Into Sydney

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Geo: -33.8649, 151.207

We slept well and were back on the road before 9am, stopping for a "Scottish drivethru" breakfast at Swansea, on the peninsula at Lake Macquarie. We drove out to the Lakes Entrance at Swansea Heads, surprised at how little was there - some houses, varying from 1950s fibro to nice 2010s beach houses - but no shops and nowhere to stop for breakfast (hence the Maccas decision!)

We were only on the highway for a shirt time before turning off to look at the mighty Hawkesbury and the little villages that dot it's shoreline. It was a shame we missed the little ferry, but we enjoyed the view at Brooklyn Wharf and the rest of the family thinks that Steven should get his boat licence so we can spend a week puttering around here.

Then down the highway until we entered Sydney, and we detoured to Manly for lunch. We got a table right near the beach, and people-watched over lunch, then a promenade along the foreshore - where it was just too hot to be pleasant, but lovely beach views - then drove through Seaforth, and the Spit Road to Mosman. We were planning to detour by Kirribilli, but missed the turn, and the kids were thrilled to drive over the Harbour bridge.

Steven and I quickly realised that the roadworks being done in the CBD (we now know for the Light Rail system) have caused traffic chaos - the gps couldn't cope with the road closures and constantly sent us around and around again. By the time we had been sent to the south end of the CBD, I told Steven we were closer to his cousin in Glebe than to our hotel, so we dropped in on Davide and his fiancé Catarina, who own a cafe on Glebe Point Rd

It was great to catch up with Davide (who is the same age as us) and who is a police officer in the NSW Commissioners office - we chatted and made plans to catch up for dinner that night.

Back to fight the road closures - finally getting to the door of the hotel - Mantra at 2 Bond Street. The apartment is very small - there isn't much room to move around the bed - but perfect for our needs, with a single sofa bed and 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom/laundry. I reckon when the roadworks move 100m down the street, it will be very noisy, though!

Back out to Glebe for a Japanese dinner with Davide and Cat, and a walk down Glebe Point Rd for gelati - I recognised the motel where I'd stayed with my parents in the 1980s, and Davide tells me it is notorious from his time in the beat too!

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Photos

Swansea Heads, Lake Macquarie
Swansea Heads, Lake Macquarie