More coastal adventures

We popped up to Newcastle on the weekend...yes, I know it's taken me a while to post about it. The first place we stopped at was a park set on the edge of a cliff. It turned out to be the local suicide spot - a rather sad and spooky start to the weekend.

But the park also contained this perfect hill. I really like a nice hill.

We walked out along the breakwater hoping to catch one of the killer waves the signs warn you about before you walk out there.

There are massive concrete blocks set along the side of it to dissipate the waves as they come in and stop them from going into the harbour and causing damage. It was a pretty flat ocean when we were out there but hubby said he knows people who have come out there on a stormy night and nearly been washed away.

It was a great vantage point for watching the ships come in. Newcastle is an old coal port so there's lots of interesting industrial type stuff to see there.

It's also pelican city. There are pelicans *everywhere*. Here is a couple being seriously mobbed by some vicious attack-birds.

WARNING: You are about to enter a knitting zone.

It always happens. Somehow I always find the knitting heart of a town - providing hubby lets me that is. I convinced him to go look at the Sunday markets with me, and was amazed to find 50% (I'm not kidding here) of the stalls were handknits! There was this "mass production" of feathers scarves:

And another with a wide range of different knitted things including these hats:

And this jumper which was entirely made out of sari silk. The thing was ridiculously heavy - that's basically why I only took a shot of a corner of it. You can see how it's dragging on the coat hanger.

And then there was yet another stall with more of the "mass-produced" goods - basically small triangle shawls in garter stitch on massive needles in tacky fun fur. The woman responsible for them didn't want a photo taken of her stall (and, might I add, had all the personality of an undertaker). I perfectly understood. I wouldn't want a photo of myself next to that crap either.