Bus Trip To The Teahouse At The Crown Towers

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Established in 2020, the Tea House at the Crown is the perfect fusion of a traditional Chinese tea house and an uber-modern lounge bar. After seeing the beautiful pictures online a group of us ventured into the city to check it out. When we arrived at the Crown Towers we headed through the decadent foyer and up to the Tea House. We were seated in one of the coveted “birdcages” but ultimately chose to sit on the balcony and enjoy the views of the harbour and the boats passing by. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest the atmosphere, ambience and views certainly made up for it. We sampled some of the beverages on offer, Alana tried the spicy, tequila-infused “Mango Tango” cocktail and Nellie tried the “Madame Butterfly” and the fiery “Sichuan Boulevardier”, all of which were delicious! The group then headed to 88 Noodle, a restaurant with a tantalizing mix of Shanghai, Singapore, and Thai cuisines. After a hearty meal, it was time to say goodbye to the Crown's glitz and glam and head back to the Astra.

Christmas Party

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Tis the season to be jolly! And jolly we were at the annual Bondi Astra Christmas party! The night kicked off with drinks in the lounge then the residents and guests settled into the Bondi Tratt for a hearty Christmas feast. The Tratt once again delivered a beautiful meal with all the trimmings and plenty of libations, which enhanced the already festive atmosphere. After dinner, the residents and guests headed back to the Astra lounge for dessert, more drinks and speeches. The lucky door prize raffle was awarded to a bunch of lucky residents, with the first winner being Cleo who scored a fabulous bottle of bubbly. Once the formalities were out of the way the music was turned up and the residents (and staff!) danced the night away.

It was a fantastic night with lots of merriment, good cheer and a fun time had by all! Thanks to everyone who was involved and to the Bondi Tratt for another wonderful Christmas dinner.

Farewell Anna

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After seven years, Anna has decided to finish her studies and pursue a career in graphic design, sadly this means she will no longer be working at the Astra ☹

Anna has been an integral part of the Astra over the years and has made a lasting impact on residents and staff alike. Her creativity and ingenuity have been showcased at the many events and activities she has organised, Anna has been instrumental in implementing regular events/activities such as the Astra book club and technology workshops.

Her kind nature has touched the residents and is reflected in their smiles as they have grown to cherish her over the years.

Although it is goodbye, it’s more “see you later” as Anna hopes to still attend the monthly book club meetings and will be joining us at the Christmas party! From the staff and residents, we wish Anna all the best in all your future endeavors and will miss you greatly!

Bus trip to Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre

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A group of our residents had a great time shopping at the Birkenhead Point outlet center. Although the weather wasn't the best, it turned out to be the perfect day to hunt for bargains indoors. The early Black Friday sales were in full swing, and the group was able to take advantage of them and make some fruitful purchases. They also had the chance to explore the Christmas displays and enjoy a delightful lunch. The shopping was so good that even Nick, the bus driver, was able to get all his Christmas shopping done too!

On the way back, the residents were treated to a scenic journey through Kirribilli, where they were able to see the beautiful purple arches of the blossoming Jacaranda trees. All in all, it was a fabulous day enjoyed by all!

Bus Trip to The Grounds and Antique Warehouse

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Our residents had a wonderful day out to the Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre, The Grounds at Alexandria, and Centennial Park. It was a fabulous sunny day, perfect weather for having a leisurely lunch and a wander around The Grounds. First stop was the Antique and Design Centre, a huge warehouse full of antique items and fascinating bric-a-brac. Two hours later everyone had had just enough time to see everything they wanted to, plus do some shopping, and were ready for lunch. When they got to The Grounds they were excited to see the Christmas decorations going up. After another couple of hours having a beautiful relaxed lunch, and time spent drooling over the fabulous selection of cakes, our kind community bus driver took a detour via Centennial Park to look at the lake. A great end to a lovely day – watching the ducks, black swans and turtles. The bus even had a visit from two ferrets being walked by their owners, who enjoyed the attention, and caused much amusement! Back home at 3pm and our residents reflected on a fun-filled day. Roll on the next trip…

Multicultural Bring and Share Lunch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our multicultural bring and share lunch was a great success. The village provided food, and residents brought a plate. We had Italian, Asian, Samoan, Hungarian, Serbian, Australian and British cuisine represented, and it was a delicious buffet of tasty food. Wine and soft drinks provided a lovely accompaniment, as did resident Len’s compilation of traditional folk tunes from all the nationalities of the residents who were present. It was a beautiful day, a delicious lunch and a great opportunity to chat with friends.

Men's Shed Chorale

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Men’s Shed Chorale singing Don’t Fence Me In by Cole Porter

We were so happy to welcome the Men’s Shed Chorale to the Astra to perform for us. What a treat! The group were in fine form and performed wonderfully for us. Hugh was the compere for the afternoon and he was a delight, telling us about the group and about the music they were singing. The program was a mix of genres and decades, from traditional sacred choral music to American classics like ‘Come Fly With Me’ to a spectacular finale including the comical ‘A Place in the Choir’ and the melodic ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. The men sang beautifully, Musical Director Daniel conducted and played the theme to ‘Cinema Paradiso’ on his violin, and the Accompanist Belinda played the piano fabulously. Everyone who came to watch had an amazing time and were thrilled when the singers/players stayed around for a cuppa and a chat afterwards. The biscuits and other snacks went down very well, and cups of tea and coffee were enjoyed by all. Thanks so much to the Men’s Shed Chorale for giving us a lovely afternoon of entertainment and being such great sports. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would love to have the group back again at some point in the future…

Wine Tasting Afternoon

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were so happy to have Goran from Regional Wines of the World back with us at the Astra for a wine tasting this month. A great guy, with lots of knowledge and a lovely selection of wines. Goran talked us through each wine telling us about the country of origin, grape variety, what it would go with and how it rates on the dry-sweet scale. It was a really fun afternoon - tasting a bit of wine, munching on some cheese and biscuits, chips and popcorn, and having a good chat. Nice to blow some of the cobwebs away, to kick back and enjoy ourselves. A lovely way to start the evening, especially as some of the group finished up the tasting and went straight into playing rummy tiles, keeping the party going. Thanks to Goran for coming out and giving us a good time and to everyone who came to enjoy it. Cheers to all!

Christmas in July

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We came together for a pre-dinner Christmas in July drink on a fairly balmy winter evening, and then moved through to a lovely festive dinner at the Bondi Tratt. Alasdair, Joe and their team did a wonderful job as usual - the meal was beautiful and the service excellent. They even provided an extra special birthday treat for Darryl at the end of the meal! Good food, good wine, and good company got the evening off to a great start. When we came back to the lounge we had another drink and watched as a beautiful spread of desserts was laid on the table. So much to go around, and some lovely sweet contributions from friends this year too. After dessert we drew the lucky door prizes, and Sam and Rob wished everyone a Happy Christmas in July. As the music began to play and the lights were dimmed, we danced until we could dance no more! What a wonderful evening and a special time to spend with friends, neighbours, colleagues and family.

Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We welcomed Liz, our lovely new temporary member of staff for some of the days while Flora was away, to our afternoon tea last month, and it was great for her to be able to introduce herself to the residents. We all had a fabulous chat over a cuppa and a biscuit, and there were cakes for the more adventurous among us. A nice opportunity to be able to get together and enjoy each other’s company for a while.

Vivid Bus Trip

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What fantastic fun our residents had on their evening excursion to Vivid, Sydney’s winter light festival. The feedback from those that went was overwhelmingly positive – the lights were beautiful, the bus driver was lovely, and the view out over the harbour from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair was stunning. A particular highlight was the drone show that finished the evening’s entertainment. Out from 6:30pm to around 10pm, it was really an evening to remember. It was the first time we had partnered with Randwick Waverley Community Transport for a trip, and it was very successful. The RWCT guys were helpful every step of the way, and our residents only had to pay $10 for the whole night. What a bargain! Thanks to everyone who came – it was great to have a full bus, and certainly the more the merrier.

Jazz Lunch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was wonderful to have Darryl, John and Mark (aka DC3) to play for us after lunch this month. And what a show they put on! The sound was great in our lounge space, and they all played their hearts out. We so enjoyed it. We had a buffet lunch to start, with meats, salads, fresh bread and cheese…plus fruit and mini ice creams for dessert. There was wine for those who fancied a glass or two, and soft drinks for those who didn’t. We even managed a bit of dancing towards the end when we were warmed up. You just can’t beat live music, and our friendly local jazz band really pulled out all the stops. Thanks to everyone who helped out with the catering and clearing up afterwards, as well as to the band for putting on a great show for us.

Flora's Wedding Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our lovely residents got together and organised a celebratory afternoon tea for Flora, who was getting married. The teas, coffees, cakes, biscuits and fruit were in plentiful supply, and everyone had the opportunity to indulge a little. We had a great turn out, with many residents coming down to wish Flora well. Rob gave her a card and a bottle of champagne on behalf of the residents and there were congratulations all round. Flora told us a bit about the wedding, what she would be wearing, and where they are going on honeymoon. It was a nice opportunity for the residents to hear more about her plans, and also to catch up themselves over a cuppa. A couple of newer residents attended as well, which gave them the opportunity to meet their new neighbours. It was a really special event and Flora felt very appreciated by everyone. Congratulations!

Fresh fruit, veg and flower market

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were very excited to welcome Ray and Krissy of Sienna Bloom Floristry for our first flower, fruit and veg market this week. What a treat for us to have a fresh produce market right here in the Astra lounge, direct from the farmers earlier in the morning. Our residents loved being able to buy supplies for the week without having to leave the building. Ray and Krissy brought along a few extra special items for us too – homemade rice pudding, savoury pastries fresh from the oven, and freshly squeezed juices. A lovely way to start the week, and a nice opportunity to also have a catch up and a cuppa after the shopping finished. Thanks to Ray and Krissy for coming over, and we hope to forge a new partnership with them going forward so we can have a fresh food market on an ongoing and regular basis. Just one of many advantages of living at Bondi Beach Astra!

Bingo Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Roll up roll up it’s bingo time!! We had so much fun playing bingo, while also having a catch up with friends and enjoying a light afternoon tea. It had been a while since we had a bingo event, and it was a silly and joyful occasion. Flora was our esteemed bingo caller, and she tried out her phrases on us to general amusement. We had first, second and third prizes for our lucky winners - Gillian won our bottle of champagne, Ann won our fragrances set, and Len won our box of delicious chocolates. Afternoon tea was happily received, and any food that was left went to good homes. It all came down to the wire - first place wasn’t called until there were only a few balls left! Exciting!

Technology Workshop

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had our first technology workshop of the year this month, and it was a big one: An A-Z of technical terms - what they mean and how to use them! We covered many different terms, from 'address bar' and 'Apple Pay' all the way through to 'Zoom app'. We had useful discussions on the differences between 'the internet', 'a search engine' and 'a web browser' (commonly used interchangeably, but actually performing different functions). We discussed the benefits and practicalities of cloud backup, the importance of using websites that send encrypted data, and different file types, uploads and downloads. There were plenty of questions and anecdotes and useful comments from all who attended, so thank you for making it a very helpful session.

St Patrick's Day Lunch

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Our St Patrick’s Day ploughman’s lunch was a bright and fun-filled affair. The decorations were up, and green hair/hats/glasses/clothes were out in full force. Anna put on a lovely buffet, with plenty of savoury and sweet treats, as well as her now (in)famous soda bread. Guinness and Magners brought an extra Irish touch to the occasion. The atmosphere was happy and light, with Irish tunes in the background, lots of compliments of the day, and jokes and storytelling around the tables. We all had a great time, and the festivities continued well into the afternoon. Special thanks to the residents who helped with setting up and clearing up afterwards – we really couldn’t do this without you.

Chair Yoga and Meditation

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

The lovely Nicola came out to Bondi Beach Astra to run a chair yoga and meditation event for us this month. Residents and outside friends gathered in the lounge for a catch up (or a get to know you), before Nicola called the session to order. What a relaxing and restorative way to start the day! A focus on breathing, on stretching, on meditation, and the hour went by so fast that we couldn’t believe it was over. Thanks to Nicola for her expertise and instruction, and to everyone who came to enjoy this calming and happy event.

Pancake Day Crepes

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It’s that time of year again - Shrove Tuesday (or Pancake Day for the ex-pat Brits) came around again and we had our customary pancakes to mark the occasion. Anna cooked crepes in the kitchen for 3 hours, while residents enjoyed chatting and catching up with friends over a warm pancake with all the toppings. We had fresh fruit, cream, ice cream, jam, Nutella, maple syrup, and lemon and sugar for the purists. There really was something for everyone - even gluten-free pancakes for a couple of residents, which we made for the first time and were, happily, a success. We had new residents and old residents, and prospective residents attend, which was a lovely mix and gave the newer residents an opportunity to meet their neighbours. It was a truly joyful occasion, and thanks to everyone who came and helped to make it such a great success. We love pancakes!!

Berry Bus Trip

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Our first bus trip of the year was to the lovely town of Berry. A gaggle of keen day trippers gathered at 9am to get on the bus, and then they were away... A great opportunity while on the bus to catch up with friends, to sing silly songs, and to have a good laugh! In Berry some went to have lunch, some to do shopping, still others to have a wander around. The showery weather did nothing to dampen their spirits, and it was a lovely time away from home.