Australia Day Dinner

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

A good number of residents gathered in the lounge, bedecked with Aussie flags, for our Australia Day bring and share dinner. There was a wonderful spread, from meats to cheeses to dips to fruit, and many more lovely offerings in between. It was a bright and happy occasion for friends to get together and catch up. Thanks go to Rob, our wonderful Residents’ Representative, for organising and cooking extra food, and for hosting so well on the night. A great way to start the year, with positive vibes moving forward…

Magic Show Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had an afternoon tea with a difference when local magician Julian Bull put on a show for us at the Astra. In addition to the snacks and beverages, we enjoyed a visual feast of card manipulation, rope tricks, ball slight of hand and all sorts of other delights. Julian was a skilled performer and engaged his audience from the outset. We even had some younger family members watching the show, which contributed to the lovely community occasion. Cards found their way everywhere – behind ears, in beards, coming out of mouths… Ropes that were long were suddenly split into smaller pieces, and those that were smaller were joined together into one continuous rope. Rubik’s cubes were solved in the blink of an eye. Suffice it to say we were mesmerised and thoroughly enjoyed our magical tea!

New Year's Eve at the Astra

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our resident-run New Year's Eve gathering was well-attended, and everyone had a lovely relaxing time. We gathered in the evening, all bringing a plate and drinks... and what a feast we had!! It was a wonderful way to finish off the year and to herald in the new one. A get-together like this gave us a great opportunity to reflect on 2022 at the Astra. We had lots of varied social events, from tried and tested classics (St Patrick's Day lunch, Christmas party, wine tasting, morning/afternoon/high teas...) to new and exciting activities (Zumba, art workshop, jazz lunch, fashion show...), to informative talks and presentations. We began our new carpeting works, replacing the carpets in the lounge, games room and on the fifth floor, and finished off our refurbishment of the foyer. We welcomed new residents into the building, and new members onto the Executive Committee. Too many other highlights to mention, but now we are looking forward to a happy, healthy and fun 2023. From us all at Bondi Beach Astra, Happy New Year!

Christmas Party 2022

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We got dressed up and gathered in the lounge for our first Christmas drink, on this beautiful early summer day. We all really felt need for a break and a chance to celebrate! There was a definite festive spirit in the air as we went round to the Tratt for our dinner of turkey and ham and all the trimmings. Alasdair, Joe and their whole fabulous team did a great job as always – the food was delicious, the atmosphere convivial, the wine flowing. Suitably full, we returned to the lounge to the beautiful sounds of John Campbell and Lorraine Delaney - our wonderful musicians for the night. After a break for speeches and the drawing of the lucky door prizes, some of us took to the dance floor, while others stayed chatting and enjoying their drinks and desserts. What a lovely time to spend with friends, neighbours and colleagues. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us, and to those who had a hand in organising the night. Special thanks go to John and Lorraine for staying with us to the end and providing a fabulous celebratory atmosphere. And to Sam and Natasha for providing the great selection of lucky door prizes. All in all, a fantastic send off into the hectic whirlwind of the season. Cheers!

Piano Afternoon

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Local pianist Thomas Hamilton came to regale us with an hour of 40s and 50s tunes. He brought out all the post-war classics and delighted his audience by taking requests. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, listening to music, snacking on some salty and sweet treats, and catching up with friends. Tom was friendly, and of course passionate about his music. We loved having him, and it whetted our appetites for more live music…coming up at our Christmas party.

Melbourne Cup 2022

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

What a lovely day at the races! We were so happy to gather on cup day to have lunch, catch up, and watch the race. Flora did an amazing job of organising and running the event, on very little notice (unfortunately Anna was sick and not able to attend). She brought delicious food and festive drinks – there was something for everyone. The lounge was beautifully decorated with bright colours and horse racing themed cutouts, and the fabulous clothing, hats and fascinators of the residents added to this festival atmosphere. After lunch Penny and Rob organised the sweeps, and we moved into the games room to watch the TV coverage. The race itself was exciting, the ups and downs and surprises keeping us all on our toes! Congratulations to everyone who had a winning horse, and thanks to all those that came to celebrate the Melbourne Cup with us. Special thanks to Flora for doing such a great job of putting on this important event. Always a highlight in our calendar, and always lots of fun.

Wine Tasting Afternoon

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Goran from Regional Wines of the World visited us with a cooler full of wine, ready to impart his knowledge to a rapt audience. We had such a fun time tasting the wines and learning about grape varieties, regions, and methods of production. We began with a medium-dry white wine, then went through the drier whites and finally the sweeter whites. We finished on a dessert wine, before washing out our glasses and our palettes in preparation for the reds. We tasted lighter reds, then a nice rose, and finished up with some more full-bodied reds. The final taste of the day was a sherry, which went down very well with a lot of the residents. We all had a great time, even those of us who don't drink a lot...it was just enjoyable to chat with friends over a small taste of wine and some salty nibbles. Thanks to Goran for coming out and giving us his time and expertise. It was lovely to see (and taste!) so many different wines from all over the world. What a great start to the afternoon - good wine, good friends, and good conversation!

Morning Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our residents enjoyed the chance to chat together over a lovely morning tea last week. We had a carrot cake, a baked ricotta cheesecake and some fancy biscuits to accompany our tea and coffee. It was a nice opportunity for us to come and spend a couple of hours in the lounge catching up and having a laugh, and of course the sweet treats were appreciated too. Thanks to everyone who came along, and to those who helped with the set up and clean up of the event. How nice to be able to spend time with friends and neighbours on a regular basis. Next time we will be doing this over a taster or two of wine…!

Zumba

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Thanks to the lovely Jana who came to instruct us in our Zumba class this month. We warmed up with some gentle exercise, then we really got into the dancing with samba moves and salsa moves and much more. Working the arms and legs, hips and bum, we got a full body workout! And had fun doing it! It’s a great way to keep moving and to do a shared activity together. Another great Zumba session, looking forward to the next one…

Coffee, Cake and Create Art Workshop

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had our first ‘coffee, cake and create’ art workshop last week, and it was a great success. Local artist Greta came and gave us step by step instructions on how to create a beach scene in acrylic on canvas. We began with tea and coffee and a slice of delicious carrot cake, while Greta explained to us what we were going to do. At each step of the way she was there to help and guide us to our goal. It was wonderful to see how everybody produced something unique and special. Some of us did portrait scenes and some landscape. Some of us had a straight line of sea and a horizon, others had a diagonal line of sea. Some of us had people and beach umbrellas on the sand, others palm trees and vegetation. There were even people swimming in a rock pool, and a boat on the horizon. We learned what colours went into creating the colour for the sand, and those that created the sea colours. We learned some tips and tricks for creating a clean horizon line, and for creating different textures and shapes. It was fascinating to see how a composition comes together in just a few steps. We were engrossed for a few hours in our artistic creations, and it was a lovely way to spend a morning. Thanks to Greta for putting on a great workshop and sharing her expertise, and to the residents who came down to have a play. None of us had done a lot of painting before, so we were proud of our first attempts. It just goes to show that anyone can be creative and have fun!

High Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

There were smart outfits, champagne flutes, dainty sandwiches and full cake stands in abundance at our August afternoon high tea. The food was beautiful – sandwiches and cheese/crackers constructed by willing volunteers, patisserie cakes bought from a local store, and scones made by Anna. Food was enhanced by a cup of tea and coffee, a glass of bubbly, or a soft drink, depending on our residents’ preferences. There was laughter in the air as we caught up with friends. It is wonderful to see so many people using the facilities, and great to have so much support for our social events. Thanks to Jo and Ann who volunteered to help before and after the event, and to everyone who came and made it such an enjoyable afternoon.

Christmas in July

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We braved a cold, wet and windy Bondi afternoon to come together for a pre-dinner Christmas in July drink, and then a lovely festive dinner at the Bondi Tratt. Alasdair, Joe and their team did a wonderful job as usual - the meal was beautiful. Good food, good wine, and good company got the evening off to a great start. When we came back to the lounge John was playing and singing for us, and we enjoyed his musical accompaniment while we ate dessert. After dessert we drew the lucky door prizes, and Sam and Rob wished everyone a Happy Christmas in July. John started up again and we danced until we could dance no more! What a wonderful evening and a special time to spend with friends, neighbours, colleagues and family.

Zumba Fiesta!

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Our second Zumba class of the year was a great success. This class was taken by Karen, a very experienced teacher and gold Zumba certified. We started by warming up to some slower music, getting our minds and bodies around the basic steps. Then the tempo increased, and we enjoyed moving and singing along to the music. There was hip action and isolation of movement, clapping and clicking, wiggling and shaking, and plenty of laughter!  To wind down we did some stretching and let ourselves dance in a more mellow way. Well, mellow for Zumba! We all had a fantastic time – it is lots of fun and a surprisingly good work out. What a wonderful way to spend a cold, wet Bondi morning.

Fella Hamilton Fashion Show

/ Fella Hamilton Bondi/

What a wonderful afternoon we had at Fella Hamilton in Bondi Junction. Mariam and Hillary put on a lovely spread for us – cheese and biscuits, little cakes, and sparkling wine! We felt very special! We sat in a separated area to watch the show, and after we browsed in the main store. Silvy and Anna were the afternoon’s models (Anna stepping in at the last minute to replace Chris, who was unfortunately unwell). They modelled 5 outfits – from pants and jumpers, to jackets, scarves and necklaces. Each resident who came took home a goodie bag, and a few of us bought items on the day. Thanks to everyone who came because it wouldn’t have been as special without you. We are looking at having another show later in the year for the summer season…

Seniors Fitness Balance Exercise Class

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Paloma from Seniors Fitness in Bondi Junction came to give us a balance and falls prevention class. We worked our bodies all over, initially using resistance bands to build up strength in our muscles. We finished the session balancing in different ways – feet apart, feet together, feet one in front of the other. Wobbling was our friend! We learned that if you don’t wobble, you’re not testing yourself enough – wobbling means you are using those balancing skills to their max. Thanks to Paloma for a great class, and to everyone who came. It was a really good session that everyone found useful.

Musical Afternoon Tea with Cassy and Carl

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were so excited to welcome Cassy and Carl to our musical afternoon tea last month. Cassy had to find someone to replace her pianist at the last minute, and we were so lucky that she was able to get Carl to come and play guitar for us. We had a wonderful hour of lovely singing, amazing guitar playing, and reminiscing over the classics. Our guests took requests from their audience, much to our delight. Accompanying the music we had bubbly, soft drinks and tea and coffee, as well as a wide range of snacks and nibbles. Those who came down for this event really enjoyed it, and once again said how much they love live music at the Astra. More to come throughout the year...

Zumba

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Wow what a morning! We welcomed Katrin (Kate) to the Astra to lead us in our first ever Zumba class. The music was pumping, our bodies were moving and there were smiles on all our faces as Kate led us in our dance moves. We did fast energetic routines, and when we needed a break we did slow gentle ones. Through it all Kate was encouraging and had such great positive energy. Those of us who could joined in for every dance, and those of us who couldn’t sat out a few – but everyone had a great time. We might all need a few weeks to recover now, but hopefully we will do it again soon! Fun, dancing, music and a beautiful teacher to keep us all motivated was a fabulous recipe for success. Thanks to everyone who came, and let’s keep moving…

St Patrick's Day Lunch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We couldn’t have St Patrick’s Day without a celebration, so we came together in our best green outfits on 17th for a delicious ploughman’s lunch. There were cold meats and salads, pickles and chutneys, cheeses and eggs, and Anna’s (by now) famous soda bread! The lounge was decorated with shamrocks and flags and as much green as we could fit into the space! We had Guinness and cider on offer, alongside a range of soft drinks. The atmosphere was vibrant and it was clear that the residents had been looking forward to it. A lovely day with lovely people and lovely food – can’t get any better than that!

Sandwich Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Who doesn’t like a good sandwich??! And good sandwiches were what we had at afternoon tea this month. Thanks to resident Darryl for organising this fabulous food – what a star! Lovely to catch up with friends over a cuppa, and we make the most of every opportunity to do so at the Astra! What a place to be 😊

Get Wild Wildlife Presentation

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had a wonderfully wild afternoon at the Astra with company Get Wild bringing in some local animals and giving us a fascinating wildlife presentation. We met Bubblegum the Blue Tongued Lizard, Freddo the Green Tree Frog, Angelica the Spotted Python, Lillian the Saltwater Crocodile, Squawk the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo and so many more that I can’t remember all their names! Our keeper for the afternoon introduced us to each of them and told us about their species… then she brought them round for us to touch or say hello to. The lizards ranged from smooth, to scaly, to fringed, with different defense mechanisms. The snakes were silky smooth and docile. Despite Angelica’s size she was happy just lying on the carpet, and her skin gave off an iridescent glow in the sunlight. Freddo had beautiful golden eyes and bright green skin. We were all very excited to meet the lovely soft Ring Tailed Possum who, although nocturnal, was happy to have a midnight snack of corn and be stroked by us all. Our penultimate animal was Lillian, a 7 year old saltwater croc, who watched us all with beautiful big eyes and made a funny noise in her throat. We finished with an introduction to Squawk, who had been living up to his name and making his presence known the whole time! He had an amazing wingspan and fabulous black feathers with a brilliant flash of red on the underside. We happily fed him some seeds, which he ate with gusto. All in all we had a very enjoyable afternoon getting to know the animals and asking questions of our knowledgeable keeper. Thanks so much to Get Wild and to our wonderful residents who made it all worthwhile!