Epilogue

We have been home for two days now, and the old routines are coming back. Josh went to school today, and I go back to work tomorrow. Pam's bible study starts again next week, and by the weekend, swimming lessons, groceries and the errands will creep back in. We were all commenting that we missed the breakfast buffet this morning - something that becomes strangely familiar.

Our trip was an amazing adventure, and it was breathtaking and awe inspiring to see the amazing work of creation from God, in the land, oceans, forests and huge array of animal and plant life.

I posted about 60 new pictures on Flickr today, which you can access to the left of this post. Pam is creating a photo book, which we will share with our friends and family in the future when we visit each of you.

All the best for 2011!

Paul, Pam and Joshua

By the numbers

Some numbers from our trip...

Total number of flights: 8
Total hours spend in the air: 48
Total km's travelled by air: 36,693
Number of airline meals consumed: 7
Bags of pretzels eaten: 9

Hotel nights: 16

Highest temperature we enjoyed: +32C (Port Douglas, Dec 21st)
-lowest temperature: +10C (Melbourne, Dec 23)
Days that I wore shorts: 16/16

Number of Lego mini-figures we got to keep Josh entertained during the flights: 16
- Archie comics: 7

Number of times Josh went swimming: 8
Hours spent in the pool at the Sydney Olympic Pool: almost 3
Cost to get into the Sydney Olympic Pool waterpark: $19.70
Cost to take the train to get to the Sydney Olympic Park: $20



Cost to do the laundry:
- Melbourne: $3 wash, $3 dry, $1 per load for soap
- Port Douglas: $0 wash, $0 dry, $1 per load for soap
- Sydney: $8 wash, $8 dry, $2 per load for soap

Cost for several regular items on our trip:

Bottle of Coke
- Vancouver airport $2.50
- most places in Australia: $4.00

Bag of chips $2.50
Package of TimTam cookies: $2.97
Litre of milk: $1.59
Bananas: $2.59 / kg
Apples: $8 / kg
Pineapple: $1.99 each
Ice cream cone at McDonald's: 50 cents

Hotel in downtown Sydney on New Year's Eve: $670 / night

Internet cost
- Melbourne, $19.95 a day
- Port Douglas, $5.95 per hour
- Sydney $11 per hour, $25 per day
- at most McDonald's in Australia - free


I will post more pictures to Flickr later this week, and add one final posting for our blog.

The end of our 40 hour day

Home at last. With the time change, and the crossing of the international date line, our January 1st has lasted 40 hours.

Time for some serious sleep. I think I got 4 hours on the flights in total, after staying up for the fireworks the night before. I need about 12 hours to catch up.....

Zzzzzzz

Halfway home

We are in Canada, awaiting our next flight to Toronto, via Calgary. Unfortunately, we couldn't get seats on the direct flight to Toronto, but we'll be home soon enough. I know that we are all looking forward to a good night's sleep in our own beds. The Vancouver airport is pretty quiet at this time of day. I'm sipping on a Starbuck's latte, while Pam has found the bakery, and Josh is munching on a chocolate chip cookie with a carton of milk (though he claims he isn't used to Canadian milk anymore).


More later...

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011! I went to see the fireworks over Sydney Harbour last night, as 2011 rolled in. Hard to describe, but an amazing show. I had a perfect view of the harbour bridge, with the iconic opera house just to my right. At 9:00pm, they had an eight minute family fireworks show, for those with little ones that can't make it to midnight. Even this show was pretty good. Then, at midnight, the grand event, as fireworks exploded from all sides, with the Harbour Bridge on fire with a cascade of fireworks! Breathtaking, and I've included a photo for you to enjoy. Once I get home, I'll try to edit a bit of the video I also shot, and post it for you to see.

We will be celebrating New Year's Eve a second time today, as our flight crosses the international date line, and returns to 2010, for a few hours. I wonder what they will do on the plane to celebrate? Just one last experience to add to our memories!

This is our last post from Australia, as our flight leaves in just under six hours for the long trip home. As great as this trip has been, it is always good to go home again.

Happy 2011 to everyone, and I'll post again when we are back in Mississauga!

Manly Beach

The weather has turned to the spectacular, and we are in the midst of a stretch of 27C to 30C days, with a few fluffy clouds, and lots of sun. Yesterday, we took the famous Sydney to Manly Beach ferry. A scenic run that leaves from just west of the Opera House, out through the harbour, and north to Manly Beach. Takes about 30 minutes, and the views of the harbour, and the surrounding city are breathtaking.

Josh and Pam spent about two hours building sandcastles and splashing about in the water, while I took a stroll up the beach and back, and then through town. After a lunch of fish and chips, we headed back to the city centre. All of that fresh and and sun had us all crashed and sleeping by 9:00pm.

Today, we are going to take the train to Sydney Olympic Park. This is the location of the swimming events from the 2000 games. The area has been converted into a park, aquatic centre and water park. We'll probably spend a good part of the day there. Anything with a pool or water, and Josh is all over it.

Tomorrow - New Year's Eve, and the grand finale of our trip, the fireworks over the Harbour. I've secured a seat right next to the Opera House, facing the Harbour Bridge, and it promises to be great weather, and a spectacular show.

Sun, the Rocks and the Oprah House

Finally, the rain is gone and nothing but sun and warm weather in the forecast. It is going to be 26 today, 27 tomorrow and over 30 by the time we leave on Saturday.

Yesterday, we did the tour of the Sydney Opera House. It took 13 years to build, and contains 4x more steel than the arch of the Harbour Bridge. There, your useless trivia of the day! Josh loved the tour, as he has a real interest in architecture and buildings. Then, we explored the Rocks and finished the day with a ride up to the top of the Sydney Tower.

Today - Manly Beach by ferry, and tomorrow, the Sydney Olympic Park for their awesome water park.

Today's picture is the quintessential Sydney shot, with Josh soaking up the rays.