It’s good to be home after almost five months of travelling – though from what we’re told, we didn’t miss much beyond the endless torrential rain, all thanks to the intense La Niña event that has saturated the east coast of Australia for months now.

We got back to a week or so of heavy rain and then, once winter officially kicked in – starting 1^st June – it mysteriously stopped raining – completely! According to BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) the 2021-2022 La Niña event has weakened in the tropical Pacific and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is now neutral… which I guess is why (so far) we’re enjoying endlessly sunny cool days and clear cold (for Sydney) nights. It’s a classic Sydney winter day when the overnight low is around 6-8 degrees with crisp clear mornings and a cool 17-19 degrees in the afternoon. For me, perfect weather, though a far cry from the tropical highs of Mérida just a few weeks ago. 

For a morning walk there’s nothing more life-affirming than a bracing stroll along the cliffs from Coogee in the south to Gordon’s Bay, Clovelly, Bronte and Tamarama and over to the vast glittering sweep of Bondi. In winter there’s often a big swell and huge barrelling waves filled with dare-devil surfers and tea-bagging hopefuls – the lucky ones riding the glassy-green curling waves to the shoreline with a triumphant fist raised to the gods. 

For the first time in two years the winter night VIVID festival is back on – that’s two years of cancellations due to COVID, so 2022 has been greatly anticipated. VIVID is essentially a showcase of light – artists, thinkers, musicians and creatives come together to turn Sydney’s buildings and spaces into a riot of colour with amazing projections and dazzling light displays. 

It’s great being home in Sydney.

https://www.vividsydney.com