Location: Manning Valley
Date: November 2012

November 28, 2012. There's a flame tree up the road here in Taree that I've been meaning to photograph before all the petals give way to green leaves. So, yesterday, despite the heat of the day, I wandered up the road, first taking a few shots of the little Presbyterian church, then a few of the Catholic church on the other side of the road (Our Lady of the Rosary), and then the flame tree.

On my way back, I remembered having seen a photo of the original Catholic church hidden behind the church hall in Albert St. next to the old Court House, so I walked up the drive to get a few photos of my own. While there, a woman working in the newer and much larger church asked me if I'd like to see inside. "I'd love to!" I responded and thanked her. I was dressed in track pants, flip flops and T but didn't let that deter me, so in I went.

I must say the church interior, with its vaulted ceiling, was rather inspirational and very beautiful, not to mention architecturally striking. Things have changed a bit since I was a good Catholic lad. The altar now faces the congregation, as does the priest. The church was built during the depression years by donations from local parishioners with no government assistance. A fine effort by the Manning Valley-ites, I'd say.

I'm surprised the Nikon did as good a job as it did, considering it was hand-held in low light. Check out the photo album here.

November 23, 2012. I've been experimenting with manual focus on my new Nikon D3100 lately just to learn a few things about its capabilities (as well as mine). Here's an album I put together of some of the shots - Flower-Album.

November 17, 2012. Last Thursday I travelled by XPT (rail) down to Sydney to see the head/neck cancer specialist about my progress. He says I'm doing fine - healing well and no more cancer. But the gum infection caused by exposed bone (due to radiation treatment) could be a worry if not treated well. So far it's okay with constant monitoring and cleaning by the dental people. Stay tuned.

Anyway, while in Sydney I took a few pics of Central Station and also of Radiance of the Seas which was in town at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay. She's a big girl... 90,000+ tons and almost 1000 feet long. Those extended periods at sea take their toll. Up close I noticed patches of surface rust here and there which spoiled the ship's appearance a little. She's only about a year old at this stage.

I was going to do the whole video thing with ferry trips, Darling Harbor and all that but I was too pooped to stay in town all day lugging a backpack around. Besides, the weather was gray and pretty dreary, so I opted for an earlier ride home on the XPT. Maybe next time when the weather's more friendly and I'm a bit healthier.

At Central Station I suddenly noticed the colors of one of the side entrances/exits. Not sure if the station has undergone recent renovation work but I'd not noticed those colors before, which made me wonder how many other people do, especially regular commuters who blindly follow their noses day in and day out without absorbing such things as aesthetics. Anyway, the arched side entrance is very pretty with wall panels of red marble and ceiling panels painted in traditional 19th century colors.

You'll also see a pic of origami made from a cardboard food/drink container by someone whiling away their time at the station. The lady sitting next to me noticed the shape and showed it to me. So I whipped out the Nikon and used the lady's purse as a surface to place the origami on while I took a photo. Oh yes, I have a Nikon D3100 now. I've mentioned it on Waffle quite a bit but not here. Click here for the photo album.