Bondi Beach Eastern Suburbs Sydney is an iconic landmark known throughout the world & synonymous with the Australian lifestyle. Having said all that to me it’s rather overrated. This great photo was taken by my old friend Barry Madden from Newcastle north of Sydney.
Looking south
I think there are many nicer beaches and beach-side suburbs along the Sydney & NSW coast. I certainly prefer Manly on the northside of the harbour.
North end of the beach
Bondi Beach was a working class suburb all through the twentieth century, migrants from New Zealand were the majority of the population. After World War II, Bondi Beach and the Eastern Suburbs became home for Jewish migrants from Poland, Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany. A stream of Jewish immigration continued into the 21st century and the area has a number of synagogues and a kosher butcher. The area today is very multicultural with a lot of new wealthy Asian families and Samoans. The multicultural migration funded and drove the growth of the suburb throughout the 90’s into the turn of the century, moving it steadily from its working class roots towards upper/middle class enclavesimilar to its neighbours of Rose Bay and Bellevue Hill which was listed as the most expensive postcode in the country in 2003, 2004, 2005.
Coffee at Bondi Beach Sydney
While my English friend the intrepid Bill Austin went for a swim, Joan & I enjoyed coffee & cake and watched the passing parade.
The orange building Hotel Bondi is a landmark on Campbell Parade. It was built from 1915-1920s and was designed by E.Lindsay Thompson. It combines Italianate, Federation and Free Classical elements and has been described as an “important landmark building in the Bondi Beach townscape.” and has a state heritage listing.
Food Friends Family Sydney, in 2010 the reason for my visit was to show Joan & Bill, my friends from Wiltshire in the UK, my wonderful home town with the best harbour in the world.
This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from 2010.
Overnight at Port Macquarie
We stay at Port Macquarie at my brother’s home on the way to Sydney, there was a vintage car rally with some terrific examples.
On top of the world.
You may be wondering why I didn’t make the climb, well that can be easily narrowed down to one word, FEAR!
Food Friends Family Sydney
Dinner with friends at French’s Forest in Sydney.
Peter Hobbs & Peter Hesky.
A couple of friends I have known since the 70s, Peter Hobbs occasionally visits Pattaya but Peter Hesky never makes contact anymore.
Warwick Robinson, David Herd & Michael Saleh.
It’s always good to catch up with old friends when I’m in Sydney.
Peter Hobbs drinking the good stuff.
Sparkling French Champagne to wash down the pasta. 🙂
Warwick loves his food
However it caught up with him in 2013, he underwent a triple heart bypass, so much for over indulgence. 🙂 Now here is quite a coincidence, his heart surgeon was Dr Alan Farnsworth, he was captain of our rugby team at Homebush High school in Sydney & I was vice captain. From memory he was dux of the school & I struggled to pass my intermediate, however we were both pretty good footballers.
While I’m on the nostalgia kick I fondly remember our football coach Peter Philpott, an Australian leg spinner & a terrific guy.
Manly Wharf Hotel with old friend Paul Slaughter
Paul & I spent a lot of time together over the years.
Always lots of eye candy Sunday afternoon at Manly.
Drinks & Dinner at the Oaks
Dinner with Bill & Joan and my lovely niece Elyssa.
Herd family Xmas at cousin Deb’s house.
What a feast, cousin Deb really knows how to entertain.
My other nice Elyssa Xmas 2010
Fast forward to 2018 and Elyssa is the proud mother of a gorgeous little girl.
Main St Auburn NSW
The street really has not changed much in 50 years.
I grew up here at 58 Kihilla Rd Auburn
I took a sentimental journey to Auburn, the Sydney suburb I grew up in. The main st had not changed much except for the Vietnamese & Muslim establishments. My real shock came when I drove past our family home at 58 Kihilla Rd, it was now totally run down, a very heartbreaking sight for me.
Thanks for visiting my Food Friends Family Home Town Sydney photo blog.
Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.
Manly Sydney beach-side suburb is one of my favourite places in Australia. Most visitors arrive by ferry from Circular Quay, a 30 minute journey which showcases the best harbour in the world.
A great place for drinks, food and lots of eye candy.
Cold beer beside the harbour
Sunday afternoon is a busy time at the Manly wharf hotel.
Old friend Paul Slaughter
We have enjoyed many Sunday afternoons drinking cold beer and watching the young girls pass by. Both of us fully realise at our age we are totally invisible to them. Ah! I’m so happy to be living in Pattaya. 🙂
Fish & chips at Manly beach
I was showing my friend Sue from Shanghai the delights of manly, so naturally we had to sample the famous fish & chips. 🙂
Sydney Circular Quay Manly Ferry is one of the most famous trips in this great city. I remember a slogan from when I was a child, “7 miles from Sydney & 1000 miles from care”. This was the slogan used by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company in 1940 to describe Manly “Australia’s Premier Seaside Resort”.
Nice small hotel in a good location, for a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.
Docked at Manly wharf.
You can sit here and watch the ships roll in.
Lunch at Manly
Sue & I eating traditional fish & chips at Manly beach, and they said in the 40s, “7 miles from Sydney & 1000 miles from care”. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my Sydney Circular Quay Manly Ferry photo blog.
Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history.
Tyrrel’s Hunter Valley
Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley
Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley in 1996 started on the Gold Coast where I was living life to the max. The highlight was a great road trip in my Porsche 928 with good friend Ross Kennedy to the Hunter Valley, Sydney, Falls Creek & Melbourne. Also caught up with an old friend from the Gold Coast Jill McCrossan, one very sexy lady.
Talking about sexy ladies
Well Emily certainly was in that category.
Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish, also note this post contains nudity, so if you are bothered by naked humans please leave now.
Drinks at Saks
Drinks at Saks before going to the Ray White ball at the Sheraton Mirage. From the left we have a girl whose name I forget, then Phil (Swifty) Gregory, Claudia Scrupin, Duncan McGuiness, Emily and yours truly David Herd.
Little did they realise at the time but Swifty and Emily would marry and have a couple of kids.
Great photo, if I say so myself. 🙂
Such a beautiful big smile.
Saks was our main haunt
Saks was a great bar at Main Beach owned by Duncan McGuiness and Steve Solomon. Their main business was building upmarket housing estates. A couple of very nice guys who sadly went broke around 2011 and their company Solmac went into liquidation.
Saks with Eugene and Debbie. This was a memorable night at Saks, I watched as Plugger Lockhart kicked a famous point to put the Swans into the Grand Final.
One of the hottest babes in 1996
I met Donna Turnerin Sydney when she was 18 yo, even after various husbands and 3 or 4 children she still looks as hot as ever, especially in my kitchen. 🙂
Hot Hot Hot in Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley
It is now 20 years later in 2016 and Donna is still a hot chick.
My favourite song from 1996
The technicolour team
Duncan McGuiness, Jim Bell, Ross Kennedy and David Herd.
At the polo
These two gorgeous babes were known as Lushy and Mushy, can’t remember their real names. 🙂
Ami and Alan Pearson.
Alan was a friend of mine when I lived in Adelaide in the 70s, he now earns his living as a musician in Airlie Beach.
Mami & Mariko
Two gorgeous Japanese girls who often called into my home in Upton St for drinks and fun.
I did mention fun didn’t I? 🙂 🙂 🙂
Everybody loves Tim Tams.
Billy James & Allison Schroeder
Billy was a well known Gold Coast real estate identity and Allison one of the sexiest chicks in town.
Allison 18 yo in in 1987
I was lucky enough to take Allison out a few times in 1987 my first year living on the Gold Coast. Although I was about 25 years older than her I used the “tried & true” technique, I promised her the world and bought her an atlas. 🙂
Visiting Tim in Sydney
Ross Kennedy and I took a road trip in my Porsche to Falls Creek for some skiing, stopping on the way at the Hunter Valley & Sydney. I knew about Rossco’s fascination with gangsters and the underworld so naturally I took him to meet Big Tim Bristow at his home in Newport.
Tim’s beast
We were there an hour or two listening to some of Tim’s stories most of which I had heard before many times. As usual Tim’s phone never stopped ringing, but there was one call Ross & I will never forget. Roger Rogerson was in many ways more notorious than Tim, he was known for being a ruthless crooked cop who shot first and asked questions later, the most famous case being where he shot and killed Warren Lanfranchi in a back alley in Chippendale.
Oaks Hotel with old friends
Derek Pugh, Ian Rich& Paul Slaughter, Pauls sister on the left and his girlfriend Clode on the right.
Falls creek, let the games begin.
We had a terrific few days, drinking too much and having some of the most spectacular falls ever seen at Fall’s Creek. Little did I realise after this 1996 adventure I would never ski again.
Melbourne
Drinks with Rossco’s friends in South Yarra, from the left Ross Kennedy aka “Shoeless Joe Jackson, David Herd aka “The Cincinnati Kid”, Craig Belcher and Johnny Mac.
Yum Cha in Chinatown
This gorgeous girl Jaqui O’Brien actually lived in my house for a few months in 1987, she then worked with me for a short time in 1998. A lovely lady until she had one drink too many, she then turned into a nightmare. Rossco came up with a classic name for her, “Jacqui Petrol”. 🙂
Rossco & DH
The high rollers have hit town. 🙂
On the subject of gorgeous girls
Meet Jill McCrossan, another super hot chick I was lucky enough to be involved with.
Felling no pain
I’m too sexy for my shirt. 🙂
A day at the beach in Coffs Harbour
We had a great couple of days at Tony Murphy’sapartment, the spa was excellent. 🙂
Both sides look great
A great view from every direction.
Meanwhile back on the Gold Coast
Natalina from the coast and Rodney Rosenfeld from Melbourne.
John Sinclair & John Cece
Both these guys moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast, they were good friends and now mortal enemies. 🙂
Great fun in Manila
Here I am with Simone and Doug Ritchie in some club in Makati. 🙂
Pascal, Junko and Rene
Pascal was gorgeous girl, 1/2 French & 1/2 Vietnamese, Junko is the Japanese wife of my good friend Phil Thomson and Rene was a rather sexy Australian girl. 🙂
And the beat goes on
This is a rather significant photo, on the left is Larry Krausz, a good friend to all of us. It’s now 2017 and he is fighting a huge battle in Robina hospital on the Gold Coast. Larry suffered a major stroke on October 28th in Pattaya where he had been living large for almost a year. Our best wishes are with Larry, hopefully he will recover enough to lead a comfortable life.
Maybe one more look at Donna
Certainly one of the sexiest ladies ever to decorate my kitchen. 🙂
One more shot of lovely Emily
As you can see Emily was a total knockout.
New Years Eve at Mustang Sally’s.
One of my regular Main Beach haunts.
Farewell folks
Thanks for visiting my Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley photo blog.
This is not part of my travel blog just my personal photographic history.
Thailand Brazil England
Thailand Brazil England 2009 are not included in this post, they are trips I made through this year, as well as visiting Sydney in November. Brazil was another great experience which included a fascinating tour through Rocinha Favella. My England trip included Lands End, as well as St Ives & the nice seaside village of Lime Regis.
So althoughThailand Brazil England are not included in this post you can access them by clicking on the above links.
Seaway with Labrador in the background.
If I had the money this is the type of boat I would like to own.
I clearly remember one night Dani trying to climb through a gap at the top of my front gate and getting jammed. Her screams could be heard for miles.
Super high tide at home
A tide like this only happened two or three times a year, always at however.
Phil Thomson and I had the same model Lexus.
Mine was the white one, even though it was only a 1998 model it is best value car $ for $ I have ever owned.
One of my lovely Japanese borders
Tall and beautiful.
Old friend from the 80s.
The shortest lady in the black top is Teresa Hamilton-Smith who was one of my girlfriends in Sydney in 1982, that’s her daughter on the right & on the far left is her sister Lexi Hamilton-Smith. Terry is married to an English guy & now lives in the U.K.
Tony & I have been friends since the early 80s, of course I now live in Thailand but when I visit the Gold Coast Tony & his wife Nikki always find a bed for me in their lovely home.
This is not a travel blog, it is part of my personal photo history .
Flying high fifty years old
Flying high fifty years old living in Surfers Paradise, working for Metway bank & living life to the max. A great trip to Berlin & Prague with a stopover in Bangkok on the way home. Helen & Helenka are in the photo having Birthday drinks at Broadbeach tavern, can’t remember the name of the girl on the left.
I’m also getting a great buzz re-visiting some of my fantastic years. Some of the photos contain nudity & certain comments may offend the narrow minded, so if you are in this category it’s probably best to close the page & move on.
Flying high fifty years old with my great old friend Harley Bradstreet
Harley and I have been friends since about 1968.
Female bouncer at Cocos.
This well built is the only female bouncer I have seen working in a nightclub. As you can see she took no nonsense from Harley. Then again Harley could talk underwater with a mouth-full of marbles so she may have just been trying to shut him up. 🙂
Stacy at Rio’s in Orchard Avenue
Stacey was absolutely gorgeous.
Georgie, Sonya & Dave Hamilton.
Dave was the owner of the club, a wild Scotsman who was always getting himself into trouble, mainly street fighting. Sonya was a Kiwi who was as mad as a snake. Georgie was a gorgeous blonde singer from Perth.
Steve Jones (RIP) & Dave Barnes (RIP)
Sadly both these lads have passed away, Dave in early 2016 and Steve about 10 years prior to this.
Beautiful Kelly Davis
For a few months in 1993 I was lucky enough to be taking out this gorgeous lady. This is proof that I was flying high in 1993.
Kelly Davis
Say no more.
Japanese for dinner
Great dinner opposite the casino at Broadbeach with Kelly Davis, Sandy Ansell & Helen Burke. Kelly & I went home by boat, I dropped anchor in a quiet part of the river & enjoyed one of the most memorable hours I have had with any woman in my life. 🙂
Happy friends at Marina Mirage
On the left is an American guy called Henry Geller, 2nd from the right is Tony Sweurs a guy I knew in Sydney who is now living in Belo Horizonte in Brazil.
Jill McCrossan with Tony Sweurs & Lorana from Brazil
What time can we start having fun?
Andre Buzek on Chevron Island
Andre was one of my best friends and a total party animal. He told everyone, especially the cute girls he was French when in fact he was from Prague in Czechoslovakia, sounded more sophisticated I guess. 🙂 Sadly within a years of this photo being taken he lost his life in a car accident in Cuba.
Andrea from Rio de Janeiro & Andre Buzek
One two occasions when Andre traveled to Rio de Janeiro he bought back to Australia an exotic Brazilian girl for a holiday. Andrea was fairly calm compared to the one he bought out the following year who was younger and wilder.
Flying high fifty years old with Andrea from Rio.
Here is a funny story, I had a day scheduled to visit Metway bank branches in Lismore & Ballina so I generously took Andrea with me to see some of the Australian country. We stopped for lunch in Byron Bay and were hitting it off famously. Knowing the reputation of many Brazilian girls I made sure we arrived back at my home a couple of hours before Andre finished work. Well it took no more than 10 minutes for this gorgeous tall Brazilian to shed her clothes & drag me into the bedroom. By the time Andre arrived to take her home we were composed and innocently awaiting his arrival. 🙂
Coral Knowles, Andre Buzek & Helen Burke.
One of my favorite photos, Andre’s eyes always lit up around attractive females. Also around some that were not so attractive, it never mattered to Andre as long as they were female & breathing. 🙂
Eddy Bonaventure , Jill Mc Crossan & Andre Buzek
WOW! Did we have some fun in those days? Yes we did, you better believe it. 🙂
Flying high with the Melbourne girls
The parties & barbecues seemed to never stop all through the fabulous 1990s.
Another Sunday lunch at home
A typical lunch at Upton St.
Two beautiful Koreans
I feel like a rose between 2 thorns. 🙂
The big guy is Graham LaRoche aka Biff.
Harley & Biff are with another one of the lovely Korean girls who enjoyed out parties. There is a terrific story about these two guys on my 1982 post called New Year’s Eve 1981, the Great Escape.
Another Sunday lunch at my home.
You will notice how Harley always like to dress up in his army fatigues.
My favourite song from 1993
Winnie Andre & Harley.
Winnie was from South Africa, she loved a party. Andre of course was always in the thick of the action. Harley in this photo looks a lot like Col Gaddafi.
Eugine Korin has company at Kooralbyn
Kooralbyn was a great gold course which sadly has shut down in the last few years.
Two Tonys Murphy & Bonner
This was Coffs Harbour where Murphy was working & Tony Bonner was in a motorbike rally.
Sonya was a Kiwi with very few inhibitions, check out the photo below if you want to see her in her birthday suit. However please remember my warning at the start of this post, in case you have forgotten……
Sonia in all her glory
Andre is also going nuts on the slideshow, check it out before they censor it. 🙂
I told you he was crazy
I will never forget you old mate.
Sexy Suzie is on the slide show as well.
She was as cheeky as they come. 🙂
Why wait, here she is. 🙂
Just like little apples.
Sexy Jill Mcrossan
Jill was a lovely sexy lady who was always fun to be with. She now lives in Sydney and I bumped into her at Manly about 3 years ago.
Patpong Road Bangkok
On my way home from Prague & Berlin I stopped in Bangkok to meet my dear mother who was on holidays there with a friend. Naturally I had to visit Patpong for some R & R.
At Coolum with Robert Allemby
May as well finish where I started, playing a round at Coolum with Robert Allemby, is that like 15 minutes of fame. 🙂
Australian Gold Coast is spectacular, semi tropical climate, 25 kilometers of beautiful beaches, an amazing skyline and lots of good restaurants & bars.
Soul is a 243 m (797 ft) tall residential tower local on the corner of Cavill Avenue and The Esplanade in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has overtaken Circle on Cavill as the second tallest building on the Gold Coast, behind Q1. The building was approved by the Gold Coast City Council in October 2004 and finished construction in 2012 along with the next stage of the Gold Coast renovation project. Use THIS LINK to book a great rate at the Hilton.
The tall blue building is Q1 a skyscraperin Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It lost its title as the world’s tallest residential tower to the 348 metre building The Marina Torch in Dubai on 29 April 2011.Wikipedia
A surfboat is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach.
Home extension budget blowout was due to the many changes I made to my original plan. I wasn’t satisfied with just adding a 2nd floor. The photo above was taken just after my home was built in 1990.
Day one the job begins
From here on nothing will ever be the same.
Laying the slab
My builder Ari is the guy with the shovel, one of the hardest working guys I have ever seen.
Dad’s army take a coffee break
Ari and his guys were the hardest working tradesmen I have ever seen.
Seeing some progress with home extension
Starting to see some progress with my home extension, these guys really work fast.
Now we are getting somewhere.
I really wanted to give the home “street appeal” something it didn’t have in its original form.
Brickwork & a fancy door.
Painting the door was one of my jobs. 🙂
The tree has gotta go
It was like losing a friend, I had planted it 14 years ago.
Timberrrrrr!!!!!
There goes my beautiful tree.
Starting to look terrific
This is the point it’s all starting to look fantastic.
Laying the floor
There is no job these guys can’t handle.
The kitchen takes shape
It’s easy to be wise after the event, on the original plans a stairway was supposed to lead from that wall to the main house downstairs, for some reason we left it out which later proved to be a mistake.
Laying Terracotta tiles
The finishing touches.
The downstairs studio $250 pw.
The jewel in this home extension is this fabulous little studio completely self contained with a private entrance.
Beautiful private courtyard for the studio apartment
Quite a beautiful peaceful area for the granny flat.
Upstairs lounge & kitchen
When I look at this home extension which cost me double the original quote of $120,000 I feel it was all worth it. Uptairs consists of 3 bedrooms & two bathrooms and downstairs a separate private studio apartment.
Bedroom & en-suite
OK, so the chair should really have been dumped.
Beautiful courtyard
Quite spectacular at night.
Courtyard & front entrance
I was very happy with the entrance to my new home.
I really love the front gate & entrance
Now how good does that look?
The fabulous finished product
One of main main goals with this home extension other than creating rooms I could rent to students was to give my home more “street appeal” to help when the time came to sell. I think I certainly achieved that.
My dream home
The finished product was wonderful however I made some big mistakes in my overall scheme of things. I did not do enough research on council regulations regarding student rental, secondly I never anticipated the reaction from my feral neighbours who were always complaining to council about anything & everything. These people the Ryan family at 108 Upton proved to be cowardly & malicious. I often wondered why until a policeman friend of mine pointed out the increase in complaints from neighbours always increased after major renovations due to their uncontrollable jealousy.
Finally my biggest mistake was building such a large home which made it very difficult to finally sell. It was just far too big for the average family, without realizing it I had placed myself in a small range of under 10% of buyers. Apart from all that I was very proud & thrilled with the final product, it also gave me a great sense of achievement to design & create my dream home.
Part of my personal online photo albums, as opposed to my FiveStarVagabond travel blog.
Home Gold Coast 1990
Home Gold Coast 1990 was a great thrill for me, I also completely designed the layout & drove the builder crazy by checking the progress every day. The address is 106 Upton St Bundall, QLD Australia 4217.
This post also features many of the terrific people I crossed paths with in 1990. Apologies for the poor quality photos, it was very early day for digital cameras.
Dream home 1990 & a new boat
I was working for Metway Bank & took out a loan to build the house, the interest rate was 12.5%, can you believe it? I also still owned my previous home in Claymore Crescent Sorrento.
Followed by new girl. 🙂
Karen Greenwood was a Kiwi & we spent the next 12 months or so together.
My favourite song from 1990
Madison & my car fleet completed the set. 🙂
My best friend Madison & my Mini Moke came with me in January 1987 when we moved from Newport Beach in Sydney to Surfers Paradise.
At Coolum with Ross Radford & John Sprouster.
These two great guys were my bosses, John was GM at Macdougals Ltd at 58 Clarence St Sydney which was my first selling job in office equipment. Ross owned Sanyo Office Machines & sent me to Adelaide in 1972then Melbourne in 1974.
Helen Burke at Coolum golf resort
This lovely lady really knew how to have fun., + she had a fabulous pair of Bazookas.
Bryan Dart, Greg Hughes & Wayne Jones
We often played golf as I was a member at Sanctuary Cove, Greg forever the village joker took my putter and had it shortened by 4 inches. Next time we played I couldn’t understand why they seemed to be laughing & giggling each time it was my turn to putt. Being a fairly average golfer I never noticed the difference. 🙂
Amanda Kathy & Christy
Three beautiful Surfers Paradise princesses.
Boating to Sanctuary Cove
Taking Kathy Amanda & Christy to a party in Sanctuary Cove at Peter Hesky’s waterfront villa.
That’s Bondi Icebergs club overlooking the beach.
Located at the southern end of Bondi Beach, Bondi Icebergs Club is an international landmark.
Bondi Icebergs has been the home of Winter swimming since 1929 and our famous pool is open to visitors all year round. 
