Travel: Winter Magic Festival, Katoomba (lots of photos)

After raining all night, the day dawned with another thick fog and we were in two minds whether to head off up the mountains to what looked like being a cold bleak day, but by the time we crossed the Nepean River we had left the fog in Sydney and the mountains were clear and sunny and a brisk 10 degrees C.

The Winter Magic Festival celebrates the winter solstice each year, in a true hippy pagan heaven.

There's more pictures from other festival goers at the Flickr Winter Magic Festival page

By the time we arrived the main street was packed, with the scent of patchouli in the air and the soft swish of lots of panne velvet.


Yes, all those little dots spreading up the hill of Katoomba Street are people, we joined the throng and shuffled our way along the street stalls.

Just reached the top of the street as the crowd parted and the parade started.
The lovely thing about this festival is the participation by who ever wants to dress up and join in - there were lots of families, old and young.
We were surprised to see some friends dressed up and in the parade, didn't get a photo and couldn't find them later in the crush.





there were stormtroopers



and a bear raising money to free captive bears in asia



there were lots of dragon fly motifs, because the Blue Mountains is home to the endangered Giant Dragonfly - petalura gigantea and the push is on to try and save it - (it's survived 190 million years, but good old mankind and his urban development is about to wipe it out)







don't know who this was, but guessing, being a solstice festival, he's probably the horned god


These young green frogs hopped all the way up Katoomba Street



while this little viking took the easy way on dad's shoulders



the socialists were all dressed up to plot John Howards' downfall



there were big mermaids:



and little mermaids:



there were little fairy princesses



and big fairy princesses



some had lots of panne velvet



and others just had a smidgeon



there were witches in black



and witches in purple



and witches with drums



this was a float in the parade - don't ask me to explain why an animal of indeterminate breed (wearing his pj's) is on a surfboard atop a two headed snail - I guess you had to be there when the planning committee met.





Lots of stilt walkers in the parade, and coming up behind this one you can make out the bright pink and green feathers belonging to....



...well, you tell me who!! "Her" feathers stretched right across the road and we all had to duck them as "she" passed. Would have loved a full on photo but it was impossible in the crowd.

It seemed everyone had their dog with them, most dressed for the day - there were big dogs



and little dogs



and some just hoping that mum will take them home soon, before their friends from puppy preschool see them in this getout



After the parade had passed, we again joined the shuffle to the Carrington Hotel area were we watched the most fantastic performance by tribal dancers and drummers , "Hands, Heart and Feet" from Blue Mountains Drum and Dance group











the girls danced for ages, individually and together, so much energy! then these three young boys took over



and then the guys in the group showed what they could do



we wandered up and down the street a couple more times, met people we knew, (what a small place Sydney is!) stopped for soup and chicken focaccio then watched the gypsy dancers



At the other end of town were folk dancers dancing to an irish sounding jig, having a great time but seeming subdued after the tribal dancers

As we watched them dance, I thought they had a sort of 'cult' look to them, then saw their food stall later and realised they were from the Peppercorn Creek Farm which sounds all warm and fuzzy but hasn't always had the best press

By late afternoon the main street looked like it had even more people in it than in the morning



We had shuffled up and down several times, bought a leather belt for him and a silver dragonfly necklet for me so decided that was enough for the day.

On the way back to the car we passed some of the old mountain houses that I drool over







and then a last stop at a lookout as the fog started to settle in the valley and off home

pea soup

Not frequently, but now and then through winter we can expect a pea soup fog to descend on us, it closed Sydney airport and disrupted the ferry services on the harbour, the Sydney version can be found here but out in the 'burbs it was enough just to be able to make out the birdbath in next door's front yard - end of the street was shrouded away - I like it, has an ethereal 'werewolf on the moors' feel about it,

Travel: Fairfield City Museum, NSW, Australia

Near the busy intersection of Horsley Drive and the Cumberland Highway in Fairfield (western suburbs of Sydney) is the Fairfield City Museum and Gallery.

The original building was built in 1913 and served as the council chambers until 1920 when the property was sold to James and Florence Morris and their daughter Maisie.

In 1980, when Maisie died, her final wish was for the house to become a museum. Fairfield Historical Society lobbied council, who bought the property and the museum became a reality.

Since then, several old buildings have been relocated here, creating the working village in the ground, very popular with school groups.

There is also an art gallery here specialising in textile exhibitions.
It was the "Quiltessence II" exhibition that brought me here this week,
I've been meaning to photograph the village for some time, and didn't really pick a great moment, as a visiting school group was all over it, so I had to try and avoid the children, sad indictment of today when you have to avoid photographing children in public.

This first photo is looking down the main street of the village

This is a collection of old machinery


The first building along the street is the Victoria Street Schoolhouse

School groups love this one, they have a lesson inside and get to write with pen and inkwell (hey, I remember them!) I remember desks like these too, (of course I was very young - a child prodigy)


Next is the slab hut

The 1880's slab hut is made from roughly cut Australian hardwood and is classified as a heritage item. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Fairfield area. Thought to have been constructed as early as 1836, it was taken apart and carefully reconstructed here at the museum.

Caversham Cottage was built in 1880 on Smart Street, Fairfield, dismantled and rebuilt at the museum. An example of late Australian Victorian period Georgian style weatherboard cottage.


Caversham is a one room cottage, the inside just as it would have been at the turn of the century (1900 that it, not 2000!)







In the corner next the Caversham, is the blacksmith shop, with a couple of very incongruous modern witches hats.

On special open days, a blacksmith gives demonstration in here


Along the back of the property is the garage

and next door is "The Biz" which was the local newspaper for many years, first published in 1917 - this reproduction of the newspaper office has the original printing press used to produce the newspaper.



Next is Wheatley's general store which dates back to 1892, this is a reproduction of the original building which still stands in The Crescent, one of Fairfield's main streets.


Inside the shop

haberdashery:


a lovely collection of green depression glass (now worth considerably more than 7 pence!)


and some nice pottery which I think could be Carlton Ware - hmmm, I'd give them 8 shillings and 3pence ha'penny for the set of leaf plates.....


and just before I leave to tackle the traffic outside on Cumberland Highway - the Italian bread oven, not just a decoration, it produces delicious wood-fired bread