Thursday 11th January 2007. Sydney. NSW.

Up and out and Sandra and I are pounding the beat to Kurraba Point for our morning walk. In talking with Tony it turned out that he and Sandra shared Balmain Public School in common and on further investigation it turns out they they both worked at the school for the same Principal Bryce Barton (in the day's before Sandra was the school's Principal). The self same Bryce Barton is the great-nephew of Edmund Barton Australia's first Prime Minister.

After breakfast I am visiting an art gallery right here at home. Sandra and Nigel have amassed a wonderful collection of international art with special emphasis on aboriginal works and particularly those of family friend and renowned artist Bronwyn Bancroft.

After working on the project and after lunch I head off to Nutcote and the home of May Gibbs.

Born in Surrey in January 1877, May left England for Australia at the age of 4 years when her family took up a land grant. The Mother of the Gumnuts spent her early years mainly in Norwood, Adelaide where he father would often take May on bush walks teaching her to sketch the landscape and wildlife. The Norwood of the 1880's still enjoyed the native bush and animals of the Kaurna Plains. Her book the Gumnut Babies, published in 1916 is a reflection of her passion for the bush.

The Nutcote site was chosen by May and her mother Cecilia and purchased in 1922 for £500. The B.J.Waterhouse designed property has a heavy Mediterranean influence with a classical verandah, terracotta tiled roof and wooden shutters. The interior of the property is very much in the arts and crafts style popular in the 1920's with dark stained timber for the joinery and built-in furniture.

I had a lovely guided tour with Judy Wallace, an elderly lady who had herself been a friend of May's in the latter years of the artists life. A little aside is that Judy's husband is a good Scot from Dundee.

I rounded off my time at Nutcote with tea and cakes in the lovely English Country Garden with the Nelson family and their grand-daughter.

Supper on the deck tonight before Nigel and I head for a nite at the pub with his mates. Our destination is The Oaks (1885). Right here in Neutral Bay this is arguably one of Sydney's best and trendiest pubs. It is such a shame that I am leaving Sydney in the early hours of Saturday as I was invited to crew in a yacht race on the harbour...Just can't take every opportunity...that's life!