Sunday Fun Day in Manly

On the recommendation of a Manly Beach resident, we hiked the Spit Bridge to Manly scenic walkway on Sunday. Our adventures started with a bus ride across the harbour bridge, through North Sydney, Neutral Bay and Mosman to Seaforth. We then walked the trail, which follows the coast, to downtown Manly.
Along the way, there were a number of beaches, ancient Aboriginal rock carvings, and many stunning lookouts. The walk took just over two hour, and our efforts were rewarded with refreshments, dinner and live music at a great little micro-brew pub in Manly. At the end of the night, we took the ferry back to Sydney and got to admire the Bridge and Opera House from the water. Jenn

Seems a little early...

David Suzuki

Last night Jenn and I went to hear David Suzuki speak at the University of Sydney. He was signing books before hand and I was able to jump in for a photo. This is the third time I have heard him speak live and his message was similar. We have a disconnect between our modern technological focussed society and the environment on which all life is based. He is a passionate speaker. In his old age, and without the editing of a polished tv program, he speaks with more anger and edge than on the CBC. He is a crusty old man, with a great head of hair. He holds nothing back in his distain for the "idiocy" of the Canadian and Australian government's poor environmental record. There were lots of "dams" and "hells" coming from him which I think the audience found refreshing.

More than just running

Today was race day in Sydney, with multiple races happening, including half and full marathons. Having not trained, or realized the event was happening until recently, I recruited Paul to spectate with me! It was a great way to spend the morning. Not only were the views spectacular - the race crossed the bridge, ran around the harbour and finished at the Opera House - but with a $10,000 first prize, there were some world class athletes competing. Yes, watching the race made me want to work harder and run faster! But, more than that, being a spectator was inspirational because of all the moments I witnessed. People working their butts off (!) to finish their first race, husbands and wives crossing the

 finish line hand-in-hand, children cheering on mom or dad (including one little boy hilariously terrified of seagulls). Never mind the moments that remind you what sportsmanship is all about: the elite wheelchair marathoner, who 100 metres from winning the race, stopped to encourage another wheelchair athlete likely finishing her first half marathon; and the brothers racing together, one from his wheelchair, the other pushing.

By the time we went home I felt that race day seemed to have little to do with running. Jenn

Sydney Parks

This is a video tour of our favourite park, Prince Alfred. Aussies know how to build great rec areas. This is where I play tennis. Jenn and I both swim here too. The pool is newly built and is free until November. It is a 50 meter pool, so you have to really earn your way to finishing a length.

Australia Museum

Each week, Paul and I are trying to do or see something new in or around Sydney. There are lots of options, so we have a working list so we don't forget something great. Last week, we went to the Australia museum, which is conveniently located around the corner from our apartment and across from Hyde Park. I was surprised at how much smaller it is than the ROM. The excursion might have been forgotten if not for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year special exhibit currently on display. It was captivating! There were approximately 100 wildlife photographs divided into categories, such as animal portraits, underwater worlds, human impact on animals, etc. Each image had a short write-up explaining the context of the picture and how the photographer captured it. The images were extraordinary and the information really interesting. Paul and I spent half our time at the  museum in that exhibit alone. I wanted to include a couple sample pictures, but didn't want to set a bad example by infringing on copyright, so here is the link to the contest site, which has many of the images and abbreviated info too. If you're at all interested in animals, nature or photography, it's definitely worth a look. Jenn

Lucky Country?

Australia is called the lucky country for obvious reasons. But, it has also been called the the ground zero for climate change. The other day I jumped on my bike and headed to a nearby park for a workout. I immediately noticed a change in the weather as the air felt thick and hot. I thought it was just a humid day. Later I noticed my breathing was off and that the air had some soot or particles in it. It was a little like standing down wind from a camp fire. The next day while walking through the supermarket I saw what had actually happened. The Sydney area had experienced its first bush fires of the summer and the smoke and ash had blown into the city itself. The papers suggested that this early season bush fire might be a sign of a bad fire season as the summer continues. Let hope not. Read more below if you're interested. news article

The beauty of Sydney

Sydney is a vibrant and lively city with lots to see and do. We are lucky to have found an apartment close to many of the city's amenities and attractions. Here are some pictures I took this week, all within a 10 minute walk of home.
The Royal Botanic Gardens - although it's only the beginning of spring, there are still many interesting plants and beautiful blooms.

Two views from our building's rooftop terrace: Sydney downtown (CBD) and Woolloomooloo Wharf.

The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge at dusk, taken from Mrs. Macquarie's point in the Botanic Gardens. Jenn

Rugby - Go Roosters!

We are planning on seeing as many different Australian sporting events as we can. The first was a Sydney Roosters rugby league game last weekend. Rugby league is pretty much the same as rugby union (the type of rugby played in Canada). It is a little faster, as the tackles and ball movement happen quicker than in rugby union. It was very entertaining and very rough. There were some seriously violent tackles. Australians loves sports of all kinds. They seem more willing to support home grown Australian sports like rugby league, Aussie rules football, cricket....and more, regardless if anyone else in the world cares about these sports. Summer, and cricket season, are just around the corner.

Sydney Home

We have moved into our new apartment. It was our first choice, and if you read Jenn's house hunter international post is was the "crowd pleaser" option. It is nice to be settled and we are excited to explore the city from our new home base. We are accepting applications for visitors to watch the new years fireworks from our roof top terrace.:) Our apartment is in Woolloomooloo. Yes, that is 8 "o"s, that is not a typo. We can walk or bike almost everywhere we need to go - parks, downtown, tennis, pool, shopping...etc. Here are video tours of our apartment and the view from the rooftop terrace.