'The Rip' at Port Philip Headlands

My good mate Max setup this sailing trip for last Wednesday (Feb 27th). We drove over to Queenscliff with Jean and met with John Livermore and his wife Jody. John decided to take one of his smaller yachts- a hand-built beauty. It was a perfect day, but with gusting, fairly high winds (25 - 30 knots) and the boat was a champ and took everything the weather threw at it (her?). What I didn't know however, we were going to sail 'The Rip' across the Port Philip headlands (across to Portsea) - which apparently is a big deal - I had no idea....
These 'Rips' are some (omigosh!) large size swells that come rushing at you like a locomotive, but for the uninitiated, a blast and great fun! It is in this particular area that is the best place to see 'eddies' which are like whirlpools with a static body of water on top - so we also got to sail across some of those. If you try and swim across an eddy - you end up as toast - for bottom feeders! We finally didn't make Portsea, a squall was coming on, and John decided to make it back to port. It was all too short, but one of those forever memories. Thanks for the invite Max, and for the ride John...

911-331 Carrera

I've done about 5000 km in the few months I've had the car. Exhilarating & I love it. Sure it's the last-gasp of the internal-combustion fossil-fuelled era, but it IS definitive of my era, and I can say I had my share of it... Whatever, this honey is a rocket, and pure pleasure...

Mara, Jan 08

And with her friend Becky, over lunch..

Krikka & Koko

Fierce, and with red eyeshadow!

At a small sushi bar in Albert Park, these grim chaps with eye-makeup guard the entrance.

Mo fixes her pants..

A peek into this this oh, so domestic sewing moment. This ones for posterity Mo!

Rod Laver Arena, Australian Grand Slam

It has to be one of the more spectacular tennis venues anywhere. We spent the day at all the various (30 odd) courts at the Slam location. We saw Ana Ivanovitch practice. She's easy on the eyes, but tough, aggressive and large!
And this chap, I just love the makeup...

Granny & the girls

Mo & mum & me

Looking North from 'Arthur's Seat' at the bayside coastline. We live at the far edge in the city. A few hundred km's of the most incredible heart-stopping bicycle trails.. We were out for a cruise in the area near Portsea.

and here..

is a tractor.... why? I don't know, just like it I guess..
and here is the business end of these horses..

My mum

Mara & Tia

at a paddock in the Mornington peninsula. Maybe it was only a temporary passion, but they were quite keen on it. Right now they're experimenting with trying out as many different things as possible and in wide open spaces...

kitsch IS everywhere

.... but this was in full-on pink. Hold on while work on my sunburn and scrape my shoes...

hair, coffee and love...

Tia is having one of her seriously serious bad hair day.
And here we are at one of our favorite cafés at Black Rock.

Mara & me.

bearing gifts....

Trevor and Sue - now, we really lucked out with this incredible pair right next door. So while the Gröeblis and my mum were visiting, we had some other friends over + Sue & Trevor. The dessert was a contest between the Swiss - a chocolate soufflé and the Aussies - a pavlova. They were both fantastic and didn't last very long either...
Here's Trevor with a chick-pea and coriander salad (which he said he made, but that's suspect), and Sue with her pavlova.

cookie monsters

Tia and Carol making some of the gingerbread cookies and trying to crank them out faster than they were being eaten!

Mums in town

We had a great time with mum here over Christmas. Here are all the girls at the South Melbourne Market. (Tia's holding a trashcan!)
And here is my lovely Mo, just finishing up one of her incredible salads - yum.

Ongoing

I know it's been ages since I posted anything. I've been - what else is new - caught up with stuff, and so finally with some considerable prodding and some guilt, here goes.
The Gröeblis were over during the xmas holidays. We had a gas with our oun, in resident, Swiss Family Robinson.