silver lining.
Now “Biff” was a huge man as the name implies, & Harley was almost a midget, sometimes we would cruelly refer to him as an ariel photograph of as human being. So with Harley clutching a cardboard box filled with oysters “Biff” tucked him under his arm and carried him towards the boat.
I’m not sure why “Biff” dropped him, when only 2 meters from the boat, perhaps Harley wriggled or maybe “Biff” was feeling the effects of too many beers. Anyhow Harley briefly disappeared underwater along with the box of precious oysters, which I’m please to say we did recover.
Harley was our own human disaster area, if something was going to go wrong he was usually at the center of things, in fact it was Harley who coined the memorable phrase “anyone can have a bad decade”.
By the time we all got on board it was around 11.30 pm and is was a good 30 minute journey to the Opera House so I gave the boat full throttle and sped toward the Harbour Bridge.
We arrived in record time about 11.55 and I was weaving through the 1500 or so boats like a drunken sailor, which of course I was, searching for a spot to anchor that was not too close to any of the hundreds of spectator craft. Hallelujah, what seemed to be a minor miracle unfolded before my eyes. A clear circle of water right in the middle of all the boats, so naturally I gave out a cheer and dropped the anchor just as the first fireworks explosion sounded right above us.
Elation quickly turned to fear as huge smoking wooden rods started raining down upon us. As I said at the start It was like we were caught in a Beirut bomb zone with huge sky rockets peppering the overloaded boat causing some of my friends, in particular Harley, to dive overboard in the middle of the harbor to escape the carnage. In the middle of the mayhem & panic it suddenly occurred to me we were smack bang in the middle of the fireworks “drop zone” which the water police had cleared in readiness for the show before retreating out of danger themselves.
I sprang into action like a drunken super hero and pulled up the anchor in record time, then fled the danger zone. No mean feat as my boat lacked an electric winch, so I had to manually pull the damn thing up by hand while standing on the bow.
We moored safely out of harm’s way and assessed the damage, naturally Harley was the most wounded, soaking wet with minor burns on his arm, plus a few small cuts from the smashed champagne bottle he was holding when hit by the first rocket.
Well we settled down and watched the rest of the fireworks reliving the experience that would be told many times over in the coming years, our own personal “great escape”.
Later we motored along the Parramatta River to Habberfield to drop off some passengers, and finally returned “drunk as skunks” to Drummoyne at dawn. Later that day George, Biff & I on impulse flew to the Gold Coastto continue our New Year celebrations.
The fabulous Opera House
One of the world’s great buildings.
New Years Eve 1982, the party continues…..
It seems 1982 was one continual never-ending party, here I am NYE in Sydney 1982 with Steve Bates, Helen Burke & Robyn Underwood.
Doyles restaurant & the Watson’s Bay hotel
Three or four times a week my boat & I would head for Doyles restaurant & the Watson’s Bay hotel at Watson’s Bay. This was our favourite destination for long drunken lunches.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life with Helen Burke.
Helen & I spent most of 1982 together after bumping into each other (having not been in contact for several years) at Melbas nightclub in Surfers Paradise on the evening of January the 1st, the night after my epic “great escape” on Sydney Harbour.
I caught up with Helen again in 2014 at her home in Dromanawhere she produces excellent wine.
Grahame aka “Biff”, Kitty & Helen Burke.
January 1982 and the party continued on the Gold Coast. The new sexy girl in the photo was “Kitty” a totally uninhibited Dutch girl who I knew from Sydney, but that’s another story. 🙂
Kitty
Without a doubt one of the sexiest most uninhibited women I have ever known.
I rest my case
Biff is in heaven as you can see from the look on his face. 🙂
Lunch at Coolangatta
This was at Oscars on the beach with Graham La Roche and crazy Polly, I forget the other guys name.
A very difficult achievement
Here is Kitty, Di & Helen helping me achieve one of those very important difficult goals that I set myself during my younger years. Three ladies that I have bonked in one photo, that’s kind of like winning 3 Olympic gold medals, made more difficult when each of the three knew about the other two, priceless. 🙂
Kitty & her two sisters.
Three happy beautiful Dutch girls.
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Good friends at my home in Drummoyne Sydney 1982
Here is Graham LaRoche, George McEwan & Kitty’s two beautiful Dutch sisters in Sydney 1982.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life with Helen & Teresa
Helen Burke from Melbourne & Teresa Hamilton-Smith from Adelaide, oh oh! How can I not include the lovely Kitty? Make that my three favourite girls. 🙂
Well ladies, I have an idea
Say no more. 🙂
OK, check out these beautiful girls in Sydney 1982
Sandy & Teresa Beautiful Jenny
The perfect day on the harbour with a boatload of beautiful ladies, Sydney 1982 flying high.
Here is a short video I took on NYE 2012 of the view from my condo at Drummoyne.
Home sweet home 1979 to 1985.
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David Herd & Vin Deveroux in Los Angeles.
My friend Vinny picked me up at the airport in a Roller, then we headed straight to La Cage de Folles to meet Christeen Rudas a friend from Australia.
Christine Rudas
Christine was a hostess at La Cage de Folles.
Gorgeous Blonde at La Cage de Folles
Apparently she was in a show called Hee Haw, the closest match I can find is Gunilla Hutton, the age would be about right but I’m not sure if that is really who she is.
La piece de resistance
So here is my 15 minutes of fame I guess, lucky enough to meet Liberace and get a photo with him.
For many years Ian ran a tennis ranch in Los Angeles, in fact I think he still does in 2016.
We stopped in Hawaii on the way home
I went to L.A. for 2 months with Steve Bates then Helen joined us for the final 4 weeks. We drove to Vegas, Mount Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and down the coat to L.A. Helen & I also flew down to Puerto Vallarta for a few days.
Every time I hear this song I’m transported back to the Californian coast
April 1982, guess where I am?
We drove from Vegas to SFC.
Dinner at Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf SFC.
Helen was never considered shy and introverted. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thinking about my life in 1982 with all the babes, boats, gold chains & big hair, reminds me of another of my favourite songs from that year. Do yourself a favour & let Bertie take you back.
Bertie Higgins - "Key Largo" (Official Music Video)
Madison & Emma Aboud
Emma was the daughter of my ex girlfriend Carol Aboud, here she is with my wonderful German Shepherd Madison.
Don Morris was CEO at Mojo Advertising
Don was another good friend from Sydney 1982, we did a lot of boating together & drank a few cold beers.
Captain Peter (Hollywood) Hobbs & Liz De Crossan
One thing I can say about Peter in Sydney 1982 he could always attract the good looking ladies. I’m probably being unkind, Liz as you can see was extremely beautiful.
Jenny Dale, another lovely lady
I was lucky enough to have a little fling with this gorgeous lady.
Yolande, the Macleans girl
Even in a poor quality photo she is still beautiful.
Check out the video.
Denny Collins & Peter Hesky
Two good friends for the 70s & 80s.
Good friend Denny Collins, RIP.
Denny was a great fellow, he sadly passed away after a long illness about 4 years ago.
Valli Kemp, beautiful big eyes.
Valli was quite a well known Sydney model in those days.
Sydney 1982 flying high
On the left is Wolfgang who was my best friend through the 70s and early 80s.
Can life get any better than this?
I really doubt if there has been a better stage in my life than Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life.
As you can see Sydney 1982 was really a non stop party, those were the days my friend we thought they would never end. 🙂
Piazza del Duomo Milan Northern Italy is one of my favourite places in Europe. Here is the entrance to The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is the world’s oldest shopping mall. The arcade principally contains luxury retailers selling haute couture, jewelry, books and paintings, as well as restaurants, cafes and bars. In 2012, a McDonald’s restaurant was prevented from renewing its tenancy in the mall, after 20 years of occupancy.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
As of 2013, the arcade principally contains luxury retailers selling haute couture, jewelry, books and paintings, as well as restaurants, cafés, and bars. The Galleria is famous for being home to some of the oldest shops and restaurants in Milan, such as Biffi Caffè (founded in 1867 by Paolo Biffi, pastry chef to the monarch), the Savini restaurant, the silverware store Bernasconi and the Art Nouveau classic Zucca’s Bar.
In 2012, a McDonald’s restaurant was prevented from renewing its tenancy in the mall, after 20 years of occupancy. The restaurant contended that it was the only mall tenant to be denied the right of first refusal on its new lease, and that the public tender to replace it was “unfair”. McDonald’s has sued the landlord—the city of Milan—for €24 million in damages, alleging that the loss of the lease will deprive McDonald’s of €6 million per year in sales. During its last few hours of operation, the restaurant offered free food and drink to over 5000 customers. The McDonald’s restaurant was replaced with the mall’s second Prada store.
Music at the Galleria
Play it again Sam. 🙂
One of the many sidewalk cafes in Piazza del Duomo Milan
Watching the world go by in Milan. 🙂
Piazza del Duomo Milan Northern Italy
In the Piazza Del Duomo Milan you will find the magnificent Milan Cathedral, and at the edge of the square is the entrance to The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is the world’s oldest shopping mall. Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. Wikipedia
Milan Cathedral
One of the most incredible buildings I have ever seen.
Piazza Del Duomo Milan
Too many pigeons are never enough. 🙂
Giuseppe Garibaldi in Piazzale Carioli (“piazza Castello”)
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian general and politician. He is Considered, with Camillo Cavour, Giuseppe Mazzini and Victor Emmanuel II, as one of Italy’s “fathers of the fatherland.” Wikipedia
Milan has some great cafes
Remember in Italy coffee is always cheaper if you stand at the bar. 🙂
David Herd with a very friendly bartender at Cafe Milano.
Piazza del Duomo Milan & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele are both wonderful places to spend a couple of hours drinking coffee and watching the passing parade.
Thanks for visiting my Piazza del Duomo Milan Northern Italy photo blog.
Towns on the NSW coast are really worth visiting, starting 80 kilometres north of Sydney we have Ettalong on the Central coast. This small town has so many wonderful memories for me as it was the place my family spent the Xmas holidays from when I was a small baby until I was a teenager. In those days the road was quite dangerous and wound around the mountains like a snake around a pole. The journey in those days took about 2.5 hours, now it’s just over an hour on the motorway.
Ettalong in 1953
Here I am at 10 years of age with young brother Warren and my grandmother Nan Tippett. Here is somewhere to stay in Ettalong with magnificent views over the water, the Tantra apartments.
Terrigal
Thirty minutes further north and a little more upmarket is Terrigal, another very popular holiday destination. Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous Aboriginal place name, signifying ‘place of little birds’. The town’s long beach is highly popular with tourists.
My favourite NSW coastal town, 400 kilometres north of Sydney, in fact my Australian residential address is here at my brother’s home. Warren has lived here for over 20 years and I always visit when I am in Australia.
Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.
Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia
Port Macquarie is a retirement destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its koala population, being the home to the Billabong Koala Park, and the Koala Preservation Society’s Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles.
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Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney, and 390 km south of Brisbane. Coffs Harbour is one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and TheGold Coast.
Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia
The Observatory hotel is just a short walk to several restaurants and cafes, the only downside is being woken early in the morning when the first train stops at the station 50 meters in front of the hotel.
Yamba Clarence River NSW Coast has a population of just over 6,000, which tends to triple in the holiday season. The economy is based on tourism & fishing.
Iluka at the mouth of the Clarence River.
Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW coast. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba. At the 2006 census, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people. The town’s name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning “near the sea”. It has long beaches on the ocean side of the river. It is reached by turning off the Pacific Highway approximately 20 kilometres north of Maclean. As Iluka is a popular tourist destination its population increases slightly in the holiday season with many Gold Coasters in the summer and Victorians in the winter.
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is a beach-side town located in the far-north-eastern corner of the state of New South Wales. It is located 772 kilometres north of Sydney and 165 kilometres south of Brisbane. The history of Europeans in Byron Bay began in 1770, when Captain James Cook found a safe anchorage and named Cape Byron after John Byron.
It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast; the scenery also attracts skydivers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.
Byron Bay
Only a 60 drive from where I lived in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, I would occasionally drive down for lunch at the famous pub near the beach. One of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.
Byron Bay lighthouse NSW coast
Australia’s most easterly point.
Magnificent deserted beach near Byron Bay
Miles of deserted beaches are all along this part of the coast. I intend to live somewhere along this coast around 2022. Hopefully I will find a little bolt hole where I can live in peace until I die. 🙂
Kingscliff Northern Rivers Coast NSW
A fairly typical coastal town with lots of coffee shops, tourists & terrific beaches.
Point Danger NSW coast
Port Danger is on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a very popular location for surfers.
Port Danger
Thanks for visiting my Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia photo blog, it certainly is one of the world’s great coastlines.
