Sunday Selections #524

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.  

I usually run with a theme. Last week I took you to our Enlighten festival (which finishes today).  I am taking you back to see more this week. 

As always, lots (and lots) of photos follow.  

 There is a flag for each nation who has a diplomatic presence in our country - including those countries where diplomacy is sometimes strained.

These next photos are of the illuminations on our National Portrait Gallery.  I enjoyed them but think that there have been better displays in other years.

You will see a rainbow and a star in front of the Gallery - they seem to have been a bit of a theme this year and popped up in a number of places.

I enjoyed the illuminated native grasses too.

 

The fishes swam in a water feature which is currently without water and waiting for repair.  It looks decidedly better with the fishes than it does in the light of day.

Old Parliament House - which while brightly coloured was less political and informative than it has been in other years.

 

These shots are of a 'blow-up' feature.  It was cordoned off this year because of corvid.  In other years we were encouraged to wander through similar features.

Next week (unless I show the Balloon Spectacular instead) I will show you the illuminations on Questacon, on the National Library and some other quirky fun.

I hope your week is packed with colour and joy.
 

Sunday Selections #471

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
  
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle.
 
The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 
I usually run with a theme. I am taking you back to Enlighten this week, but we are starting in town rather than in the Parliamentary Triangle.  On my way to do my shift at Lifeline I spotted not one but three 'Illuminated Mini Beasts'.  The beasts are brightly coloured neon insects, which will remain in the city centre as part of the Enlighten festival.

Starting with the Swallowtail Butterfly.

Then the Neon Cuckoo Bee which is apparently native to Sydney.  They rely on other bees to raise their young and lay their eggs in the nests of others.

Finishing up with the Cicada.  Apparently this cicada hums when touched, but I went past early in the rain and it refused to sing for me.

It was a very, very busy and draining shift at Lifeline so I was grateful for these colourful treats.

There is still more to come from Enlighten but it can wait for another post.

Keep your fingers crossed for me please.  Our Balloon Spectacular started yesterday and I am heading off shortly before dawn (in a couple of hours) in the hopes of seeing them take to the skies.

More from Enlighten 2016

This is the final post in the Enlighten 2016 series.  I started with a Sunday Selections devoted to the rabbit sub-theme, which you can find  here.  Then to another Sunday Selections featuring jelly fish which is here, and then to the first half of the illuminations in this post.

This is another photo-heavy post.

I thoroughly enjoyed Enlighten but in the last few days have read something which has taken some of the shine off.  Our local government commissioned young and emerging artists to design the projections for the buildings.  Sadly they decided that having the work publically displayed was sufficient payment.  The outcry has been such that I hope in future years the artists WILL get financial recognition too.

More coloured eucalypts.

Starting at Old Parliament House.  Many of the illuminations were political in nature.

Moving to Questacon, our interactive Science and Technology Centre.  Most, but not all, of the projections were geometric.

 There was a hologram of a spider outside the first night we visited, and it was echoed on the walls on the last night.

Then to two acrobatic performances near by - both making use of hoops inset with neon lights.  They moved too fast for my camera, but I think (hope) that the blur conveys some of the mood.

Then to the National Library.  With the exception of the ubiquitous rabbits, their illuminations reference the recent exhibition about Celestial China.

 Nearly finished now.  Just two random acts, splashes of colour and quirkiness.

It really is an explosion of light, colour (and sound) isn't it?