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Published: April 29th 2010
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I guess it's a good sign that we've been too busy to write? A lot seems to have happened in the past week. We spent several days traveling towards Wollongong, just south of Sydney. Barry chose a route-less-traveled, through Wagga Wagga, and it was awesome: vineyards, olive and citrus groves, hundreds of miles of yellow grain fields, thousands of sheep and cattle, and beautiful rolling hills. Early one morning we had to stop on the highway and wait for five hundred (a guess) cattle and their jackaroos (cowboys) to cross in front of us. While visiting the little town of Narrandera, we noticed signs all over saying, 'Koala Crossing'. I asked a storekeeper if it would be possible for us to see one and he said, "Yes, they're all over the place". We drove out to a Eucalypus grove, walked around for a few minutes and, sure enough, woke up a furry koala who peered down at us. Then, as we were driving along the highway, we came upon twenty emus feeding in a farmer's field. Nature abounded that day.
For the past five years we've corresponded with a family in Wollongong; we have a family connection. Brian lives in
Curious Koala
This fellow woke up and looked down at us when he heard us under his tree. the big town of Wollongong, in an apartment that overlooks the most beautiful harbour. His son, Richard, and Richard's wife, Leonie, live with their two children in Fairy Meadow, nearby. They all welcomed us with open arms. Richard, who is an amazing cook, was determined to feed us some home-cooked meals so we had dinner at their house for the three nights we were in town. Plus, they took us to the harbour one day and, under a tree in the park, we shared fish and chips and a walk around the harbour. Barry and I stayed in a caravan park a few minutes away for the three nights. We both felt quite sad the morning after we said good-bye to them all and left town. They were wonderful and happy hosts and we hope we'll be able to welcome them to our home some day. And, Thomas, who is almost 8, and Sarah, if you're reading this , you are wonderful too.
Richard gave us lots of good instructions about what to do and see on our way to Sydney but sometimes well-laid plans don't always work out. We drove through the Royal National Park but, because of
Wollongong Picnic
A wonderful day with new friends. the motorhome, couldn't take most of the pull-outs so we could see the ocean views. The pull-outs dropped off too much from the highway and it would have been hard for us in the big motorhome to get back into the traffic again.
Once we got to Sydney we were sure grateful for our GPS unit. We put in the address to a caravan park within the city limits and it directed us right there, through all the city traffic. For the past three nights we were in that park. We took the transit train in to town (we LOVE transit) and spent two days walking and walking and walking. Barry was in Sydney twice in his Navy days so we searched out the places he remembered. Surprisingly, after 30 years, they were all still there. He used to write letters to me and the kids from Sydney. We walked around the Opera House and took a two-hour ferry ride along the Paramatta River; a beautiful ride. We took a ferry over to Manly Beach where my sister lived when she was young and watched the young people surfing on the beach. And we took a monorail ride around
Hooty, Opera House and Sydney Bridge
Our trusty owl companion is still sending pictures home. the city - twice. Oh, best of all? We had lunch atop the Sydney Tower and watched the sunny city revolve around us. Wow. Sydney has to be one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Even the harbours have harbours and there are parks within parks. And, because there are not many gigantic highrises, the sunlight reaches the streets. A novel idea for a large city.
We left Sydney this morning, again, thanks to our GPS, and we've come to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. We spent today at Scenic World, careening down a hillside on the steepest railway (52 degrees) in the world, wandering through a rain forest, sailing up a mountainside in a gondola and gliding across the valley in a cable car. We got a caravan park nearby because we don't want to drive in the dark but it is COLD here tonight. We're up in the mountains and the wind is howling. We'll be happy to get back to the coast tomorrow where it's warmer.
We're quite glad we are in Australia in the fall. Almost every day has still been really warm, up to 28C but there's been a bit of rain
Sydney From Above
Parks and harbours galore. mixed in to cool things down. We're in the south now and it's getting closer to winter so is now closer to 22C each day. As we travel north of Brisbane the weather will be warm again. The best time to travel in Cairns is in winter, we've been told, when the rains stop and it cools down a bit from 40C. As we're headed in that direction, we're glad of that!
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Gail & Wayne
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What a wonderful time you are having!
Sounds like you are having such a wonderful trip...We have been away for a bit so didn't see some of your blogging. Love to hear about what you are doing...Keep on trekking as they say...would love to be down there with you...love Gail