St George Open Air Cinema

Last weekend we visited the Botanical Gardens for the very popular Open Air Cinema and it didn't disappoint. It only happens in January and February and if you want tickets, you have to buy them right when they go on sale or they sell out. I got some great advice to go to their web site and sign up for updates, so I knew exactly when they were on sale. I didn't get my first picks for films, but I got two different showings - Martha Marcy May Marlene is what we saw this past weekend (very depressing) and then the day after Valentines Day we are seeing a Reece Witherspoon chick flick, This Is War. Regardless of the film you see, the backdrop to the screen is breathtaking - harbor views at sunset with the Opera House and the city skyline, with the occasional bat flying overhead. If you get there early (gates open 2 hours before the movie starts), you can claim your seats then wander over to the bar and just enjoy the scenery. Depending on the night, a few tickets are released at the door on the evening of the event, so you could always take your chances too.

Sydney Bats

I have been meaning to post something about the bats here for a few weeks, and I guess in true Sydney-style, I stopped doing anything productive for about a month. Businesses everywhere just shut down here during the holidays and a few doctors I had been trying to make appointments with just started accepting calls today! So the bats (I was reminded to do this post today when I saw bat road kill)... I had heard there were bats here, but I didn't realize how different they would look from the ones in my parents' attic. They look like the bats you see as Halloween decorations. Huge wings and enormous wing span and very fury.  According to sydneybats.org.au, the breed is called grey-headed flying fox. They look kind of cute up close in the photos there. But below is my own photo, taken in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Sydney where they are EVERYWHERE. They are not dangerous but a little spooky. I'll be visiting them again tomorrow when I return for a picnic lunch.