Sandy's visit

G'day!

Katoomba Cascades in the Blue Mountains

Twin sis, Sandy, has come and gone.  Had a great time seeing all the tourist spots in Sydney in 5 jam-packed whirlwind days.  Highlights included bushwalking (hiking) on the scenic Blue Mountain tracks (trails) and seeing waterfalls, cascades, cliffs, and rock formations.  We rode the ferry to gorgeous Manly and looked for the indigenous little penguins but didn't see any.  Walked on the world famous Bondi Beach.  Got an amazing view of Sydney from the Sydney Tower.  San was able to see kangaroos, koalas, a wombat, a cassowary and other Aussie critters at the Wildlife World.  We couldn't find the echidnas nor the platypuses at the Aquarium.  Learned about Australia's history, viewed Australian and Aboriginal art in several museums.

Bondi surfer

Those are the fruit bats at the Botanical Gardens

The Blue Mountains are supposed to be blue because oil droplets from so many Eucalyptus trees create a haze.  When we got there, we saw white.  It was very foggy.  Apparently fog is very common in the Blue Mountains.  Sometimes, it lifts in the afternoon.  Sometimes, not.  Sometimes, it also rains.  Well, I guess we were lucky.  We were able to see wonderful scenery and several waterfalls when the fog lifted.  But then it started to rain and visibility dropped dramatically.  But we got a lot of exercise and did catch the highlights.

San on Bondi Beach.  We missed "The Hoff" by a week.

We stayed in Alice and David's apartment on Rushcutter's Bay with a fantastic view.  We had access to buses, the trains, and a ferry almost at our doorstep.  Thanks again to the entire Wesley-Smith clan for their extensive hospitality.

I hadn't realized how huge the Sydney area is.  The Sydney metro area has 4 million people.  That's out of the total of 22 million Australians.  The San Francisco Bay Area has 6.4 million people.  And we saw so many Asians!  I would not be surprised if Sydney surpasses the Bay Area's Asian population.

View of part of Sydney from Sky Tower

Sydney has what they bill as the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of Asia.  Their celebrations begin on 28 January with special exhibitions and markets.  The parade is scheduled for 6 February and will include lion dances and a dragon.  Dragon boat races will be on 12 - 13 February in Darling Harbour.  I wish I could be here to see those races.

I think a big difference is that Chinese New Year occurs while it is summer here.  The temperatures are warm.  It may or may not rain but at least it's warm.  I remember marching in the San Francisco parades when I attended Chinese school.   There was always the threat of rain.  And back then (late 60's,early 70's), the crowds were not large.  Anyway, Chinese new year is 3 February and it is the year of the rabbit.  Gung hay fot choy!


Now I am headed to the Airport for a flight to Tasmania.
Cheers!
Cyn