Mistakes of someone without a baby

In a prior post, I mistakenly mentioned that installing an elevator in a 100 year old building is harder than having a baby. I will now say how wrong I was. My beautiful wife, last week gave birth to our baby girl. (Sophia) and while it's the most exciting and wonderful thing I've ever been part of. Now only 1 week into this lifetime venture I am realising there is little harder than having a baby and caring for one. I've got tremendous respect for my wife (and my mother), well all mothers actually. As this makes what I do for a living seem very easy. I've included a little photo of the princess.

Seeing Australia Oprah Style

Well Oprah has been and gone and we will see if the supposed millions of tourists do come to our Country, It's a nice place. Why not. I'd rather be here at christmas that stuck at heathrow airport in the snow. However I am just getting used to this blogging thing and found a link to frommers. They have posted an Oprah Guide to Australia. It's pretty generic, but useful if you don't know anything about our fair country. My only suggestion, The intercontinental in Sydney is nice. if a bit generic, but if your budget isn't for $500+ rooms, the views from the back of the hotel are not that exciting and you really have to pay a lot for the views. We on the other hand have all of cremorne point with Much better views and of course it's way cheaper at the manor. Sorry about the plug but.. (hey this website is to plug the hotel after all)

Fromers link:

More Amazing Australia Destinations - Exploring Oprah's Australia on Your Own Dime Slideshow at Frommer's

almost 9 Months later (not a baby) more difficult actually

we are about a day away from the comissioning of the elevator at the hotel. Ohh the joy. It's been the most impossible task. I'll post a few pictures of the interim progress, but seriously it was damn hard putting a new elevator into the middle of a 100 year old building.

These photo's don't show much but the steel frame going inside the old brick building, the whole thing 3 stories of it, had 20mm clearance between the bricks and we struggled to ensure that it was whisper quiet as the frame cant touch the bricks for fear of noise transference, (lets hope it's as good as they tell us)

Instead of Sydney you could try a 'hotter' destination

The Ukraine tourst board has decided to promote a new and interesting destination. It's a little far from Sydney, but it's somewhere I can almost guarantee your friends have not been to: Chernobyl. Yes that famous nuclear reactor meltdown is now going to be open for tourists. All i can say is I think you'll get 'glowing' reviews. (sorry I had to make the pun). On second thoughts. Why not just stay in sydney. Oprah seems to like it.

Oprah mania is hitting Sydney

The harbour bridge has a huge O on it, There are fireworks in the harbour and hundreds of people 'on top' of the bridge. It's oprah and boy has she had a great weekend. The weather was perfect and for Sydney I hope this will be a huge boost for tourism. We are a great city, and country but when many people confuse us with Austria, we need to work on our act. Tourism Australia has done great things and I applaud them, Now hopefully with the 40 million viewers of Oprah we will have more people coming to visit our lovely town. I've attached a couple of photo's of Oprah's weekend.

The Kookaburra's on video from a guest

A guest very kindly took video of the daily kookaburra feeding at the hotel. They are wild and come by often for a feed. Thanks to the guest for the Video.

100 Years of Cremorne Manor. How to Celebrate

I'm planning our next year party, which will be a big one. the Manor will be 100 years as a going concern and I think it's something to celebrate. Only thing is I'm not sure how. I was thinking of a 1910's party and also selling rooms for the oldest price we could find for the hotel which is 3 pounds 3 shillings. (not sure of the conversion for that one) but i'm open to suggestions. please contact me or post a comment if you have any ideas about this. I've added a couple of photo's of fashion from the turn of the century which would be great for a party.