Australia Day
This is the biggest national holiday of the year and this year marks the 219th anniversary of the First Fleet arriving in Sydney Harbour.

Laura and Caroline had arranged to do other things with friends today, so the rest of us drove to Cremorne and caught a ferry across to the city where the crowds were building around the harbour to watch the day's events. The day started out cloudy and cool but soon cleared to a lovely warm and sunny day.

We headed to the Rocks and under the Bridge where we watched the number of 'races' and parades on the harbour, starting with a ferry race which was followed by a parade of boats, many of which were decorated for the day. There were also some flypasts and, in mid-afternoon, a 'tall ships' race which was an impressive sight. There were also different stages around the Rocks with live music and various stalls.

The day had a good atmosphere with lots of Aussies wearing their national colours and enjoying the activities, and with a whole range of events going on in the city (and some of the suburbs as well), there was the impression that lots of effort had gone into the day, which also marks the end of the summer holidays here.

There are some more photos from the day here.