A tourist in my own town: Cockatoo Island.

I don't love Sydney. In fact, one could be excused for believing that I hate it.

In eight weeks we are moving to Canberra. When we lived in Canberra everything was so easy. Everyone constantly reminded us that there was nothing to do there, yet we source adventures and our days were full of zoos, museums, lakes, road trips, picnics, and the likes.

Everyone keeps telling me how busy Sydney is, I keep seeing how busy this place is. Everyone must be going somewhere. We have been to the Zoo, the aquarium, museums, eateries ect. but I have grown weary of the hussle and bussle.

No more!

I have decided that one day a week until we leave this town I am going to be a tourist; bum bag wheeling, camera rocking, map reading tourist, in my own town.

I decided this yesterday whilst falling a little bit in love with this city.

Yesterday a girlfriend and I headed into the CBD to see the Christmas windows. It was a short bus trip from our homes, and lets face it transport in Sydney is pretty good. We found ourselves at the David Jones (Pitt st) windows and they were pretty great.

Being a Melbourne girl the Christmas windows always played a big part of the holiday season and I was determined to go. Oliver and Sophie (5) LOVED them! Oliver pointed to the animals and Sophie explained them to him. They bopped along to the songs and seemed to really enjoy them. But there are only five windows so they don't really hold the attention of a five year old or a one year old for longer than about 10-15 minutes.

It's worth while seeing. It really does light that christmas flame inside. The best bit, it's free (apart from the transport to the city)!

Oliver and Sophie enjoying the David Jones Christmas window.

After the windows we headed towards the Quay to get the ferry to Cockatoo Island. We decided to walk and get lunch on the way. The walk was pretty quick, we stopped for lunch on the way and had a quick look at the Christmas tree in Martin Place. It was nice to see, I'd love to see it at night.

The ferry to Cockatoo Island is around $11.50 return. The trip itself is an adventure, as we sailed under the Harbour bridge Sophie exclaimed, "I'm going to touch the bridge!" Oliver did a lot of pointing and daboodaboodaaa'ing. We sailed passed Luna Park, Balmain, and even James' navy base. I loved pointing out his ship to Sophie. At the very end of the trip I unleashed Oliver and he ran around the ferry. He seemed to love this.

I believe the ferry ride only took 15-20 minutes, but I was very preoccupied with the sights and sounds to notice the timing of it all. 

Oliver and Sophie on the ferry, Oliver about to make a great escape.

In classic Mummy style we arrived to Cockatoo Island with full bladders and nappies. We raced off to the toilet and then decided just to wonder around for a while.

Sophie and Oliver upon arrival at Cockatoo Island.

Cockatoo Island, an UNESCO World Heritage Site,^[4] is an island located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Coverivers, in Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. At 17.9 hectares (44 acres) it is the largest of several islands that were, in their original state, heavily timbered sandstoneknolls. Cockatoo Island rose to 18 metres (59 ft) above sea level and is now cleared of most vegetation. Called Wa-rea-mahby the Indigenous Australians who traditionally inhabited the land prior to European settlement, the island may have been used as a fishing base, although physical evidence of Aboriginal heritage has not been found on the island.^[5]Between 1839 and 1869, Cockatoo Island operated as a convict penal establishment, primarily as a place of secondary punishment for convicts who had re-offended in the colonies.^[6][7][8]It was also the site of one of Australia's biggest shipyards, operating between 1857 and 1991. The first of its two dry docks was built by convicts. Listed on the National Heritage List, the place is significant for its demonstration of the characteristics of a long-running dockyard and shipbuilding complex, including evidence of key functions, structures and operational layout. Cockatoo Island contains the nation's most extensive and varied record of shipbuilding and has the potential to enhance our understanding of maritime and heavy industrial processes in Australia from the mid-19th century.^[8]In July 2010, UNESCO proclaimed Cockatoo Island as a World Heritage Site,^[4] and has been managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust since 2001.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatoo_Island_(New_South_Wales) [accessed 05/12/12] 

I strongly recommend grabbing a map and if you are solo/ with older kids I would recommend getting the spoken tour. It's not very well signed so you really have no idea what you are looking at.

We did a lap of the island and Oliver unleashed. He ran wild through the warehouses and the open grounds. He chased birds and pointed at the water. We tried to guess what everything was and got pretty hot and bothered.

After one lap of the island we went to get a map and fix the kids hats. We dumped the pram and walked up the 11 metres of stairs to the convict quarter. 

It was good to see but we were all exhausted by this point. We had been on the island for about an hour and half in the hot sun. We saw parts of the convict quarter and then decided to go down to the cafe and get some ice blocks. We then found a ramp to the convict quarter, which would have allowed us to take the pram. Next time.

The cafe was a very welcomed relief, and much to our joy we discovered they sold cider. It was glorious, we sat with a distant view of the harbour bridge, the breeze in our hair, surrounded by history, friends and drinking cider whilst the kids ate ice blocks. This was most definitely the highlight of the day, it was truly a "Yeah life" moment. 

We sat at the cafe until the ferry came. When it arrived we realised we were a little further from the wharf than we original anticipated, but after a brisk walk/jog we found ourselves on the ferry headed back to the Quay.

Oliver fell asleep on the ferry home and we were very weary passengers. But very satisfied.

Over all, I would say Cockatoo island is not really for kids. If you are going to take kids I would perhaps find an event (which they often run) that is child friendly.

They also do camping which I think would be a LOT of fun, but very hot as the island provide little respite from the heat. 

It's a fun, cheap day out for the older kids and adults. I would love to go back over the christmas break solo and do a tour. I think it's something every Sydney-sider should see, and a whole day can really be spent here. 

Next time I would bring a picnic, a bigger hat and remember to reapply the sunscreen. I would also keep my eyes pealed for events as I know they hold many here. But I most definitely hope there is a next time.

I am really glad I spent this day out in Sydney, it has inspired me to see more. This place really does hold a lot of history!

To find out more about Cockatoo Island go [here]

Otherwise, happy holidaying.

-Mama J.

Little Oliver J is leaving town.

Back in 2008 I met James, he was signed up to join the navy and was starting recruits the following weekend. Recruit school was only half an hour from my home town so we caught up as much as possible and stayed in touch via late night phone calls and text messages and, well, the rest is history.

And here is that history. In 2009 James got posted to Canberra. I ummed and arred about joining him but I think in my heart I was always going. We moved there in August 2009 and found the cutest three bedroom house with pink walls and orange carpet. Our first home. 

We lived in Canberra for almost two years before being posted here in Sydney. I had a love/hate relationship with Canberra. It was just a few nasty people really tore me down. Another story for another day. In Canberra James and I went from being a young couple to a family. That family being a young couple with a dog. Not long after Pandora joined us we found out we were pregnant.

We also found out we were moving to Sydney.

I was over the moon. I thought Sydney would be a bigger version of Melbourne and I was determined to get us an inner city pad and we would be trendy. We would raise a city kid and Pandora would be an inside dog and life would be good.

Life has been good. We got our inner city pad. Pandora is an inside dog. My son is scared of dirt. We are the pretentious city slickers I always hoped we'd be. But there is a downside to Sydney that although I was aware of, I never fully understood: sea time.

Sydney holds majority of the Royal Australian Navy's ships. Since being here James has spent almost 9 months at sea four of those months I was pregnant. He hasn't sailed too much this year but is due to spend six weeks at sea at the end of the year, but he'll be back for weekends. Thats something right? 

Another thing I realised is that I, in fact, do not care too much for everything a big city has to offer. I realised that I love Melbourne, not big cities. Especially not Sydney. Sydney itself is a cool town, and if we had moved into a house not next to factory and away from a main road, who knows maybe we would want to stay a little longer. But Melbourne is my home, and Canberra was my home for a time in my life. Sydney will never be home.

I want Oliver to have a backyard, I want a spare room for people to visit and I want to be able to get in my car and drive from a to b without worrying that someone is blocking our ally, or that the traffic is bad or that the roads are flooded. And most of all, I want James home. Not only does he sail often he works such long hours Monday-Friday and has to do a Saturday or Sunday here or there. Sometimes I feel like he is a guest here because he is absent so much.

Last week we got the news. On March 11 2013 we are moving back to Canberra. James will be working shift work, and although when he used to work 12 hour shifts it felt like eternity I know this time we will not take his five days off in a row for granted.

I will not take any of it for granted. The clear roads, the semi-decent coffee, the parking, the friends I miss, the lakes, the relaxed nature of people, any of it.

I have some apprehension. I once again will be leaving some amazing people. I will miss being able to walk to my local grocery store, when I can get across my road. I'll miss having a new activity to choose from each week. I'll miss Oliver's first home, the place he took his first steps and laughed for the first time. But those memories are mine to keep.

I am also concerned about contact with the aforementioned past friends. But I am a different person than the one who left Canberra nearly two years ago and they deserve the same respect. Maybe they have changed too. Maybe they haven't. But either way I am a better, stronger person and I will not be affected by the way those around behave. I will not fall into my old competitive ways, nor my old bitchy ways. My new affirmation is, "just because others are succeeding or failing doesn't change the way my life is to be lived."

The most important part about this move will be having James home so much, Oliver having his Dad present for the important times. James works so hard for his family, he works so hard so that we can have everything we want. It's time he got what he wanted.

And all he wants is us.

I have began house hunting and seeing images of backyards and imagining Oliver riding his bike there and Panda running around. I've planned to get him a swing set and a blow up pool. We've even discussed getting a rescue dog to keep Panda company.

I am so thrilled by this news and so thrilled to be going home. Not home home, but I think some day soon it will be.

This was our first home together.

James and I on top of the world. I can't wait to see him smile like this again.

Wish me luck in finding the perfect home, although James being there so often will make anyplace the perfect home.

Cassandra J