Weekend Wrap Up

This week we went to many of the events held as part of Canberra Festival.

(1) Canberra Hot Air Balloon Festival

This is the view at around 8am from outside our house, every morning during the week of the balloon festival.

Watching the balloons being prepared and flying off requires an early wake up (it means getting there at around 6-6:30am) but Bub loved it. This is held on the lawns between the Treasury and Finance buildings in Parkes.

This year they had 2 kangaroo shaped balloons, and also a beaver. Last year it was a kookaburra and a giant strawberry.

(2) Ballet in the Park

This year, the Australian Ballet put on a free performance for Canberrans at Commonwealth Park.  It's the first time such an event has been held and it was very well attended.

 Only in Canberra does everyone attend an event in the rain, with umbrellas at the ready. I cannot imagine this happening in Perth! My friend said it wouldn't happen in Melbourne (her hometown) either. You can't say Canberrans aren't enthusiastic about community events!!!

(3) Skyfire

This is Canberra's biggest annual fireworks event. Other places have their big fireworks on NYE (think Sydney and Melbourne) or Australia Day (think Perth), but Canberra has it on a random weekend in the middle of the festival.

The RAAF planes put on a show. Ominous storm clouds loomed.

Unfortunately, this event was also marred by rain and I got soaked, so it wasn't much fun. It didn't help that my view of the fireworks was obscured by the umbrellas in front of me...

(4) Eating

It is a popular (and necessary) Canberra pastime; not a week goes by where we do not eat to survive, and survive to eat. This rainbow cupcake complete with sparkly icing (hard to see in the photo) was enjoyed by Bub and a friend at Ona Cafe in Manuka, while the Mums enjoyed coffee. I like meeting at this cafe as it is in a courtyard with some grassed areas, not near any roads. This is great for the kids to run around and give the adults some peace and necessary gossiping time!

 The coolest cupcake ever!

My lunch at Ona Cafe, from the all day brekkie menu.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We still have the rest of Sunday to enjoy (I am not looking forward to work tomorrow, as usual I am counting down until the next long weekend!) and I am about to go for a walk around the lake. Bye for now!