Happy New Year!

According to the newspapers, there were 1.5 million people in downtown Sydney yesterday to celebrate the arrival of 2014. And 17,000 of them were lined up throughout the day in the park across from our window waiting to get into one of the free viewing areas. Watching the people waiting for hours made us thankful for our low-key plans for the evening: watching the 9 pm and midnight show from our rooftop terrace. The countdown was displayed on the bridge and at the stroke of midnight we sipped champagne and watched fireworks go off all around us. The highlight for me, by far, was the spectacular bridge display. It's amazing to think of all we've experienced in 2013 and the adventures sure to come in 2014.

We've been thinking of our friends and family over the holidays and wish everyone a safe and happy new year! Jenn

Boxing Day

A boxing day tradition in Sydney is the sail boat race from Sydney to Hobart, Tasmania.  We caught the ferry to Waston's Bay with Jenn's running friend and her husband. We had a great view of the boats as they left the harbour and made their way out into the open ocean.

Merry Christmas

We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and happy holidays. It was a rainy Christmas morning in Sydney, but a good day for a bike ride out to Bondi Beach to catch the surfers.

 

Holiday season

The city is in the spirit of the season. There are Christmas parties happening in cafés and bars throughout Sydney. Lights are up, carols are playing in the downtown shopping centre, and I've seen a few "surfing santa" ads on the side of buses. But, the weather is sunny and warm. I prefer a white and cold Christmas (although I know Jenn would not agree with me).
We visited the Eveleigh farmers market this past weekend.

Country Life

Ten years ago my best friend Andy did a teaching practicum in the "outback" of Australia. His host family was the McKays from Warren NSW, population 2000. This fall Andy's wife Jackie was messaging with Toni McKay and mentioned that Jenn and I are in Australia and wondered if we could travel out to the farm for a visit. We are so thankful for our great friends, Andy and Jackie, for introducing us to Toni, John, and their family. What an amazing "real" Aussie experience it was!

We traveled 600km by train and bus from Sydney to Warren. The setting sun over the dry brown fields of cattle and sheep country was a beautiful sight. Warren is a wheat and cotton growing region Temperatures this time of year should be over 30 but it was unusually cool for our visit. John took us on a tour of his 8000 acre farm. We drove through dry wheat, chickpea and cotton fields. Mobs of kangaroos were bouncing between patches of forest cover and stream beds. We even saw a family of exotic looking but native emus running along side the pickup. As we were driving John explained the challenges of farming in this part of Australia. Since the year 2000 Mother Nature has brought years of drought interspersed with seasonal floods. Water is the lifeline for the success of farm life here. There is simply less water to go around these days. Warren is a small but still thriving rural town with an active main street, a few pubs, and quaint schools. There is a real positive community feel here. Our host Toni knows everyone around town and it feels like a tight knit community. We experienced an Aussie summer tradition, a cricket match. We had a picnic dinner watching John and John Jr play cricket against a neighbouring town. We had a late night debate about which was worse, living with bears in Canada or snakes down under. Our Aussie host said they would rather live with snakes... They are so wrong. Toni killed a brown snake (deadly) in the yard only a few days before our arrival. We spent the afternoon fishing by the river (Jenn caught a big carp!) and enjoying the amazing hospitality of our new Aussie friends. Toni and John are two of the most welcoming, generous, kind, and fun people I have ever meet. It was a trip to remember.
Check out the video below. Scout is the McKay's pet kangaroo.

Bridge Climb

Today is the first day of summer in Australia. I know all about the cold, snowy, and icy weather back home....sorry about that. November was rainy in Sydney which was welcomed since they usually have such hot and dry weather. People keep telling us that the real heat will come closer to Christmas and the New Year.

This week we climbed the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. We felt a little like astronauts as we went through the rigorous pre-climb preparations. Once you put on a pair of overalls with an official looking symbol on the front you feel like you're about to do something important. This bridge was built during the 1930s and was an important economic engine for the city. It provides amazing views and surprisingly is a very peaceful place to spend a morning.

 

 

 

Also this week I did a walk from Bondi Beach to Wastons Bay and took the ferry home. Enjoy the video.

Bush Walking in Tasmania

Paul and I arrived in Hobart with a very ambitious and packed 3 day schedule. Unfortunately, we landed amid rain and fog, so had to make some quick recalculations! We spent the first morning in Hobart, then traveled to the east coast and the highly anticipated Wineglass Bay. Unfortunately, there too we were met with heavy rain and thick fog, so abandoned our planned hour-long hike and settled for a few quick coastal lookouts, which were still lovely. Luckily, Cradle Mountain National Park was much kinder to us. During our 24 hour stay, we saw at least 4 wombats and countless wallabies, including the cutest little mini ones! We also squeezed in a scenic trek our second afternoon and a true bush-walk our last morning. As we were making our way up to the summit of Marion's Lookout, climbing up steep steps and uneven rock face, I was reminded of the time we drove up Mount Washington and took a picture at the summit in our flip-flops! We actually earned this picture!

 Here's the proof we did it the honest way (and briefly experienced sunny skies!) Jenn

Mountain Insects

Jenn and I ventured to the blue mountains together this week. The day started with a stroll to the central train station which is about 30 minutes from our place. The stroll quickly turned to a run as we realized we weren't going to make our 9 am train.  We caught the train with a few minutes to spare and settled in for a 2 hour ride west. We arrived in the quaint mountain town of Katoomba and boarded the "hop on, hop off" tourist bus that circles its way around the area's main viewpoints, walking trails, and touristy sites. One thing we are quickly realizing is that in Australia tourist bus drivers are fantastic guides and very friendly. Our bus driver enthusiastically jumped from his seat and off the bus at every stop to show people exactly where each walk started. He also could say hello is about 10 different languages which everyone enjoyed. We did a series of short walks and one longer one viewing the beautiful gorges, forests, and waterfalls of the blue mountains. It is cicadas season in the blue mountains. These are a grasshopper like bug which are apparently the loudest insect in the world.  We were "treated" to their constant high pitched "song", which can read 120 decibels. Our ears have recovered and it was a great day.

 

Waterfall Hike

The Blue Mountains are a 2 hour train ride west of Sydney. The landscape is unique with limestone cliffs, lush forests, and great vistas. The day I was there was cool and rainy. I got soaked and turned blue waiting for the train ride home. It was totally worth it. Watch the video of my hike below.

Top 10 Useless Facts you Didn't Know about Australia!

Turns out we came up with twelve. Thanks to Australia for being a good sport and providing a laugh in addition to being a warm, inviting and hospitable host!

12. It's 1995 here are far as consumer spender is considered. Lots of places won't accept credit cards if you spend less than $20, some don't accept them at all and many charge a surcharge for using them.
11. Cheddar cheese is called Tasty here. You can get Mild Tasty, Extra Tasty or even Vintage Tasty, but they don't sell orange cheese here.
10. Bats are the size of eagles - seriously, their wingspan is a metre wide. Like clockwork, they descend upon the city at dusk. It's horrifying and a little fascinating!
9. Australians have a short form for almost everything (ie. arvo = afternoon, prezzie = present, rego = registered).
8. They are coffee connoisseurs - no burned drip here, only made to order espresso, called long black or flat white.
7. The country stops - in the state of Victoria it is actually a stat holiday - for the Melbourne Cup, which is a horse race. Maybe it's so popular because Australians are apparently huge gamblers. I have noticed betting outlets on almost every block...
6. Banana bread is their version of a donut. You can find coffee and banana bread deals at pretty much every café and bakery.
5. Australians love fireworks. Not a week has gone by without a firework display since we arrived.
4. In Sydney, you're more likely to meet an import or foreigner than you are to meet someone from Sydney.
3. Canadians can enter Australia without the immigration officer asking a single question of them (or at least, we did).
2.You can walk onto a domestic flight without ever showing a piece of I.D.
1. However, you can't get into the Cockatoo Island bar without having your bag meticulously searched by the hostess. Apparently alcohol smuggling is a much bigger issue in Australia than terrorism or identity fraud!

 

The Red Centre

We travelled this week to one of Australia's icons - Uluru. Known as the red centre, this famous natural landscape is located in the Northern Territory 2500km from Sydney in the middle of this massive country. It was amazing to look out the window of the plane and see the changing landscape of Australia below. The thin habitable strip of land along the eastern coast quickly turns into endless arid outback with changing colours of ancient white salt flats, red rock, and sparse brown clumps of what must be the world's hardiest vegetation. My impression of the outback as a desolate wasteland of sand, sun, and snakes was quickly forgotten as we ventured to the first of our two main destinations, Kata-Tjuta. This is an impressive collection of rock conglomerations jutting out of the surprising green landscape of trees, bushes, and wild flowers. There were no snakes luckily, but there were certainly flies. Our last minute purchase of bug nets was well worth it. We were impressed to learn that the Aborigines of this area have been living here for over 22 000 years and have adapted to this harsh climate with amazing techniques for survival. We rose at 4 am to see the sun rise over Uluru. This is a truly majestic rock to experience and it surpassed our highest expectations. To the local Native people it was and remains an important spiritual place. We left the red centre feeling very fortunate to be able to experience one of the world's most unique environments. Paul

 

Taranga Zoo and a Sunrise

On Friday Paul and I spent the day at the Taranga Zoo. The zoo is a 15 minute ferry ride across the harbour from downtown Sydney. As a result we had amazing views of Sydney at nearly all times. It also means the zoo is a popular destination for Sydney-area school field trips! So, Paul and I, several retired couples and a dozen bus loads of small children enjoyed the zoo on Friday - and we all had lots of fun! The zoo is very well laid out (no multi-kilometre hikes between exhibits - sorry Toronto!) and there were lots of interesting animals to see. Here are a few of my favourite photos from the day:

      
Yesterday, we woke up at 4 am (!) to watch the sunrise at Bondi Beach. As we were starting our day, most of our fellow bus riders were heading home. But as Shortty would say, we're well into the phase of our lives when we'd rather wake up, than go to bed, at four in the morning! So, despite the obvious and expected discomfort of waking up before the city, it was a worthy excursion. The weather co-operated nicely and we had the pleasure of witnessing a beautiful sunrise. Jenn

Birds of Sydney

Turn up your volume and enjoy the sights and sounds of some amazing birds. Everyday throughout the city we hear these birds. Like all Aussie animals they are certainly different. Enjoy.

Good Food Week

October is Good Food month in Sydney, and last week, Paul and I partook in some of the highlights. Wednesday we went to a cooking class at 360 which is a restaurant around the 80th floor in the tallest building in Sydney (like the CN Tower but smaller). The class and view were fantastic! We learned to make pasta from scratch, as well as focaccia and a number of delicious salads. We also had a bird's eye view of the city, ocean and unfortunately the wildfires that started again outside the city.

During Good Food month, Hyde Park is transformed into a nightly Asian noodle market. There are tons of food stalls and people enjoying the flavours and atmosphere. We had dinner there Saturday night, which made for a lively, entertaining and unique experience.

This past weekend also happened to be Beerfest - which to my excitement ended up being Beer and Cider-fest! - an outdoor beverage market in the Rocks! There were close to 30 breweries (and 3 or 4 times that many varieties) for which you purchased tasting tickets and sampled the beverages of your choice. Needless to say we hardly made a dent in the selections, but that's probably why we had such a good time!

I have started a food blog called The Adaptive Kitchen. I create my own version of dishes we've had at restaurants or recipes I find in cookbooks, magazines or online, and post pictures of the final result. It's mostly vegetarian dishes, but there are a few desserts, the most popular being a chocolate peanut butter pie and my grandma's shortbread cookies.

Unfortunately, the wildfires continue to be a problem near Sydney. These pictures were taken Thursday. For most of the afternoon, the sky glowed red. Later in the day the smoke began to clear, like a curtain being opened. You can see the reflection of the clear sky on the buildings. Jenn

Living the high life!

The Penthouse in our building is currently for sale. Here's a link to the short but entertaining video tour: http://video.visualdomain.com.au/25322/?bcId=2698718037001
We're incredibly lucky to have access to the same view via the rooftop terrace, minus the professional decorating, furniture and marble!

Picture from realestate.com.au

Opera House Concert

It's been another wonderful weekend in Sydney. Friday night Paul and I were treated to a surprise (at least to us!) fireworks show which we were able to watch from our apartment window. Though not as grand as last week's display, they were still very impressive and a great start to the weekend.

Last night, Paul and I went to the Opera House for a concert. Performing was a very talented young Australian singer-songwriter, Emma Louise. The venue was cosy and comfortable, seating only about 300 and offering padded captain's chairs! We were lucky to have had great seats, which put us about 15 feet from the stage (though in such a small venue I doubt there are any bad seats). The acoustics were great and the performances very entertaining. Here's a short video we took at the concert of one of Emma Louise's singles:

Record October Temperature

From Sydney Morning Herald

Prince Harry in Sydney

This past weekend was the labour day holiday in Australia. There were lots of events in Sydney including the rugby league finals - "Australian super bowl" and the Navy Fleet Review. The Fleet Review was a huge gathering of navy war ships from Australia and beyond. The ships filled the harbour and were on display to the thousands of visitors.
The big news was that Prince Harry was in Sydney for the navy celebration. After a run around the Botanic Gardens, Jenn and I were walking back to our apartment and just as we were about to cross the street there was a motorcade of police motorcycles approaching with sirens blaring. A white limo car sped by and in the back seat, in plain view, was Prince Harry staring out the window. There was literally no one else around at the time. I was probably 20 feet from the passing car. It was pretty cool actually.
To cap off the weekend, on Saturday night there was amazing fireworks in the Sydney Harbour. There were fireworks being set of from many points including the bridge, downtown buildings, and from ships on the water. It was by far the best fireworks Jenn or I have ever seen. Check out the video to see for yourself.

This week we also ventured to Bondi Beach. It is perhaps the most famous Aussie beach being only 7km from the city.

Woolloomooloo

Just around the corner from our apartment is the Woolloomooloo Wharf. This is the largest timber wharf in the world, built in 1915. It was used to ship wool, act as a staging point for WW2 troops, and it welcomed new immigrants. Naturally, today it is a high end hotel and restaurant. What was old is now high end...that seems to be a trend in Sydney.

Also, right next to the Wharf is the famous Harry's Café de Wheels. This is a popular place to eat Australian meat pies. It has been serving these surprising filling pies since 1945. This place is on the tourist hit list of Sydney.