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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 
