Travelogue - Australia Final Report

Look at these school uniforms!  I snapped this pic from one of those overview tourist double deckers buses we always do the first day in a large foreign city to get the layout and decide which areas we want to explore more thoroughly.  As I took this, another group of students in the same unis were approaching these girls but I wanted a closeup.   Aren't these the cutest ones you've ever seen?

On our last morning in Melbourne, we got up and drove to the mission office and picked up this guy below.  What a joyful reunion!!!!  It's the first time I have seen him in person in two years!

The Melbourne Temple is on the same property as the mission office so I snapped this before we headed for the airport to fly to Tasmania to have dinner with the awesome King family in Launceston.  She and I became IG and FB friends after she befriended my missionary son and we just had to meet her family and spend some time with them.  Fabulous woman raising 3 delightful and such well mannered children.  She lost both a special needs son and love of her life husband unexpectedly a few years ago and impresses and inspires me with her faith, dedication and optimism.

All these pics above were taken during our one and a half days in Tasmania.  It was mostly gloomy and cool weather wise but we loved the lush green countryside, cute towns and delicious sea shore.  I would have loved to have had more time on that island.

We flew to Sydney from Tasmania and spent the remaining four days there.  I can't decide which city I loved more, Melbourne or Sydney and I don't think I  have to choose.  I loved them both so much!!!  We stayed at the Sofitel in the city center a few blocks from Circular Quay and the Opera House.  Our first day we took the Explorer tour bus as I mentioned and it took us to 34 different places in the city which pretty much took up the entire day.  Then we were able to make up detailed agendas for the remaining three days.  On one of our stops at Darlington Harbor, we were standing by a pier looking at boats and spotted these little jelly fish all over the place right below us.  I'd only seen them a public aquariums before and here they were in their natural habitat!

Our second day we started in Paddington where we took in the Saturday flea market - some of the best stuff I've seen yet at a open market - really pretty clothing, beautiful art, jewelry, antiques, fabulous food stalls, accessories, flowers, music, housewares, etc set up in an open area of the local elementary school right by the town center.

In the above pictures, look at the houses we encountered as we walked the residential areas of Paddington when we had finished at the market.  So lovely, every street.  And the commercial areas as well.  We ate lunch at a place I think called Mario's on Oxford St. that made ice cream shakes by hand like you make at home using the best ingredients and they were incredible - so was the food.  Dane had a Mars and Chocolate Cheesecake and Dan ordered a Chocolate Brownie one.  I took a good sip of each.  I saved room for a treat later in the day.

Circular Quay where we walked all over and then headed to the Sydney Opera House followed by the glorious Botanical Garden.  We spent a lot of time in the gardens relaxing, talking, smelling roses, looking at huge and scary spiders with webs in some of the plantings, and watching two weddings.  When we walked down town later on on our way to the Queen Victoria Market Building, we saw four more brides right before their wedding ceremonies.  

This rose is called Sweet Intoxication, a floribunda, and the scent truly is!

We saw these everywhere; they are large and this one had plenty of meals (victims) in his food storage  area of the web.

Gorgeous 4 level indoor shopping at the 19th century restored Queen Victoria Building.  Next two pictures are the exterior. 

We sat harbor side and watched people after dinner.

 Sunday we walked to church - about 7 blocks from our hotel.  Wonderful service, wonderful people.  No matter where we attend our churches in the world, they always feel the same; like home.  That's comforting.  I forgot to take a picture of the place we attended church but the next two buildings are two we passed along the way; a war memorial at St James Park and St Mary's Church.

After church, we walked to Circular Quay and hopped a ferry to Manly Island where we spent the rest of the day exploring the little town there, the parks, going on a long ocean trail walk, watching people from all over the world at the beaches there from our park bench on the board walk, and eating ice cream.  For dinner, we had chinese food down at Darlington Harbor.

Above and below; views of the Opera House and skyline from the Ferry.

Monday morning, our last day, we went out to breakfast where I enjoyed my last bowl of the country's fantastic muesli and yogurt and then eggs with the orangest yolks ever and then Dane and I walked several blocks to Cole's and bought a ton of candy to bring home; stuff you don't see in the US, especially the Cadbury line -very extensive and creative selection.  Then 30 very long hours of travel and layovers to get back home.

We are home and two days later we are still so very jet lagged; exhausted yet having a hard time sleeping.  And we are watching Dane adjust back to "civilian life".  It's not easy - I felt like a fish out of water when I came home from my mission and so did Dan.  I'm so very glad we had an excuse to scratch Down Under off of our bucket lists and not only pick Dane up, but see where he served and imagine what it was like for him.  What an incredible and happy experience.  I would go back again for sure!