What do others say about the city? In the earliest days of the colony Newcastle was nicknamed 'hell' by the convicts (wikipedia). I believe 'like Siberia' was another description. Wrong again!
Mark Twain visited Newcastle on a lecture tour and was not impressed.
Well, things have changed (for the better).

Who knows how old this blanket is? The brandname is Onkaparinga! A sweet sounding name!
Warm pure wool blankets would go well with those Chinese people caught in the snow in the severe winter weather this week. Countless numbers return to their home town for family and New Year festivities. The Year of the Rat, from about tomorrow onwards, is one that stands for natural leaders and a strong drive for success.

The Onkaparinga Woolen Company of South Australia (Lobethal) had 122 years of blanket manufacture until closure in 1992.
Afterwards, the factory site was reworked by the local council and partners to encourage small business with a 'focus on synergies in food, wine, tourism, art and light manufacture' and to retain the heritage. Another site, in Adelaide, has been refurbished minimalistically as a printing press: Finsbury Press.

Response to the closure of Royal Newcastle Hospital. "Scenes from its windows scale this wall in an attempt to echo the dominance of the old building over the beach and the city" according to the information... with cabinets of curios....silverware from Matron's suite... displayed at John Hunter Hospital.
This display is a worthy idea. Many citizens pass by it each day and may pause to look. The former staff of the hospital are rightly acknowledged. What about the rest of the community? Institutions certainly have a life of their own. Never should they lose sight of their real reason for being. Service?
The old hospital is shown under construction in 1950 and then, in wraps, for imminent demolition.
The display project is a work of the health services and the University of Newcastle.

Bright scarlet inflorescence, an Illawarra Flame tree is showey on Bridges Road, New Lambton. Out goes the usual olive green, brown and greys.
If this id is correct, here is an indigenous tree that occurs in forestland protected from wind on fertile soils with high rainfall. It can be found in the canopy of local sub-tropical rain forests. The soft stringy wood was once used for ropes and mats. (D. Waterhouse 1980)
Illawarra Flame tree. Genus: Brachychiton. Family: Sterculiaceae. Species: acerifolius.

Light at the end of the tunnel, Fernleigh Track, ex-rail tunnel and cyclist.

Broadband has become very hard to operate recently and surfing the net is out.
Our telco has upgraded their system! Perhaps that's the reason.
A better service plan would help. It could be the death knell for the blogger.

Australia Day 2008..... Time Tunnel Mural, the light at the end of the tunnel, street art. Artist Astrid Hubert and youth of Kurri Kurri.
The honour, Young Australian of the year, went to Casey Stoner who was from Kurri and is the World MotoGP Champion.
This country doesn't have stupendous burgeoning cities driven by massive numbers of consumers nor does it have seriously ostentatious wealth, in one sense .
But we do have a relatively good lifesyle. Like some others, we have all services and infrastructure.
We have health and welfare and a living wage for each and everyone. True, most wealth is held by a few at the top but that's not the whole story. And I'm writing from the lower end of the economic scale.
Unfortunately we do have some exceptions to this work in progress.

BIMBADEEN LOOKOUT with Mount View valley close to the vineyards of Polkolbin and Rothbury, about an hours drive from Newcastle. To be viewed with Schubert's Lieder.