a weekend in Sydney

It's so nice to be able to tie in some work events with a short family trip away. With author bookings in Sydney and Wollongong, we decided to make a real trip of it and get away with the kids. Driving into the rising sun last Friday morning was so salmon pink and dreamy. We arrived at The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft and enjoyed a fabulous welcome, a great coffee and a book reading to some gorgeous kids {read about it here}.

It was then onto Parramatta Library for an author talk {post coming soon} and we were then free for a lovely couple of days in Sydney.

Alas, Saturday morning dawned pouring. We braved the rain {and ruined our shoes} with a walk to Paddy's Market. I haven't been there for decades! and sadly, the old Paddy's I once knew and loved has become a haven for cheap Chinese trinkets and knock-offs. Not such a bad thing, I guess - but if that's what I want, I'll go to Beijing.

The fresh food produce was fabulous, though, and the kids enjoyed the pet store, and Riley found a long-coveted Saints cap.

you will be forgiven for mistaking these images for Beijing's Ya Show market

The rain poured on, so we dashed into Starbucks for some delicious things to eat and where Ella had a few moments to pin some very glam hair extensions into her mane. It's started . . .

Hankering for Din Tai Fung {as you do}, we began wandering up George Street towards Westfield, and stumbled across this homage to Tokyo - a utterly kitsch and totally fabulous games parlour. Ella snaffled herself a little fuzzy Japanese critter in one of these machines, and then the two set about thumping on drum kits to the beat of pop-digitised nursery songs like Old McDonald Had a Farm.

Tokyo flashback

we're in Beijing again!

Out into the rain again, we scooted past a new version of Harry's Cafe de Wheels . . .

. . . and trudged up George Street . . .

. . . through Myer and over the aerobridge {with some kind of view} to the Westfield food hall . . .

. . . and Dumpling Mecca. Not quite as perfect as the original Beijing restaurant experience {what could be?} and with mango pudding replacing their famous mango ice {much to Ella's woeful bleatings}, this is nonetheless a divine eating experience.

Sunday dawned much brighter - beautiful blue skies and no whiff of rain, so it was off to Bondi, a must-enjoy for Sydney, no matter how many times we visit the city.

Our first stop was Sonoma artisan bakers for their sensational coffee - and a queue to prove it. Man, it must be frustrating living in Bondi for the tourists and queues but squealworthy for every other reason.

The kids went for a major paddle that really became a swim, then it was gelati, another Sonoma coffee {25 mins in the waiting} and in the car to set off for Wollongong. {More on this beautiful part of the world tomorrow!}

beautiful Bondi