New Members Of The Family

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f22, 10 sec

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Redman Coonawarra Shiraz 2007

Grown along the Coonawarra Terra rosa, this well structured wine has fruit flavours, subdued oak and mild tannins. Purple red in the glass its dark, dense and spicey, with bouquets of currant and chocolate, cola, mint and menthol.

Best in 2015 and drink by 2019

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz 2008

Premium grapes from South Australia’s vineyards. Dark red, spicy, dark fruit aromas of quince and fig, hints of olive and liquorice, and gamey overtones. Aromas of dark chocolate and fruitcake develop against a background of subtle, yet spicy oak.

Best in 2013 and drink by 2015

Houghton's Shiraz 2008

From WA’s premium wine growing regions of Margaret and Frankland Rivers, Swan Valley & Gingin. Great flavours and soft tannins, deep garnet in colour, fresh aromas with pepper spice and hints of cloves balanced out with careful oak handling exhibiting sweet fruit characters with subtle tannins and a long finish.

Best in 2011 and drink by 2014

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2008

Wynns reputation as a producer of essential Coonawarra Shiraz continues with this deep red wine with a purple hue. It has dark fruit aromas, dominated by plums, raspberry and stewed rhubarb, red cherry and wild berries, with hints of cocoa and subtle vanillin oak.

Best in 2018 and drink by 2022

Wirra Wirra Church Block 2008

A well made wine sourced from Mclaren Vale SA. Deep plum with brick red hues. It has aromas of fresh berry fruit, mulberry, plump blackberry and raspberry, with hints of liquorice, cinnamon and juniper and velvety tannins.

Best in 2014 and drink by 2017

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Bicentennial Park Homebush Bay In Autumn

Bicentennial Park was created during the 1980s to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988. It is a 100 hectare natural heritage site featuring an important wetland ecosystem and over 40 hectares of parklands. Bicentennial Park is part of the Sydney Olympic Park. You can hire a bike and ride around the many pathways to sculptures, lakes, lookouts and wetlands or just walk it like Hermione and I.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/160 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f3.2, 1/2000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/4000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/250 sec

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Wine Dog and Opera

If you have collected a modest number of wines, that you have managed not to drink yet. You might find cellaring software useful. I use a program on an old PC notebook still because after investing some time into learning all the vagaries of the software, I can't fine a cellaring program for the Mac that is compelling enough to make me shift (go figure). I use Uncorked Cellar, its been around since 1996, and has an integrated wine guide providing winery details, wine ratings, value guide, winemaker's notes, cellaring guide, and a visual rack display for wines in your cellar. Currently it includes information about over 329,000 wines. There is a video getting started guide here if you are interested. There are few others out there and mostly databases developed from the old PC days of the 90's and they mostly look like it and all take you on quite a bit of a learning curve. See Google here for some.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/25 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 3 Sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 800, 35mm f2, 1/40 sec

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What am I ?

Design quiz "What am I ?

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/2500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/2000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/64000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/4000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/5000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/1600 sec

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It's a car dealership! This is the new Audi’s ‘terminal’ architectural design. the building a has folded honeycomb pattern brushed aluminium facade with curved windows and curved silver surfaces inside, which is what the company says reflects the brand’s motorsport history. The Audi terminal was originally designed by architects, Allmann Sattler Wappner for Audi AG who are headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany and is being rolled out globally.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/4000 sec

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Night Landscapes and VIVID 2010

Running from 27 May to 21 June 2010, Vivid Sydney brings together large scale light installations and projections, music performances, and creative ideas. I did a couple of posts last year for Vivid Sydney 2009 here and here and it returns in 2010. It once again featuring the lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails but not a bright or interesting as last years designs in my opinion, but worth seeing just the same. This event sees art and colour projected on to the iconic sails, transforming them into interesting harbourside artwork. This year they have also lit Macquarie Street from St Mary’s Cathedral down to the Hyde Park Barracks, Parliament House, the State Library and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. You can even follow this here on Twitter. You can walk from St Mary's towards circular quay past the Macquarie era buildings and the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Sydney Opera House.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/10 sec

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A street performer with LED lights paints a dance in a long exposure.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/4 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 400, 35mm f5.6, 3 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 3 Sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 13mm f2.8, 3 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 0.8 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/5 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/8 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.7, 1 sec

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Just a few of the projections on St Mary's Catholic Church

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 3 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 0.6 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 14mm f2.8, 1.6 sec

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Three of the projections on the Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f5.6, 10 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/5 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/5 sec

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Cold, Wet but Thankfully no Wind

Its a cold rainy overcast day in sydney but Hermione and I went for a long walk anyway. It turned out to be quite a pleasant morning with Hermione enjoying the adventure of playing in puddles and running in the leash free park to keep warm.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f5.6, 1/20 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 400, 105mm f8, 1/250 sec
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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 400, 105mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 400, 105mm f3, 1/160 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f3.2, 1/100 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 400, 105mm f8, 1/250 sec

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