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.

Rain.....again.

Monday was a cool and rainy day. Light rain or almost mist, mostly, though we did get a shower in the morning. We planned a mostly inside day, and took in the Sydney Aquarium and the Wild Animal World. Josh was excited to see both, not because there were all kinds of exotic and interesting animals to see, but because there was a Lego display there. Inside of each place where many larger than life Lego sculptures. He naturally had to take a picture of each one. Not sure how many actual animals he saw....

The rest of the week promises to be good weather, so today is a walking tour to The Rocks and a tour of the Opera House, and over the next two days, we will take the ferry to Manly Beach, and the train to the Sydney Olympic Park. Friday, when 1.5 million people descend on the downtown core for the fireworks, we'll stick close to the hotel, do some last minute shopping, and start packing for the return home on Saturday.

Today's picture is Josh chilling on the bed, after a long walk back to the hotel. Tomorrow, I'll upload some new pictures from our past couple of days.

The Opera House

Boxing Day in Sydney is certainly a little different than at home, but in many ways, the same. I went for a walk at 6:00am to find my local free internet, and noted the long lines in front of several clothing and jewelry stores, queued up for Boxing Day bargains. Different because, after a bit of rain in the morning, it was in the mid-20's and we made a mid-afternoon stop for ice cream cones and cold drinks.

After a great visit with Natalya and Laurence, we headed back to the CBD, but got off of the train just on the other side of the Harbour Bridge, and walked over the bridge. Of course, Pam had her camera and took about 40 pictures of the harbour, the Opera House, the ferry terminal, etc. An amazing view and after seeing pictures of the bridge so many times, it was pretty cool to walk over it.

The only problem with Boxing Day was that by the time we decided to grab a quick sandwich at Subway for dinner, they were closed (6:00PM). Ended up grabbing some bread, ham, cheese and cold drinks at the Coles grocery store near the hotel, and having a picnic on our bed. Josh enjoyed that, I think.

Here's but one picture of many that Pam took yesterday. Today, we are going to the Sydney Aquarium, where they have a new Lego display, then to the Wild Animal World. Both are next to each other and about a ten minute walk for us. Tomorrow, either Sydney Olympic Park (water park and pool now) or Manly Beach, depending on the weather.

Hard to believe we have just six nights left of sixteen. Vacations go by too fast!

Rainforests, cyclones and Sydney

Hello

A quick entry, as the internet at our hotel in Sydney is $11 per hour. I'll be looking for a free wifi connection at McDonald's tomorrow.

We visited the Daintree Rainforest yesterday. Amazing day. Saw a crocodile, dragon lizard, cassawary, peppermint stick bugs, and countless birds, trees, and assorted bugs!

Last night, tropical cyclone Tasha cut just south of our hotel, and we saw many broken tree branches and damages sugar canes fields on the drive to the airport in Cairns.

We arrived in Sydney this afternoon, and took a walk to Darling Harbour. Big Macs and fries for Christmas dinner, and ice cream cones for dessert. It's about 26C and sunny today.

We are visiting old friends tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll blog again soon!

Beach Day

Hello

Thursday, Dec 23rd, and it is raining. Again. We had a terrific downpour last night, and a steady rain this morning. A break in the rain meant a quick dash to the beach for sandcastles and a swim. Josh and Pam spent a bit of time building, while I took a few photos and tried to stay dry. Tomorrow, the Daintree Rainforest tour.

Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef

Hello from Port Douglas! We have been here since the 21st, and yesterday, spent the day on a tour of the Great Barrier Reef. At 10:00am, we headed out in a large catamaran (holds about 300 people), and headed about 30km off the coast to a permanently anchored platform. Once we docked, we all headed onto the platform, which was more like a floating mini-city. From here, we went snorkeling, enjoyed a buffet lunch, took a ride on a submersible boat, and relaxed on the deck. Others took part in scuba diving or optional helicopter rides. A fantastic day!

The photo is of the coral, taken during our ride in the submersible. The colours are muted because of the salt water. To see them in full colour, you need to get close to them with a flashlight - the sunlight filtered by the sea doesn't bring out the true colours. Spectacular views, including many amazing fish, a sea turtle and even some skipjack tuna, feeding for smaller fish.

Check out the flickr stream for even more shots!

The Great Ocean Road

Yesterday was our all-day bus tour of the Great Ocean Road. We left at 8:00am and returned at 9:30am. A long day, but packed with amazing sights to see. It started in the sun, but we soon were in the rain for a good part of the morning. Many stops, including a chance to see koalas in the wild, and feed birds out of hand. The highlight was a visit to a rock formation in the ocean known as the 12 Apostles, near Port Campbell. While here, we took a helicopter tour, flying at about 1,000 feet, over the ocean, to get pictures and a bird's eye view of the formation below. The picture is from Pam's seat, on the right side.

Today is a low-key day. Skies are gray, but it isn't supposed to rain. We are going to ride the tram to St Kilda's Beach, and then this afternoon, I hope to take a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. Tomorrow, we head to Port Douglas, in the north end of the country. Warmer weather in store, as it is 34C there today, and just 19C in Melbourne.

I may post again tonight, otherwise, it may not be until late tomorrow.

cheers!

Penguins

Melbourne Aquarium was a big hit. Not sure if the penguins were the coolest thing, or the tank where the sharks and stingrays swim, literally, a few feet over your head. Busy day today. Tomorrow we are gone all day on a tour of the Great Ocean Road.

Saturday!

Our first weekend here,and the agenda today includes a visit to the Melbourne Aquarium, where the highlight is the penguin display, and Santa, who does a daily scuba dive into the shark tank. Josh would also like to find a store with Lego, naturally. There is a large mall about 8 blocks from here, and we may return to do a bit more shopping, especially if we get the afternoon rain showers in the forecast.

Tomorrow we are taking an all day tour of the Great Ocean road, and Monday is another day to explore, before we head to Cairns and Port Douglas on Tuesday.

My list of odd things about Australia, to date.

Coffee - there is rarely drip coffee for sale. All coffee is a form of espresso. I have yet to figure out what a "white coffee" and a "flat white coffee" are.

Cream - no cream for coffee. Just milk. Even in the grocery store - no cream or half and half, just milk.

Milk - no white milk to purchase at a restaurant for Josh. Chocolate milk, maybe, but we have yet to find a place that sells a small carton of milk with a meal for Josh. He is drinking a lot of water.

Switches on outlets. Every outlet has a switch to turn it off/on. I keep forgetting, and plug in my computer, and then wonder why it isn't charging.

Coffee Part 2. No drip coffee means instant coffee on the plane, for $3.

Christmas trees - we spotted a shop with just trees, but it seems odd to buy a pre-cut tree when it is 25C outside. The big meal on Christmas day is seafood. Today's newspaper had a huge article on local seafood for the big meal.

Newspapers - 50% wider than at home, which makes them hard to read on an airplane. Two sections, of equal size. First is news, business, etc. and the second is sports.

Left/right. yes, they drive on the left, but they also walk left. I have to keep remembering to go down the left side of the sidewalk. Escalators are also on the left, when you have one going down and another up in the same place.

Last thing - before I leave, I have to try the double egg mcmuffin. Two layers of bacon, an egg and a sausage atty. I think it comes with a side of Lipitor.

More tonight!

Melbourne

Hello

Well, we are here. Sorry for not posting yesterday, but I had a low computer battery and I only had a power adapter for a two prong plug. Of course, the local grocery store had one for $10, so I'm back online. That, and internet is $19.95 for 24 hours, so I got it this evening (Friday) so I can update tonight and tomorrow on the same 24 hour period, and then perhaps get to a McD's on Monday for free wifi and a Big Mac.

Flight was long. We got onboard in Toronto, and then sat a the gate for an hour while they loaded priority cargo. Whatever that means. Then, we left Vancouver 90 minutes late, but made up some time in the air. Arrived 40 minutes late. We had enough time to still clear customs, change terminals, eat lunch and catch our last, short flight to Melbourne.

Josh slept on the flight to Toronto, but decided to stay up the rest of the way. He didn't sleep from Vancouver to Sydney - 15 hours! He watched the movie, "Despicable Me" six times during the flight! Must be a good movie! He fell asleep on the next flight for 90 minutes, and slept on the ride to the hotel. He would have stayed sleeping if we didn't get him up for a walk and some dinner, but by 8:00pm, we were all sleeping.

Got up today at 6:00, and got out for breakfast around 7:30. We spent the say riding the tram, and then walking to Victoria Market, where we bought a picnic lunch and ate at a local park. Then it was a stroll through a local mall, which is mostly indoors, with outdoor parts, and a nice walk back. It is 8:30pm now, and Pam and Josh are sleeping. I want to stay up to 10:00pm or I'll be awake at 4:00am again. The jetlag isn't that bad, and in another day we will all be used to the time shift.

Weather was 24C today and sunny, with a late day shower. Showers for tomorrow, so we may visit the Melbourne Aquarium, which is less than 10 minutes on foot from our hotel, or the Eureka Tower if it clears up, which is less than 10 seconds from our hotel.

Food prices are crazy high. We got a few items at the grocery store today - box of Frosted Flakes for Josh $6, apples are $8 / kg, 500ml OJ was $3. Coffee is $3 for a small, everywhere.

Everyone is very friendly. The money is confusing. $5 bills are purple, and $10 bills are blue. I am forever mixing them up. Coins are bizarre. No pennies - they round up or down. 5 cents coins look like dimes, 10 cents is exactly the size of a quarter, then 20 cents is a loonie sized coin, 50 cents is larger than a toonie, $1 coin is a quarter, but thicker, and the $2 coin is a nickle sized, but very think and gold coloured.

My Scotiabank card works at the Westpac ABM. In fact, the Scotiabank logo is right on the machine as a worldwide partner. Very cool.

One picture today and I hope for some more on Flickr soon. Until tomorrow!

Tomorrow...

We leave tomorrow. Almost there. Of course, I've been watching each flight for the past week to see how the trips to Sydney have been. I probably should not do that. Last night's was delayed 10 hours in Calgary and Vancouver. It wasn't even supposed to stop in Calgary, so they must have had some problem or issue to add a stop. Oh well....we are on vacation and if we are late, c'est la vie. I can't control it, and will just be happy to get there safe and sound.

Until tomorrow!

84 hours, 40 minutes...

The countdown in hours has begun! We opened our Christmas gifts last night, and are heading to my family Christmas in Simcoe today. Just one and a half days of work left for me this year, and then it is three weeks off! This will be the longest continuous vacation that I've ever taken, and the longest time I've had off work since I moved to Vancouver in 1991. I'm sure it will go by entirely too fast.

Today's weather:

Toronto +4C, with 10cm of snow coming tomorrow
Vancouver +5C, with a heavy rainfall warning in effect
Sydney +29C, sunny
Melbourne +21C, sunny.

Next Thursday's forecast

Melbourne +23C, sunny
Toronto -2C, cloudy

Merry Christmas!

We've moved up all of our Christmas events a couple of weeks. Josh made this with Pam in mid-November.

Nine days and next week

Nine days to go...have to switch over to hourly countdown mode soon!

Toronto Star Article

Great article on Sydney in this week's Toronto Star travel section. How timely.

http://www.thestar.com/travel/grandtour/article/900621--the-grand-tour-sydney-irresistible

11 days, 23 hours, 56 minutes...

Not that I'm counting down or anything. We leave just 12 days from today. Finally we can say we are going this month! With colder weather on the way, I'm looking forward to our planned day on the beach on Dec 23rd. Hmmm...better pack the sunscreen!