I know you’re eagerly anticipating a This Writing Life photo essay about my trip to the Bowen River Rodeo but I went a bit click-happy while I was there, resulting in a bazillion images go through. I figure you’d much prefer me to be working on another rural romance instead of poring over photos, even if they are juicy ones of Aussie cowboys being all sexy and manly as they wrestle steers and ride bulls and gallop about and tip their hats and offer up laconic winks and make me want to… *clears throat* Sorry, got a bit drooly for a moment.

The post is coming though, I promise!

In the meantime, please enjoy these snaps from Vivid Sydney, the annual light, music and ideas festival that brightens the city for around 3 weeks each winter, which Jim and I managed to sneak a look at the night we flew back from Townsville.

We would have loved to have seen the whole thing but were too knackered from travelling to visit all the sites, and there are a LOT of them, along with night markets and other festivities. With the festival closing in a few days there was no chance of a return visit either, so we made the most of the time and energy we had and took a harbour cruise. Cold, but oh so wonderful.

I should probably have taken more photos but we’d parked ourselves on the prow and I was terrified of dropping my phone in the water, and quite honestly I couldn’t be stuffed. I wanted to experience the beauty of Vivid without whipping out my phone every two minutes.

I hope this small selection brightens you up. Vivid certainly brought Sydney harbour to life.

Circular Quay and the Opera House

Looking back at the Opera House and Bridge

The colours on the Opera House were glorious, like the colours of the Great Barrier Reef.

So pretty. Almost makes you wish the Opera House looked like this all the time.

The Botanic Gardens had a display of sunflowers that followed the light. So cute.

Barangaroo was like opening your eyes underwater. Just beautiful.

If you’re ever in Sydney in May-June then make sure you take in Vivid. These pictures don’t do it a shred of justice – between not understanding the new settings on my phone and the wobbly boat it was hard to take decent shots. We only scratched the surface of the festival, but what we did experience was STUNNING!