As you noticed, we decided to splurge and purchased the hotel's "high-speed" internet connection for 24 hrs so that we could bring our blog up to date. After spending a good part of the morning doing this, we set out for Taronga Zoo. The zoo is a short 10 min ferry crossing from Circular Quay (which is a block from our hotel.) It's a beautiful zoo, built in part on the side of the cliff overlooking Sydney Harbour with views of the city skyline in the background. While about a half dozen animals were excused while their habitats were being renovated, [View Full Entry]

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Today’s weather was perfect and we decided to take a ferry over to Manly Beach. We walked along the beach to Shelly Beach but decided to camp out at Manly Beach proper. The chilling dip in the Pacific Ocean was refreshing and the water was beautiful. The sights at the beach weren’t so shabby either… We had the luxury of watching a local rugby team parade down the walk along the beach! Manly is a small resort area located along the North Head of Sydney Harbor. It was a short 20 minute ferry ride from Circular Quay. Many locals commute daily [View Full Entry]

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Okay, so it is Wednesday here and the Election was just wrapping up. After getting a laptop replaced at the Apple store today, we spent some time watching the election results. We celebrated the announcement of Obama as the President-elect in our hotel and then set out to explore more of the city… We took a stroll through the Botanical Gardens on our way up to the Surrey Hills neighborhood. We ventured around for a while before settling on a Mediterranean restaurant that came recommended by a Eric Braun (aka the Wild Card - a friend of Michael who we met [View Full Entry]

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Well, these postings may be a little out of order, but I'll see about going back and updating yesterday's adventures later today! We woke after a LONG night's sleep and we would like to thank our good friend jetlag for helping us in that category. We had a pretty full day yesterday on top of a long flight and the International Date Line! Today we started out with our morning chai tea from Starbucks and then ventured around The Rocks. The Rocks is the birthplace of modern Australia. The Rocks is a neighborhood of quaint streets, shops, offices, and hotels. Housing [View Full Entry]

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We made it to Dulles without incident thanks to our lovely chauffeur Marta (mwah)! After some simple flirting, we managed to swing business class upgrades to Los Angeles International airport. If this is how the other half lives, sign us up! Dinner service started with some warm mixed nuts followed up by an appetizer of prosciutto garnished with parmesan cheese, served with cantaloupe puree. The salad was an olive oil and balsamic vinegar accompanied by a mozzerella, cherry tomato and fresh basil salad. Kip selected the homemade three cheeses tortellini with romano sauces topped with to [View Full Entry]

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So last night we had a "Going Away" dinner at Marta's... All I have to say is SPICY TUNA! Wow! Nothing like good food, good drinks, and great friends! (SORRY KORY...) Here is a sample of the followup email thread: _____________________________________ From: Marta Subject: Re: Don't pay any attn to Kip's email... To: Kory, Kip Cc: Frank. All right all right! Go to your nearest fish monger and tell me when you have 2 lbs of tuna cut into 1" inch steaks at home. I'll walk you through it. And how to make place holders from twigs and left over easter [View Full Entry]

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Well, if you are looking for Kip and Frank's Excellent Adventure Down Under, you've found it! For the month of November, we'll be posting our blog here for family and friends to share in our adventures! (It's a helluva lot cheaper than phone calls and with an international date line between us, we are trying to avoid 3 am phone calls!) I'm sure the occasional postcard will be sent to many of you... So here is a quick snapshot of our itinerary so you can follow along... Disclaimer: [View Full Entry]

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