To celebrate our sixth (sixth!) anniversary David and I spent Easter in Newcastle. While this probably wouldn't be a choice that everyone would make we both had a great time.
We'd been there before for gigs and clubs but we'd never looked around the city. The buildings are all Victorian and reminded me of Dunedin, and the foreshore walk gives a great perspective on the town. What I didn't know about Newcastle was that it was (post-European settlement) originally a convict prison, and by all acounts a fairly terrible one.
This is the Convict Lumber Yard, one of the first buildings built by the convicts:
It's now a park/historical monument - and I've got all the sensitivity of steel wool, but it still feels a bit creepy.
Newcastle is generally known for maritime history, and also for being the birthplace of Australian industry. It should also perhaps be know for its bizarre statuary:
Yes, that is a wheel on a foot. There were about 20 of them in a small space and no explanation was provided. Make up your own story!
So there was much celebration and flowing wine, much eating and drinking (I had the most amazing meal of haloumi, steak, cream sauce and prawns which probably won't win a Michelin hat any time soon but met most of my basic food-group requirements) and generally had a good time together. Which after six years together is pretty much the point, isn't it.
Newcastle is home to the rugby league team the Newcastle Knights, and look at this awesome poster:
Don't you love the way they say "next JOUST will be on ..." - I mean absolutely, commit to that imagery!
[Yes it's a crappy crappy photo, taken through the filthy train window as we were pulling out of the station, right in to the light. But I still thought it was awesome].
yay to six years and still having a good time :D
that wheel on a foot thing is just plain weird lol
love the knight shot
Posted by: sarah bean | April 18, 2009 at 07:07 AM