The 25th Stanley Awards were held overlooking Darling Harbour, Sydney

As a celebration of my 40th birthday, Duncan and I tacked on a Big Trip to our Sydney visit for the Stanley Awards. The trip started well – it was fun to catch up with fellow cartoonists, as always, and the Awards night was a cracker. It was also the 25th birthday of the Awards, so most people made an effort to dress up (I confess though that I bought my dress in an op shop and altered it!).

The first time I have seen Duncan in a tux.

Cartoonists of many talents

Tom and Anna Richmond on the harbour cruise

It was great to make a few new acquaintances. Tom Richmond (MAD magazine and much more) and Pat Oliphant were guests of honour from the US. Tom and Anna confessed to being fellow foodies, so Duncan gave them some good tips on places to go in Sydney (we had so much good food, coffee and wine there, it would be boring to detail it).

A penguin pops up in Glebe

Milsons Point Pool

I turned 40 the Wednesday after the awards and started my mid-life as I mean to go on, with a swim. The Milsons Point pool is one of my favourites – 50metres, outdoors and with a stunning view of Sydney Harbour.

The boyf and I at Fix St James

Fortunately, the swim gave me a huge appetite for the lunch that the boyf treated me to at Fix St James.

We then got on the train to Perth - the Indian Pacific

mid-trip

Admiring presents in our tiny but marvelous little sleeper cabin

This trip was a lot more stylish than the train trip I did up to Coffs Harbour (sleeping in the seat…) last year and the views were superb. Thank you, boyfriend!

Good to see a big long windfarm just out of Adelaide

Loved the souvenir stalls at Broken Hill station

The view at Cook, Nullabor Plain