Saturday 11 May 2013

Japanese Children's Festival


Coffs Harbour Botanic Garden was host to the 
Japanese Children's festival a couple of weeks ago.
The sixth of it's kind to be held in this beautiful setting. 



We were welcomed with  kites in all colours & sizes
& there were kite making workshops too.
  We meandered along the path leading through the trees





No prizes for guessing who wasn't long in finding the cup cake stall!





The dancers were an absolute delight, and this gentleman 
was thoroughly enjoying himself!






Some families got into the spirit, and everyone had fun.  



The beautiful Japanese Gardens and bright red bridge
 were the perfect location.









I took a couple of the photos earlier in the year like the one above left, so on the day the tea house was buzzing with people enjoying a cuppa and a bite to eat provided by volunteers. And the trees below had nearly lost their leaves but I had to include this photo from earlier because it is so vibrant. I believe it is a type of Crepe Myrtle.


This fish was just one of many being displayed to show us the different colours. Dear follower Midori has let me know that this is a Koinobori or carp.  If you like things with a Japanese twist, hop over and take a look at her blog,you'll be glad you did!




This rainbow lorikeet couldn't work out what all the fuss was about!

Even dancers have to relax sometime......oh what a feeling!



Our sweet grand daughter gave the sushi a tick of approval!




And then it was time to head home, after a fantastic day out.  Next year I hope our son and daughter in law who is from Japan, will be able to come along as well, and we can all wear the beautiful kimono's that her family gave us at the wedding last year. Maybe you could join us too!

26 comments:

  1. It looks wonderful. What a terrific spot. I don;t think I've ever been there - but it's on my must-see list now.
    What a little cutie your granddaughter is : )
    And your photos are magnificent Jane.

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    1. Thank you so much Tess:) She is a cutie that's for sure! You would love the Botanic Gardens. They are on a peninsular in the Coffs Creek and are like an oasis in the middle of the town. So many fantastic plants from all over the world.

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  2. How lovely!How nice to see Koinobori! (carp) The gentleman in red lady's kimono made me laugh. Glad to know that your little girl had a great fun there. :)

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    1. Thank you for letting me know the name of the fish Midori. I will edit my post soon to say that. Didn't think about the man being in a lady's kimono! I went with my daughter and son in law and their darling little girl, who will be having a brother or sister later in the year:)

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  3. How nice to see Koinobori (carp)! The gentleman in lady's kimono is shocking to me! : D Glad that your little girl had a fun.

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    1. I think you didn't expect me to publish both of your comments Midori, sorry about that:)

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  4. What a fun and colorful occasion Jane - I love attending cultural fetes and parties. We have an International Festival here annually - the dancers are aways amazing and I love seeing the customs being passed down to the children. Your granddaughter looks delightful - perfect age to enjoy being a little girl!

    Happy weekend on the Dorrigo Plateau.
    Hugs - Mary

    P.S. Do you still have your Lincolnshire accent by chance?

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    1. Thank you so much Mary - she really does love life! Funny about the accent, Aussies say I sound English, but when I visit home they say I have such an Aussie accent! Depends where you're coming from I guess! How about you? Is yours still obvious? I see you spell color the American way!
      Bye for now Jane :)

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  5. Hello Jane, thank you for sharing your day with us. This garden and the festival looked like so much fun. I love the red bridge, the wind socks flying in the breeze and the waterlilies below. Now come the loveliest photo . . . your grand daughter,
    she is "Beautiful" and what a delightful smile. I think she gets that marvelous smile from your grandma.
    Have a lovely Mother's Day and if you have already celebrated, well, do it again :)
    Connie :)

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    1. The day is just beginning Connie, and hubby brought me breakfast in bed, pancakes with pears & syrup, and a nice cup of tea! Just the job! Thank you for your kind words, we love the little darling so much :) Have a great Mothers Day too.
      Bye for now Jane

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  6. Jane it looks like you had a lovely day all the way around. Your grand daughter makes me smile :))

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    1. Me too Willow!! Thank you ~ we had a wonderful day and really look forward to going along again next year. PS. I haven't forgotten about the black cockatoos!

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  7. Dear Jane,
    what a lovely day you have spent in the Botanical Garden! And your granddaughter too - sweet. The photographs are impressing - especially the white haired gentleman dancer. Koi carps are very trustful, at last in the Gärten der Welt in Berlin - maybe they know that many people will feed them.

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    1. That's probably true Brigitta, the Koi carp come to see what you have to give them! We did have a lovely day, and thank you for your kind words.

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  8. Just gorgeous Jane, especially seeing the lush plants and the older people enjoying themselves and how you caught those careful pix of them:~)

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    1. Thank you Catherine, I am so glad you enjoyed them! I know that as we write you are loving the vibes of an unexpected visit to Sydney and showing beautiful photos on your blog.

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  9. Hello Jane

    What a delightful day and your beautiful grand-daughter is sophisticated and eats sushi.
    I love the kimonos. As your new follower I am looking forward to future posts

    Helen xx

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    1. Hello Helen, I am looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful paintings too! My grand daughter is a very adventurous eater ~ loves olives as well! We certainly did have a great day and glad you could share it with us. Welcome new follower :)

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  10. Jane... How lovely of you to share your family outing! Your photos are inspiring, the colors, the composition, the subject matter just perfection. Of course the little queen of your heart stole the show... How adorable! To celebrate children is a joy of life... I so enjoyed my visit and hope to visit again soon. Wishing you joy this week. Susan

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    1. Thank you so much Susan for your kind words, and it's so lovely to meet you! I look forward to visiting with you too. By the way, you are my 50th follower which makes you very special! Thank you so much, bye for now ~ Jane

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    2. How lovely to be 50th and declared special! I am continually amazed, educated, and entertained by wonderful blogs like yours! My circle of friendship grows... from one end of the world to the other! Susan

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    3. The world certainly is a lot smaller these days because of the internet & blogging isn't it Susan. I couldn't agree more with your comments. I look forward to learning more about your area of Georgia in the USA. I travelled with my husband in our VW camper around the USA but that was in the 70's, bit of a while ago now! We met such friendly and generous people.

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  11. Hi Jane ,
    Looks like a beautiful family outing . I am always on a lookout for things to do together as a family and this one looks perfect . Thanks for sharing .Priya xx

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    1. Oh you are so right Priya, there was something for every age to enjoy at the festival. I must admit the weather was very kind to us and that helped too! Thanks for dropping by, I'm afraid I have not been visiting as much as I would like but hope to get back into that as things settle down a bit here. Bye for now Jane :)

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  12. Wow, thanks for this. We go to Coffs and Bellingen and Dorrigo often, and didn't know these gardens were there. A definite must-see next trip.

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    1. Oh yes definitely! The gardens are open all year round and are an absolute haven right in the middle of Coffs Harbour. They have a great cafe which is open through the week but not at the weekend I don't think. Lovely to see your blog about Lamb Island which I never knew about ~ always good to learn about new places isn't it!

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