Day 14 Australian Adventure (Syndey)

Last day 😭. So sad. Throughout the night and into the morning there were heavy rains; we weren't sure what we would be able to do. Cleaned up the Airbnb, did some laundry, and by 10:00 am, in typical Aussie style, the sun burned through the clouds and turned into a gorgeous day. We caught the ferry to Circular Quay one last time. Walked down Pitt Street to look in the various shops, and bookstores. So many people. Sydney is a very busy city. Met Raluca (another one of my freelance clients) for lunch at the Glass Brassier Cafe on the second floor of the Hilton Hotel. Another wonderful visit with one of the locals. After lunch, we went to the Queen Victoria Building. A very large Christmas tree that disappears into the ceiling is the first thing you see. As you climb through the levels of the QVB the tree continues up making use of the atrium space clear to the top. Large clocks are suspended from the ceiling on both sides of the tree and we noted the stairwells are suspended as well. Beautiful architecture and stained glass windows surround the many merchant shops and restaurants. Walked 20 minutes back to the Quay and visited the glass floor model of the city inside the Customs House. Took a final stroll inside the opera house. Caught the ferry back to Mossman Bay and hiked the stairs back up to the street one last time. Checked out of our Airbnb and thanked Nick and Antoinette for the pleasure of staying in their beautiful flat. We highly recommend staying there to anyone who sees a trip to Sydney in their future. Left at 4:30 pm and got to the airport, 30 km away, at 6:15 pm. Plenty of time to check in for our international flight back to the states. There is more security to leave Australia than coming in. We went through three security checkpoints: Scan your passport; get your picture taken. Scan your carry on; wait in the main terminal until your flight is called. Proceed through another security point and wait to board until your zone is called. The red-eye flight is a bit more challenging physically as sleep is hard to come by in a tiny space. We crossed the international date line, and arrived at our layover in Hawaii half a day earlier than when we left Sydney. Strong tailwinds put us in an hour earlier, which was great. When we got to Seattle it was the same day and time that we left Sydney. Things we learned while in Australia: You may not see all the dangerous animals and creatures you hear and read about. No sightings of sharks, crocs, snakes, or gigantic spiders, even in the rainforest. School children in Sydney, public, private, and Catholic are required to wear school uniforms. Restaurants serve smaller portions at higher prices. Gas is expensive, $1.25 per liter which is approximately $3.50 per gallon. Because roads are so narrow, you benefit from owning a smaller car. Traffic is wayyyy heavier than Seattle. It's easy to get lost if you miss a turn or exit. Listen to the locals (they really do know best). Don't forget your sunners, hats, bug spray for the mozzies, and 50+ sunscreen (which is the majority of what the stores stock). We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would love to come back. We already miss our Aussie mates and hope to see them again someday! Cheers.

Day 13 Australia Adventure (Taronga Zoo)

Today we woke to rain and overcast skies. Decided to walk 20 minutes to the Taronga Zoo from our Airbnb. The zoo was filled with a variety of animals we had never seen like the red kangaroo, tree kangaroo, cassowary, ring-tailed lemur, tamarin, platypus, red panda, gibbons, and koala. We attended the Chimpanzee Keeper Talk who discussed their social and tool behaviors. Alecia was particularly touched to learn that if someone were to try to take the baby chimp from the group they would first have to kill the mother and then every member of the group. Chimpanzees do not give up their young. To know that animal traffickers actually do this is so sad. Taronga's chimp family is getting ready to integrate a group of female chimps that have come from other zoos. We checked in on them, but they mostly seemed...sad. We understand Taronga participates in breeding partnerships with a variety of other zoos to preserve certain species but couldn't help but feel sad for so many in captivity. They didn't all look like the picture of health displayed on their enclosures. We did enjoy the seal show, and the seals seemed to be enjoying themselves. The zoo has some great views of the city across the bay and the sky rail that transports visitors between the top and bottom of the zoo is fun to ride. It was a great time to escape the rain and take a soaked selfie. Walked back to our place and decided to take it easy for the rest of the day instead of going out and fighting traffic. It's a simple menu tonight, Grilled Cheese and TimTams dipped in peanut butter. Cheers!

Day 12 Australia Adventure (Sydney)

Finally had a decent night sleep. Been waking up at 4:30 am each morning and I actually slept through til 6:30 am. Took it easy this morning and enjoyed the view while catching up on laundry. Today was a social day. Irene Georgakopoulos picked us up at 11:30 am to see some sights and have some lunch. Drove by North Head lookout, a perfect vantage point of The Murramarang coast, the main inlet into the Sydney Harbour from the sea. Manly Beach (seaside) was the next stop. Took a walk along the footpath and had a great view of Shelly beach. Tried to find some bluebottles, but no luck. A middle-aged lady showed us a sting she received from a bluebottle as she walked past us, looked like a slight red rash. We saw a group of Little Nippers (ages 5-14) in training with the Manly Life Saving Club. Impressive to see lifesaving skills for swim and surf being taught in the ocean. Off to lunch at the Wharf Bar. Fish and Chips for me, Thai salad for Alecia, Fish for Irene, and a plate of onion rings to share. Had a great time chatting and sharing information about our cultures. After lunch, we had enough time to freshen up before driving up to Jono & Emily's place in Turramurra, for a truly local Australian evening. Fruit platter with the best calypso mango we've ever tasted. Jono did a Sausage Sizzle on the barbie. Buttered bread, sausage and grilled onions with ketchup. Meanwhile, Justin hand-fed the wild cockatoos who were joined by some lorikeets who wanted food as well. Lorikeets are bright and colorful, small in comparison, but a bit contentious. The Cockatoos were not happy with their presence. We got to help out with dinner prep and received a cooking lesson. Lamb tenderloin laid at an angle across two slices of prosciutto generously sprinkled with crushed macadamia nuts. Four mint leaves layered over the lamb, a light sprinkle of crushed pepper and sea salt flakes, and then wrapped in the prosciutto. Topped with a bit more generous dusting of salt and pepper. Seared off in a cast-iron skillet for a few minutes, then baked in the oven for about 12 minutes so it was still pink in the middle. Cut on the diagonal and served atop seasoned, puréed, kent pumpkin and carrot. Topped with seasoned, toasted, breadcrumbs. Steamed asparagus and broccolini on the side. A five-star meal cooked at home. I was quite hesitant to eat it based on Costco lamb sampling in the States, but I was absolutely floored by the flavor. No words can accurately describe how wonderful it was!!! Something we took note of was the non-separation of food, rather the components of the meal are meant to be melded and eaten together. Definitely inspired to branch out in our kitchen when we return home. One of our favorite days.