Sydney, Australia

We've spent the past six days in Sydney - our final stop in the land down under.   Our first few days were spent touring the sites in our neighborhood - the Rocks.  Highlights were of course the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. 







On our first day Carol and Allison climbed to the top of the arch of the Harbour Bridge -  almost 400 feet above the harbour.  The rain and wind did not slow them down!  At the top it cleared and they saw a rainbow.

View from the top!!

Cameron is writing a paper on the history and construction of the opera house.  We learned quite a bit on the tour.  We were also lucky to get tickets for a symphony performance the next day in the main concert hall!

Staircase in the Opera House

Tea and biscuits before the morning symphony

The performance, The Symphony for the Common Man, lasted about sixty minutes.  Given we aren't huge fans of the symphony, the length was just  right for us. 

Booking a day before didn't get us the best seats, but we did get a great view of the hall in the second to last row.  

Cameron and Allison were very happy to find another Donut Time shop - this one in Sydney.  They hadn't filled up their ten hole punch card from the shop in Melbourne.  Fortunately they saved the card and are still hoping for that free donut.

One afternoon we rode the aptly name Manly Fast Ferry to Manly Beach.  Very fast.  On the way back, we rode over ten foot swells in the mouth of the harbour.  The ride felt more like a roller coaster than a ferry.

Because of the rainy weather only the seagulls were visiting Manly Beach.

On another day we took a tour up to the Blue Mountains. Our guide kept us laughing as he referred to the poor visibility as "World Heritage Fog".  Due to the weather, we can't say we saw the Blue Mountains. But we can say we visited the Blue Mountains.  Photos below from the tram and skyway we rode for the views:

The tram disappearing into the fog

And... it's gone!

Here's a photo of a postcard. This is what we would have seen on a clear day!

Here we are warming up in the gift shop and looking at the Three Sisters in a snow globe.  Stunning.

Later that day we visited an animal park outside the city.  We learned that you are not permitted to leave Australia without a Koala photo:

Or feeding some kangaroos:

"I'm all out of food, buddy!"

Allison considering the Crocodile Jerky. It was a no.

Later in the week the sun returned.  We spent an afternoon hiking from Bondi Beach to Coogee on the stunning coastal path. It was a photo bonanza!

We saw several wild Macaws

There are lots of pool clubs like this one along the coast. It was fun to watch people jump into the surf from the deck.

Cemetary with a view.

Reward at the end of our hike in Coogee

The Musemum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.  The architecture was more inspiring than the art inside.

Obligatory selfie. Two out of four Hoefflers are sick of selfies at this point.

So long Southern Hemisphere.  Next stop is Kyoto Japan!

Noosa, Australia

We've spent the past week in Noosa on Australia's Sunshine Coast. The Noosa river winds through town, the ocean beach fronts the main street, and just off the beach is the Noosa National Park. For us it was the perfect spot to relax a bit before some fast paced months ahead in Sydney, Japan and China. 

We were lucky to stay in a new home right on the river.   Across the river was a nature preserve.  The sounds of singing birds woke us every morning - a much better way to wake than the iPhone alarm!

We had kayaks and paddle boards on our dock and we paddled every day. One of those days I flipped my kayak and got an early morning bath.  (Unfortunately Carol didn't have her camera so we didn't get a photo. Darn it!)

Allison

Our first day we relaxed at home and had lunch and dinner outdoors on the deck.  

 The river was full of sea life.  We saw a few types of jellyfish while paddling.  One was incandescent blue and the size of a football. 

This leopard ray off our dock swam in just before dinner one evening.

We had a blast in this small boat we rented for an afternoon. We beached it on a sandbar and sunk in almost to our knees in the  wet sand. As the tide moved out we had to make a quick exit!

Given my extensive history and experience with boating, I was given the honor (and responsibility) of first to drive.

Allison at the wheel

Cameron sinking into the sand

One evening, Allison and Carol chose the seafood platter to share. Allison was all set to dig in

On two different days we hiked in the Noosa National Park.  We are so impressed with the trail systems and national parks in both New Zealand and Australia.  The coastal track in the Headland section of this park is not to be missed. Photos below:

About an hour hike along the coast, we came upon this nearly deserted beach. It was about a mile long and there were only about a half dozen people in sight.

Noosa also has a popular beach filled with sunbathers and surfers. Hastings Street lines the beach.  We spent an afternoon shopping here and we all bought some much needed new clothes.  We'll be packing up a box of clothes and shipping it home from Sydney.

On another day we upgraded to more of a stylish cabin cruiser. In Noosa, they call this a BBQ boat (note the gas grill on deck).

Cameron at the wheel.  "Doesn't this thing go any faster?!"

We're off now on a two day drive to Sydney.  We'll spend one night in a small town along the coast -  Coffs Harbour.  As we're sure most of you know, Coffs Harbour is famous for having the largest banana in Australia.  So we are excited to see that!