Entry 10: Return to Civilization, The Chic Hotel, A Great Day in the Rocks!

The flight out of Hamilton Island was a mix of sadness that we had to leave such a beautiful tropical paradise and our awesome boat, Dreamer, with excitement that we were heading to Sydney.

When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that there were actually two flights out to Sydney that day which, apparently, isn’t always the case. As a matter of fact, our original tickets showed us departing at 3 something in the afternoon. When we arrived at Sunsail at the start of our trip, they informed us that the only flight out the day of our departure was an 8:10 AM. They informed us that Jet Star has a reputation for changing flight times and not letting the passengers know. Hmm, that’s nice.

At first we were really bummed that the flight was going to be earlier out of Hamilton Island but it quickly sank in that, leaving earlier meant that we would get to Sydney earlier which meant another full day there. So 8:10 AM it was.

When we arrived at the airport, the gate attendant asked us if we were wanting to go on the morning flight instead of the afternoon flight. What? Umm, what afternoon flight? We thought the 8:10 AM flight was the only one available. Luckily, the am flight had plenty of room so we weren’t sitting in the terminal all day long – that would have been a real bummer. But obviously there is some miscommunication between Sunsail and Jet Star. Whatev. Everything happens for a reason so we rolled with it.

The flight was uneventful – which is a good thing – and, after a few dozes and another look at the same magazine in the back pocket as our flight to Hamilton, we heard the landing gear unleash. This was really our only sign that we were landing since it was so overcast we couldn’t see the ground.

When we arrived and retrieved our large amount of luggage, we took a cab to our hotel – The Grand Quay (pronounced “key”). Let it be known that all cab drivers in all countries must be somewhat the same. We almost felt like we were in America when we headed to the cab line and was shown to our cab at slot number one. I don’t know if our driver was a native Aussie but I would venture a guess that he is not. I mean, have you ever had a cab experience where the driver is a native of that area?

When we pulled up to The Grand Quay, I knew it was going to be a nice property. As we made our way out of the cab, one of the front desk attendants came out to greet us. She welcomed us and wrestled with our bags in an attempt of hospitality. I felt so sorry for her. Our bags are so heavy they barely squeak by the limit of the airlines. And, nothing against this very nice lady, but this was probably a work out of a lifetime for her. Thank you nice lady.

As we entered the hotel, we noticed how incredibly swank it was. Wow. Very contemporary with pale tones of whites mixed with glass walls so that you could easily get a glimpse of the bay from the entrance. Unlike most hotels where the front desk is an actual long desk with many attendants behind it (if you’re lucky), the Grand Quay had actual desks with two chairs on one side for the lucky guests to sit across the attendant during check in.

Everything went well during check in. Our nice lady told us about places that we should really check out. Darling Harbor, Manly Beach, The Rocks, etc. Of course, she was telling us all of this while still panting over our luggage. I am telling you, that luggage is unbelievably heavy. A round of applause to Todd and I for getting the darn things up the steps and through the hatch of the boat!

After everything was signed and buttoned up, our nice lady followed us to our corner suite on the 8th floor – suite 807. Now, I have traveled extensively over the years for work and have stayed in some very nice hotels. However, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see as we opened the door to 807. It was so amazing! I think Todd was impressed too. However, just as faux stars must do, we harnessed our pure excitement and joy until nice lady left the room. Then we went nuts and dashed around the suite looking at all the nooks and crannies that it had.

As you walk into the door, to the left is a beautiful kitchenette with marble counter tops. The first double door closet actually has a washer, dryer and laundry sink. The second single door after that is the refrigerator. There is a coffee pot, toaster, double sink and a bar area that leads into the dining area. All fixtures are very contemporary which is right down our alley.

Then, from the dining area you walk into the living area with a couch, two chairs, a coffee table and a flat screen TV. There is a door off of the living area that leads to the balcony overlooking the bay. We can see the Harbor Bridge from our suite as if it were in our backyard. This is the famous bridge that people climb to the top. From our couch you can see groups of people walking across the top of the bridge and, as it turns to dusk, you can see the flashes of their cameras.

Our bedroom can be entered by either the hallway to the left of the main entrance or through the living room. After being on a boat for 11 days, the sight of a real bed with lots of pillows and comfortable mattress is a sight to behold! There is a small desk and two closets – his and hers, if you will.

Then the bathroom! Yay! A walk in shower with a glass door, a toilet that works, doesn’t need to be pumped and won’t cause drama (long story and probably too much information for some – let’s just say that you should never take for granted how awesome a real toilet is) and a Jacuzzi tub.

View from our balcony overlooking the Sydney Harbor






Behind this building is the area called "The Rocks"



As soon as we were done gawking at our room, we decided to take full advantage of our unexpected full day in Sydney. The wharf in the harbor is literally outside of the hotel. We walked around the wharf and headed into the district called “The Rocks.” Supposedly it was the first area to be discovered in Sydney but it was primarily rocks – or something like that. But now it is a really cool area of Sydney that is our neighbor by a 5 minute walk, if that.

We checked out a couple of local pubs that had such great character. Then we checked out the street vendors. Think of 4th Ave Festival (for my Tucson mates) or St. James Art Festival (for my Louisville mates). All sorts of vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Some more interesting than others.

We ended up getting a couple of things including some macadamia oil, basalmic vingerette and a crumb mixture that you put all together for an awesome snack with bread. The vendor at this booth was very nice. Originally from England, she has lived in Australia for 40 years so considers herself a native. She gave us some great tips as to what to see while we were here. One suggestion was the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney – about an hour drive. From what it sounds like, it is the Smoky Mountains of Australia.

We also stopped and got a boomerang – which is indigenous to Australia. We were able to get it personalized so, being our cheesy selves, we had it engraved “Honeymoon 2008”. We stopped by a booth that was selling Didjeridus. These are definitely indigenous to Australia – in particular, the Aboriginal Tribes. They are “straight pieces of timber, hollow, usually with a slight taper and played like a trumpet.” I took that description out of a pamphlet we bought today. What’s really cool is that, along the wharf, there are a lot of street performers. Most of which are “tribe members” – or actors – playing the Didjeridu. It makes such a unique sound and, whenever we think about Australia in the future, I am sure that will be one aspect we will remember well. The faint sound of Didjeridus in the harbor.

After we did our shopping, we headed back to our chic duds and changed clothes. The weather here is overcast and a bit cool. Although we were thinking they were well into summer, I think we are actually hitting late spring. There is definitely a chill in the air – especially without the warmth of the sun and the crisp wind that sweeps off the bay. Think Chicago.

We headed back out after a change to warmer clothes – not wasting a moment in our room. We wanted to keep moving. We headed to the lobby bar for a beer or two. The bar fits with well with the rest of the hotel. Very contemporary, bright, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbor (some of which are half open). The seating is a mix of clean lined, contemporary couches and tables with highboy cocktail tables.

After our first stop, we headed out to experience the nightlife at some of the local pubs in The Rocks. We weren’t disappointed. We ended up at, what we later found out was called, The Mercantile Hotel. We sat towards the back of the bar next to a sound stage that was in the process of transition between bands. We ordered a couple of beers from the bar – James Squire Amber Ale. We also ordered the very popular appetizer in Australia – wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.

As the night progressed and the new band started their set, we were having a great time soaking in the local flare. Then, a large man came by and asked to sit his beer on our table as he went to the restroom – which was conveniently located right by our table. Of course we didn’t mind and it led to a very interesting night meeting new Aussie mates!

When he returned for his beer, he struck up a conversation with Todd regarding Todd’s Boston Red Sox hat. Again we felt like celebrities. Big guy called over a couple of his friends and was talking about the Red Sox. When he found out that we really aren’t Red Sox fans and that we were from Arizona, they laughed heartily about how the Diamondbacks aren’t so good. We probably could have opened up about how we really aren’t big baseball fans. However, it was fun talking to some local folks and realize how truly involved they are in our culture. I mean, how well do you know the Australia Rugby team? Exactly!

The night progressed with our new mates. I was so proud (and Ryan would be too) of Todd’s limited knowledge of baseball information – players and such. We also talked politics and found out that 80 something percent of Aussies wanted Obama to win. For all of those who think that our country is the leader in the free world, you would be surprised to know what other countries truly feel about our country. You would be very surprised…and maybe a bit disheartened. But, with the election of Obama, we have a chance of saving face.

We asked our new friends what our accents sound like to them. They said we sound a little nasal and we roll our “R’s” a bit. Interesting. When one of the guys tried to imitate us, we sounded somewhat retarded! Haha!

It was so great meeting these folks. One guy has never been to America but has finally convinced his fiancé to get married in Vegas. The other guys have been to America once or twice – I think it was for a friend’s wedding. We also met a guy from Chicago that moved to Australia after meeting his now wife. He didn’t have an accent at all until his wife came to the table and then it started bleeding through. Very interesting night.

Our new Aussie mates



After more beers, two of which were paid for by our new friends, and big guy spilling most of our beers after bumping into our table (his beers had been flowing for a while), we decided to head out and make our way back to our hotel. There were cold beers and Bailey’s coffee waiting for us and we hadn’t really enjoyed our room at that point.

We sat on our balcony and had a couple of more beers before retiring for the night. It was a long day and a late night but we felt we really got a lot in! And made new friends along the way.

This morning we were dragging a bit – whether it was the beer or the fact that, lying in a luxury bed with air conditioning was a welcome change. However, we got ourselves up and ready for another adventure in Sydney. We started at a local café – Café Extra – for breakfast. A couple of fried eggs over medium, grilled tomatoes and hashbrowns for me, scrambled eggs, bacon and bread for Todd.

Once we were fueled, we decided to head back to The Rocks so that we could get a couple more things from the vendors. I decided that Mom and John would really like the oil, vinegar and crushed whatever it is as a souvenir. Todd also decided that we really needed to get a Didjeridu for home. I was really excited! What a great takeaway from Australia. And they will ship it for us which is nice. We should get it early next week.

We headed back to the hotel to drop off our goods and then turned around and headed to the wharf. We took the ferry over to Darling Harbor to check it out. It was ok. I mean, I’m glad we checked it out. There is a wildlife museum, aquarium, maritime museum and a ton of restaurants and bars. Further into the harbor there is a great area for kids. We checked out the Chinese Garden which was nice and the market place that was not.

We ended up having lunch at a very bad café. My nachos were ok – nothing to write home about (although I am writing about it now) and Todd had Satay Chicken that he said was downright disgusting. And this is someone that can eat just about anything. Leave it to me, out of all the hundreds of restaurants in Darling Harbor, I pick the bomb.

Darling Harbor






I beg your pardon, I never promised you a Chinese garden






It wasn’t too much longer that we were back on the ferry heading back to our harbor. I was feeling pretty worn out after going so hard for so long. Once we were back at the hotel, I flopped down on our bed while Todd called to say hi to Tay and his Mom. Then we discussed our plans for tomorrow. We are planning on taking a tour in the Blue Mountains with a tour company. A bus will pick us up at a close by McDonalds and take us up the mountain. We will get to feed Roos and pet Koalas. I am pretty excited about it. There will also be a stop at Leura which is supposed to have great small shops. It is a full day of adventure – we don’t return until 7’ish but I think it will be well worth it!

We took the pamphlet to the concierge and had him help us with the coordination. Then we headed back to our lobby bar for a couple of cocktails and a snack (do you see a trend here?). I decided against beer and chose a cosmo instead. We got more wedges – I think that may be the last wedge appetizer we have for a while. Our stomachs are demanding something a bit healthier – or a lot healthier.

We tossed around ideas for evening plans and decided that, with our early morning tomorrow (the bus picks us up at 8 something), we would just head back to the room, maybe watch a movie and just relax…maybe order room service or something. We popped in Larry the Cable Guy and both dozed off on the couch half way through. The rest of our evening has been very low key. We ordered room service and have been buckled down for the remainder of the evening. And, since I was behind on my postings, it gave me a chance to catch up.

Now I am off for more relaxation and bad TV. Bed time isn’t too far off…

Entry 11: Kangaroos, Koalas and Blue Haired Bus – Oh My!

So I only thought that bus tours were for the blue haired (sorry if I offended any of my blue haired family, friends or anonymous fans) – but I was wrong.

The bus picked us up in front of the McDonalds pretty close to our hotel. Todd and I got there a bit early so I got myself a Diet Coke for the caffeine boost and we sat on a bench close to the “restaurant” to wait for our bus. I automatically realized what a people watcher I am. It was Monday morning in Sydney and everyone was on the go. Such a different atmosphere than the previous two days. No street performers on the way to the meeting place. Everyone walking briskly by us in suits and dresses. Very stylish, I may add. I started finding myself wondering what lives these people led. I am sure the same as ours in so many ways! It was definitely a Monday for them. Men with their suits, newspapers and coffees. Women with their nice bags, stylish suits and hair done just right. Most of the people who work in the city seem to take the ferry over from the suburbs. Or the trains. It was fascinating to see the ferry line change from tourists the last two days to suits today.

Anyway, we sat out on our bench and I studied everyone one by one. Finally our bus pulled up a bit past the McD’s. The couple that had parked themselves next to us was on our bus. As was an older couple waiting by the street. We all walked over to the bus with the header “Blue Mountain Tours”. As we approached, the driver – Michael – informed us that the bus was pretty full. At first I thought he was kidding but then I looked at the bus and noticed it was full. Yikes. We (or at least I) thought it wouldn’t be that crowded. Even Michael asked us if we wanted to sit together. Of course we said yeah. He said, well, what if you can’t but I can give you a gift of some sort, would that be ok. We were like, umm, ok. Well, I am sure we can make due but we would really like to sit together. Something I thought about later…we really haven’t played the honeymoon card. Although it is our delayed honeymoon, we really see it as a trip and adventure that is the beginning of more to come. I guess that’s why we haven’t played it as of yet.

When we got on the bus, Michael followed us and actually asked someone to switch seats. The first girl was hesitant but the second wasn’t so we were able to sit together. And she was told that she would get a gift before the end of the trip for being accommodating. We were the third row back on the left side of the bus which is NOT behind the driver. Remember that, everywhere else in the world but America, the driver is on the right side. And, although I thought these tours were for the older of the world (sorry again), there were all ages and nationalities.

We headed out and, immediately, Michael started his tour. He told us a lot about the city of Sydney, the suburbs, and so much more. He was very knowledgeable which was so fun! We learned more than I thought we would.

Our first stop was Featherdale, which is a wildlife reserve. I was super excited because you are able to feed roos and get your picture taken with a koala. As we entered we saw some beautiful birds and other awesome wildlife indigenous to Australia. As you make your way further in the park you find a bunch of sweet, soft koalas. There is an area where you are able to walk up to a koala perked on a branch. It doesn’t bother them. They rotate them depending on their sleep patterns, I’m sure. According to Michael, koalas have very slow digestive systems because it takes so much work digesting Eucalyptus leaves, they sleep most of the day – 17 hours to be exact.

Todd and I were both able to both pet and take our pics with a koala. They are so soft! I was so excited to be so close to one and to actually be able to pet its back. It was amazing. We also saw a couple of koalas cuddling together, which was sweet. They are so awesome and it was great to see so many in a safe environment.

Outside of the koala exhibit there was a place to get an “ice cream cone” shaped thing that you can put kangaroo food in. They can eat both. So, for AUD $1 we were able to get a cone of roo food! I was so excited. Then we went through a gate where all the roos are able to run free! I tell you, I was in heaven. It was so awesome! What was funny was that there were some lying around that you could tell were completely full – their legs all spread out and their bellies huge.

I tried to feed a couple that wanted nothing to do with me or my cone full of weeds. They were obviously dealing with more indigestion than hunger. But I did find one that was very efficient – eating the cone I was handing him while pottying at the same time. But it was awesome to be so close to actual roos from Australia. Totally my dream come true! We also saw many roo mommy’s with their kids in their pouch. So incredibly cool.




Look close - she has a baby in her pouch!



Very full roos



A dream come true - feeding a roo



So awesome!



They are so soft!!



Cuddle snuggle



Awesome peacock!



Another...in white!



The next stop was a small park down the road where Michael demonstrated how to throw a boomerang. It was pretty fun to watch and he let some passengers try it too. Todd and I stayed on the bus during the demonstration but it was really fun to watch. I guess we will try it when we get home since Todd bought one the other day.

After the demonstration, we made our way to Blue Mountain. Next stop lunch which was going to be around noon (we left at 8:30 AM). After more Australia tidbits and humor from our driver, we arrived at the Rest Easy Hotel. And, umm, I don’t know if you would really rest easy at this hotel but I can tell you they had a decent buffet. At least for those traveling on a bus and starving. We had salad, fresh fruit and pasta with some sort of enchilada tasting tomato sauce. The other options were rice, chicken and some sort of veggie. At the end of lunch, we all received a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in a plastic cup with a plastic spoon. I actually ate it.

We all loaded the bus and headed to a couple of great look outs on Blue Mountain. Absolutely beautiful. We learned that they are called the Blue Mountains because of the blue haze that lingers. We also learned that the haze is from the oils of the Eucalyptus concentrating in the air. The smell is unlike anything I have smelled before. I felt that the whole area was similar to the Smoky Mountains other than the smell. There was definitely the “leafy” smell but heavily combined (or outweighed) by the sweet Eucalyptus smell.




After the Three Sisters Lookout (which there are a few Aboriginal stories about those stones), we headed to Blue Mountain Scenic Park. I decided over lunch that I would be brave and do the three rides offered at the park. Two of which were those skyway rides – tramways, or, my definition, huge cars hanging from thin wires over thousands of feet to death. But I did it. The first one was the hardest – hanging over a valley approximately 1000 feet below us. I made it though – obviously.

The ride of my life...or death



The view...still makes my hands sweat!!



The second ride was a rail train accompanied by a wire to go down a steep slope to the heart of the rainforest hidden within the Blue Mountains. To me that was more of a “rollercoaster” but, according to Todd, it was probably the most dangerous of the three rides we did. I guess, the closer to the ground I am, the better.

Once we got off of the train, we took a nice hike through the rainforest. It was awesome and had some references to coal mining which was a huge use of this area in the 1800s. We had a nice hike and a fun time. To get us back to the bus, we had to take another skyway up a huge mountain. Other than the fact that we were at death level inside a car with way too many people (my clausterphobia kicked in), I think I did ok. As long as they are short rides, I can breathe when we get out and back on land.

Our next stop after the park was Lerau. It is a small city in the Black Mountains that reminds me a little of Gatlinburg or Brown County. For my Arizona friends, unless you have been to either of those places, it is hard to explain. Small shops in old, charismatic buildings. Very quaint and “homey”. We ended up going to the candy shop as well as the Christmas shop where we bought Tay’s 2008 Christmas ornament.







Getting Tay's 2008 Xmas Ornament




We filed back on the bus and headed to Olympic park. Sydney held the Olympics in 2000 and their park has put the state government in financial turmoil. It is a beautiful park but not well used. The main arena is used primarily for concerts and the pool is now for public use.

The main stadium for the 2000 Olympics



After our quick glance of the park, we headed to the marina to catch the ferry back to Circular Quay – where our hotel is located. We caught a private ferry that stopped at Darling Harbor first then to our home for the next couple of days, Circular Quay. We were pretty hungry by the time we reached the harbor so we decided to skip the hotel and go straight to a pizzeria that was located under our hotel.

We ended up getting a couple of beers along with a trio dip appetizer that was really good. The pizzas were very fru-fru so we ended up with the Margarite pizza. And I wasn’t real impressed. I asked for crushed red peppers and you would have thought I had grown 2 extra heads. So it was pretty favorless…well, very favorless.

After dinner, we went to a bar next door to our hotel for another beer. It is called Minus Five Degrees and it looks as if they have an ice bar. More about that after we go maybe tomorrow or something. Supposedly the whole bar is made of ice. We just stayed in the lobby bar, had one beer and headed back to our chic room.

And here we are now…we are both getting pretty tired after the long, fun, adventurous day we had…tomorrow morning we are planning on taking a tour of the opera house and then the day is wide open. Who knows what we will do…

Entry 12:The Spectacular Sails, The Train, the Forgettable Town of Wollongong & The Bridge

What really surprised me about the Sydney Opera House is that no one mentioned the fact that the roof of the building resembles sails on a boat. Especially since it is right next to the bay with sailboats passing all the time. Even during the one hour tour that we took after Todd had to check our dangerous backpack at a coat check area. During our tour, we learned about the architect, Jorn Utzon from Denmark. More than a hundred architects turned in designs for the opera house – Jorn was a last minute winner. But even his accounts do not mention the idea of sails. It was just his way of a new design that followed within his usual designs.

The tour was interesting – and kinda a bummer because we weren’t able to take pictures inside the theaters. The story behind the conception of the building is very interesting and the architecture is incredible. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, animated and informed. It was a nice hour of seeing something I have always wanted to see and may never see again.








View from Opera House



After our tour, we decided to hit the city train and check out some ‘burbs. We really wanted to explore whatever we could and had a whole day to do it. Since we went to the Blue Mountains the day before – which is north of Sydney – we decided to head south. Ultimate destination – Wollongong.

It is your standard city train with two levels. Our first trip was to a transitional stop where we would change trains to go south. Wollongong was our ultimate stop and was supposed to be a cool marina with shops and pubs. On our way to Wollongong, we stopped off at Cronulla Beach. At first we were weary. The neighborhoods on the way and close to that stop looked a bit less than fortunate. However, when we left the station and headed up the road, we noticed how charming this beach city actually was. What really caught my attention was all the mums with their baby carriages, which the Aussies call prams. It was like Mums On Parade! But we really enjoyed tooling around in the city, checking out the beach and having lunch at a café having probably one of the best meals we have had in Australia as of yet.

Todd took this pic! Haha!



Mmm, great cafe!



Us



After lunch we shopped along a street full of stores of all kinds. It is definitely a holiday spot for Aussies. At lunch we were asked if we were Canadians. We get that quite a bit. Not sure what it is about us that makes us more Canadians than Americans.

Road of stores



After tooling around, we got back on the train and headed to Wollongong. Ok, well, the train map is certainly not to scale! Before we even got to Wollongong there were a lot of stops we didn’t make and many more that we did. We traveled for a very long time and saw country side and ocean cliffs alike. Now, I am not much of a traveler as far as sitting in a car, train or plane. I just want to be there. But I kept it together, fell asleep at times and began to wonder if we were taking a train back to America.

A couple of times we thought about turning around but Todd really wanted to keep on since we had gone this far. When we finally did get to Wollongong…well…close your eyes and think of what comes to your mind when I say Beirut. Yeah. That’s about it. We got off the train to…that. Looking at the map we saw that we could walk another 20 or so blocks to get to the beach area but that didn’t seem appealing. So we walked over the bridge and caught the next train back into town.

Wollongong gone wrong - the best thing to see there



By the time we got back to our home base – Circular Quay – which was such a site for sore train eyes, we headed to dinner. We went to Lowenbraugh at The Rocks. It is a German restaurant and bar. We had a blast, great food and awesome beer! There was even entertainment with a three piece German group.







This morning we took it easy and didn’t force ourselves out of bed. We took our time and ordered room service for breakfast. After we got ready, we headed out to explore probably the only place we hadn’t explored yet – downtown Sydney.

We headed towards Pitt Mall on Pitt Street. It was a nice walk and, because I love big cities and architecture, it was very cool to see all of the buildings. We certainly ran into Pitt Mall – it is an outside and inside, multiple level mall that is mostly occupied by a department store call Myers. Myers has six levels of departments! It was huge! We ended up getting the much requested baby doll for Tay followed by a shirt from a gift shop for the baby so that it was more Australian.

The sales were huge and all of the stores were decorated for Christmas. I guess, because the Aussies do not celebrate Thanksgiving, their Christmas rush comes even earlier than ours. We did buy an Aussie Christmas CD that has traditional Aussie Christmas songs. That will be a nice touch this year for our pre-Christmas festivities.

Pics to come...

On our way back to Circular Quay and The Rocks, it started raining…and not too lightly. When we finally got to The Rocks to do more shopping, it had let up some. Todd bought us a couple of cool mugs from Lowenbraugh to remember the night before. Then we walked around a bit more, had a beer at a different local pub, then headed back to our hotel.

Our feet were throbbing and we were pooped so we lied down for a bit to relax. Turns out we did more than relaxing – we dozed. Finally we got up and headed back out yet again. We decided that we were going to check out the Sydney Harbor Bridge pylon lookout. Yes, I am afraid of bridges and of heights but I decided to suck it up and make it work. We walked all the way to where the pylon stood next to the point. But we couldn’t get in. Turns out that we have to go further down the road – a bit further down the road – to go up a good flight of steps in order to get to the walkway next to the traffic on the bridge. Very interesting and definitely a good set up for a Dawna anxiety attack.

Once we got to the pylon, we walked up more steps. This was the best – and much needed – work out I have had for two weeks. I was really proud of myself that, when we got to the top, I actually stood up on the provided stands to see over the plexi-glass in order to see the view. And it wasn’t too bad.

Afterwards, we headed to a Rocks pub that we happened to past on our walking journey to the bridge steps. It was at the Glenmont Hotel Bar. We had one beer then headed to the Australian Hotel – our last Rocks pub for the rest of our trip. We had several beers and an awesome pizza! It was baked pumpkin on top of mozzarella and pizza sauce. Add Rosemary, Basil, Paprika and Feta and you have a rockin’ pizza! We were very happy with our choice.

Pics to come

Several beers and a cool ball cap later, we were on our way back to our hotel for the night. We stopped at the bottle shop for a last six pack of James Squire Amber Ale (our new favorite beer) and a small Baileys for my sweetie. Now we are sitting in jammies, watching TV and having a couple of last call cocktails before we get packing. We will be leaving tomorrow for an 11:30 AM flight.

We certainly will miss Australia. It is an amazing country continent. My home away from home away from home. Travel is incredible and such a mind opening experience. Thank you sweetie for the vacation of my life! I will never forget it and will always hold it close to my heart. It has brought me closer to my sweetheart and closer to humanity. I am so lucky to have had this experience and will never forget any second of my time in this beautiful country.

And then we travel home…

I got an email from my Kid--thought I'd share with you guys. Sounds like they're having a great time!

Hi Mom! We came back to the marina yesterday to have our fridge checked out and to get more supplies. They seem to have fixed the fridge! The engine was off all night and it is still frosty cold! Yay! I was hoping we wouldn't have to switch boats. We've grown to love Dreamer!Its overcast this morning with light showers. I'm not sure what the plan is for today. I really want to get out of the marina and explore more islands. And I want to get another good sail in today. We will get a weather report at 845 this am on our radio so I guess we will see. Just wanted to check in while I could. Tell everyone hello and let my blog fans know I will be there soon. We r having a GREAT time! Best vacation ever!!

This is Dawna's Mom again! She has very limited cell phone access and NO internet access. So if you don't hear anything for a while, they are just not in an area where we can connect. I talked to her briefly today and they are having a great time. They have seen sea turtles, walked on a deserted beach, and saw flocks of cockatills! They are heading to another island today (tomorrow to us). Their meat has thawed, so she's planning a major cook out night so they can salvage it and eat left overs. They said the sunset us totally awesome, the water is clear and beautiful! So their first anchored out night was successful, and as I left them, they will need to pull up anchor and head to the next island. What an adventure. So they are safe and sound. As I hear from them I'll let you know. I know I'm not the author she is, but I want you guys to know they are ok. She said it will probably be Syndey before she can connect. So hang in there for a week or more.

Hello all! This is Dawna's Mom. She is unable to access the internet and wanted me to let you know. So far they've had a luxurious trip in the air, and have arrived at the marina. They got a briefing and walk through the boat by 5 p.m., had dinner, and took showers at the marina. In bed by 9:30 and up at 5 a.m. She emailed me at 6 a.m. this morning (3:oo p.m. Louisville time). They are going sailing today and she said she may even snorkel this time! I'll keep you posted.

Bon Voyage!

Well, my adoring fans, we are off on the adventure of a lifetime. Australia here we come!

We got all packed up last night other than those frustrating little items that you have to use while you get ready before you head out. In typical girl fashion, my suitcase was over flowing and had to be divided into a separate duffle. Oh well - my philosophy is that I would rather have more than I need than to not have enough. T was able to fit all of his clothes into one suitcase but it sure is heavy - he may need to share my duffel! But seriously, how do you pack for 2-1/2 weeks?? I don't want to be doing laundry on my honeymoon to Australia!!

Our next steps today are to 1) write a tip sheet for Sue the Nunn Better lady, 2) take showers and get those last minute items in the suitcase, 3) change the sheets on the bed for Sue, 4) start the dishwasher and put those dishes away, 5) love on our babies all that we can before we go, 6) last minute poop scoop in backyard. We have a town car picking us up at about 1 or 1:15 to take us to Phoenix. How about that?? Before you think that we are acting like cocky celebrities - it is actually more cost effective than driving when you take into account gas and parking. Ok...so we are acting like cocky celebrities (did I mention we are flying first class today?? Haha).

Our flight to San Francisco departs around 5 this evening followed by the Qantas flight at 10:30 PM. This will likely be my only post today. However, the plan (if internet works as we expect it to) is to post every evening on our trip to both update you as well as to keep a log for us. I can't guarantee they will be long posts but I do hope to add pics and videos when I can. I sure hope it works because I really would rather keep a log in one place and I most certainly would rather type it!

Well, off to my next chore. I am going to get the letter/tip sheet written for Sue. I want to be sure to have her watch the babies close, especially Jazzy - she hasn't been eating her snack (which has always been her favorite time of the day) which worries me a little. But I will worry about them the whole time so no surprise there. I also want to get cleaned up soon so that I can get my last Circle K ice tea. Wow I need that caffeine right about now!

Oh, and for anyone playing along, I decided to take a pregnancy test this morning to be sure that I'm not baking anything in there. I wasn't late or anything but I wanted to be sure before I enjoyed that adult bev on the plane. Of course I wanted it to be neg until I get back from Australia - I mean, who really wants to be pg on their honeymoon?? Ok, well, not me. It was, indeed, neg! So play ball!! After this trip we are good with it whenever! So I am excited to experience first class at its finest without worrying about having a baby with three heads!

Ok all! I am very excited (and nervous, and worried) and I look forward to filling you in as we go. Love to you all and keep tuning in for some crazy and fun adventures!!

D and T