Sutherland, NSW

It's a sunny Sunday afternoon and I'm planning to take a picnic down to the Woronora River in about an hour. I had to make a quick run to the shops, so I figured I would take my camera along and give you a tour of my new neighborhood - Sutherland! It's about 20 minutes from where I used to live in Cronulla (and much more landlocked, sadly), but it has its own charms that are easier to spot when you're on foot and taking the time to notice:

This is one of the less charming places in Sutherland-why do children need a day spa?

My apartment block backs up onto a footy oval and a cemetery. It's actually really peaceful and not creepy at all. 

This is The Royal, the pub I usually choose when faced with the decision about where to grab a beer in Sutherland. Their restaurant has a really nice chicken parmigiana that is about the size of my face.

Platform 1 of Sutherland station, where I wait for the train into the city from Monday-Friday.

This is the entrance to Sutherland station - I think "kiss and ride" is the drop off area for commuters. There are people who use the parking lot outside my apartment building as a park-and-ride since it's so close to the station.

This is Boyle's my #2 pick for pubs in Sutherland. It's a more historic building than The Royal, but I find it to be a little depressing - it's mostly just dudes putting bets on the horses and trying to avoid eye contact with each other.

The dry cleaners. Doona = duvet I think?

This is the band hall where we rehearse. There is an apartment building with a resident who will call us up complaining if we go even 1 minute past our 10 pm cutoff time - I guess not everyone loves the sound of trumpets as much as I do.

The Thai joint near my house - this is where I went on my birthday, it's really good!

Last but not least... my balcony. I'm sitting here typing and waiting for my laundry to dry. It doesn't face the road, but there is always a lot of foot traffic taking a shortcut through to the main street, so I kind of enjoy just sitting out here and seeing who walks past.