Watermelon from our garden

We've had quite a few delicious watermelon from our garden this summer. This was probably the best of them. It was so sweet and succulent. We ate the whole of it in an evening!

Kids go back to school

The kids returned to school after their six weeks of school holidays. I enjoy them going back (because of the certainty and predictability it brings) they're less keen....

Test cricket comes to Canberra

Canberra played host to test cricket for the first ever time and a small group of us luckily got to go along to witness the first day's play (the match was sold out for the first couple of days). Australia played Sri Lanka. Australia ultimately ended up as winners. I've seen a few games at Manuka's ground (T20s and one-dayers) but it was good to finally see the five day format on our doorstep. Hopefully it'll be the first of many Tests played in the nation's capital.

Raiders Members

We've been Raiders (rugby league) members for four years now and every year in addition to your season pass you receive a pack containing a cap and other merchandise. It's always exciting to see what gift(s) the club will send you. One year it was a scarf another year a rug and we've had gloves and bags too. This year they sent green ponchos. On the face of it not that much of an appealing gift, but given that we've sat in the pouring rain at several games probably quite a sensible present for long-suffering Raiders supporters. 

Hopefully the club will enjoy more success than last year where, despite a strong finish to the season Raiders finished outside of the top 8. Hopefully our ponchos will go relatively un-worn as well!

Trip to London Bridge

Today was a public holiday in Canberra so we decided to head out to London Bridge a limestone karst which consists of a wonderful arch hollowed out by the Burra Creek. It's in the Burra Creek nature reserve and not that far from Googong.

I'd seen pictures of it for years, but we'd never visited. It wasn't a very long drive from home and despite its close proximity to Canberra and the fact that it was a public holiday there was nobody around. The arch is a short 10 minute walk from the car park.

We'd taken our swim things (I'd hoped the water under the arch was going to be higher). Actually it was only really good for paddling but I suspect it gets higher in winter. There's some great looking caves surrounding the arch including one which had a rock formation shaped like a lizards head.

Things I had read before going suggested not entering the caves as they had been/were aboriginal sacred sites, so we respected that. There was plenty to see without disturbing things.

When we had arrived a couple of large lizards had scurried away and when we left a flock of black cockatoos flew overhead. It's good living in the bush capital.

the path from the car park

Canberra Capitals (play-offsl)

Intermittently we watch Canberra Capitals (women's basketball games). We should go more frequently as the sport is fast and skilful and the atmosphere they generate at the game is pretty decent.

The club has been in the doldrums for the last couple of seasons, but this year it had renewed vigour with a new playing line up and coach. 

Typically games are played in front of a couple of hundred die-hard supporters, but Capitals march to the finals meant they played (and defeated Perth Lynx by 91 to 76) in front of nearly 2,000 fans. In doing so they earned themselves a grand-final against Adelaide.

Coerver Competition Day

Eli has been playing football throughout the summer with an organisation called Coerver. It's a Dutch system and based on close ball skills. His skills have improved enormously over the last few months and it's a tightly run and well organised programme. The commitment has been high (he's had to play twice a week) but his appetite for the game is huge.

As it's nearly coming to an end they ran a one day four-a-side competition (small goals, no goalkeepers). Eli's team did well - the standard of some of the boys and girls is really fabulous.

The sessions are held at the University Canberra which has lovely pitches (unlike most of the rest of Canberra's grass which tends to be burnt at this time of year)

(Eli is stood far right)