First stop on our extended holiday was the fabulous Sydney in NSW. It is said to be the most populous city in Australia, and I'm tipping that only half of that population is Aussie. There were so many different nationalities and accents around each corner you could almost forget you were in Australia if not for the iconic Sydney opera house and harbour bridge always in the background.
We settled into our lovely (if in a somewhat dodgy location) apartment in Parramatta, and promptly headed to the beach for some sunshine. Into the city by train (Ottawa take note, this system is simple, efficient and affordable) and hopped a ferry across to Manly Beach.
We came to love our beaches in Victoria (Frankston, St. Kilda, Inverloch) but these beaches were like nothing we've ever seen before. There were people everywhere!
Like Surfers Paradise there was a lovely little boulevard to walk along, and heaps of places to eat and shop.
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| Check out this bathing beauty in her new bathers :) |
While we're on the subject of beaches, we hit the famous Bondi Beach a few days later on New Years Day. This one is more of a challenge to get to - a train to the city, another to Bondi Junction, and a bus down to the beach. Phew, by the time you get there all you want to do is lie down in the sand and have a nap!
There were heaps of lifeguards on duty, but do you see the line of people in this pic? That's the space "between the flags" that the lifeguards are watching most diligently and where it's suggested you swim. It's really pretty funny since it's so busy that everyone is shoulder-to-shoulder and you couldn't possibly swim.
It was a bit cooler the day we were at Bondi, so Scott and the kids came up with something to keep them busy for an hour or so.People then proceeded to line up and have their picture taken with this masterpiece, suddenly we were the hotspot on the beach! No kidding, at least 50 people stopped to take a picture.
Another successful day at the beach, another happy kid!
Every day that we went to the city, or through the city we were treated to another great view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, giving us more than one great photo op.
Another holiday, another zoo! This time it was the Taronga Zoo, best accessed by ferry as the zoo sits right on the waters edge. So across the harbour we went for some more Aussie animal adventures.
We were treated to a sea lion show that got us a we bit wet, but kept us laughing.
And despite the heat, the lion was up and moving around. I couldn't believe the great picture we got of him.
And can you believe the amazing view that the giraffes have? Incredible!
On our last day in Australia we packed up, left our apartment and made our way over to Darling Harbour. We didn't need to be at the airport until later in the afternoon so there was a whole day to still enjoy.
First up the Maritime Museum. We didn't actually make it into the museum, but spent a couple of hours touring the submarine and destroyer that were moored here.
After some lunch harbour side, there was just enough time left for one more attraction. Much to our surprise the kids picked Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. We had the most ridiculous time posing with models it was a great way to end the day with smiles all around.
Australia's power couple was a must. Who could walk away from these two? Even in wax they're gorgeous!
One Direction was an absolute must for Hannah...she might actually be blushing, it was hard to tell with all the giggling!
This combination of pictures was great, who's going to save who?
There are no words for this picture, we couldn't stop laughing and the kids couldn't figure out what on earth we thought was so funny.
And with that our last day in Australia had come to and end.
It may be time for us to leave, but we promise we'll be back!
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