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Published: December 15th 2005
Rainy Days
Keith braving the rain at Pearl Beach, looking out towards Lion IslandOur diary about Sydney is a little late as we have been adventuring in other parts of the country, but better late than never, here we go...
The view of Sydney from the aeroplane was amazing as we flew over the harbour and all the water that surrounds the city. Robyn (Keith's 3rd cousin) fetched us from the airport and whisked us back to their home in Carlingford, but not before a scenic drive along the bay and across the bridge. It's amazing, but no matter how many pics you have seen of the Opera House it is still a sight that never ceases to amaze. The day we landed in Sydney was sunny and the bright blue sky made the Opera House shine brightly for our arrival. We had a great dinner at Robyn and Ross's house and met their two beautiful 7 month old twin girls, Kyla and Jorjia who are now our very best new friends! Keith was looking so good pushing the pram at the shopping mall that passers-by were stopping him to congratulate him on his beautiful daughters.
The weather decided to change drastically overnight and Sunday dawned cold and rainy. But not to
Family Reunion
Keith with the Greenways at their beautiful cliff top home be deterred we all bungled ourselves in to the family 4x4 and took a drive north to Pearl Beach to meet some more of Keith's relatives for an amazing lunch. John (Keith's 2nd cousin) and Marijke's house is set on a cliff above the ocean and the views over to Lion Island are magnificent. We took a walk along the rocks that meet the crashing waves and marvelled at all the mansions with their beautiful settings. We managed to get back to the house just before the heavens reopened.
The next few days we spent with Hayley and Ryan, fellow South Africans who we had met in Dunsborough (WA). They kindly picked us up in their rental car and headed inland. The drive to the Blue Mountains was great fun and even though it was cold, we managed to get in a great 3 hour hike along a canyon and gorge, enjoying some fresh strawberries as our padkos. We picnicked at Evans Lookout in Blackheath and enjoyed some pit stops along the way so Keith and Ryan could have their regulation daily dose of coffee and cake! On the drive back to Sydney we stopped off to buy fresh
Three Sisters
Blue Mountains, three sisters lookout, in all our winter gear! apple pies and honey from the local farm stalls.
The following day we met up with Ryan and Hayley in the city and walked through the Botanical Gardens and to Mrs Macquarie's Chair. The sun was shining which allowed us to take loads of pics of the Opera House and the bridge and bay. We then jumped on to the Manly ferry, Hayley managed to grab us some front seats which meant we got to see all the sights despite the icy winds. Once at Manly we tried to brave a walk along the beachfront, but opted for lunch instead as the wind was howling ruling out any attempts of a swim. Not that that deterred us from squeezing in a post lunch gelati on already full stomachs... Manly is funky with lots of clothes shops, cafes and restaurants. Back at Circular Quay we walked through the area known as The Rocks and then walked the length of the bridge to the train station on the other side, taking lots of pics and enjoying the amazing view on the way.
Ryan and Hayley's last night in Sydney had to be remembered so we made plans to meet them
Muddy path
Lisa trying to keep her trainers dry along the flooded footpaths, Blue Mountains at the Shangri La Cocktail Bar on the 39th floor for sun downers but weren't allowed into the bar as we had tekkies on! So we opted to have some drinks at the Opera Bar, set right next to the Opera House, outdoors along the waterside. What a great setting that turned out to be, with views of the bay and a great sunset over the city. It was a beautiful evening and we really enjoyed the ambiance. Our train ride home was an adventure as there were engineering works, but we managed to catch the right trains and found our way back to Lemon Grove Avenue!
There is so much to do in Sydney and we have a list of sights to see when we return there mid December. For now it was time to head for Melbourne....
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Margaret
non-member comment
Merry Xmas
Just wanted to say hi to you both and thanks for the fab updates, it's amazing reading and seeing all you've been up to. Very jealous given that it's cold here and we're all hard at work. Anyway hope you both have a Merry Xmas and all the best for 2006. Keep the blogs coming! Margaret