Sydney

We are already about to head out from Sydney. It's hard to believe the first leg of the trip is over. Yesterday we walked from Bondi Beach to Clovelly. It was gorgeous. I guess there is a very popular reality show here based on lifeguards on Bondi Beach. The sand on the beach was some of the finest I have seen, and the water was made up of the most beautiful hues of green and blue. The waves were also amazing. We didn't swim, but the water was warm and wading was quite pleasant - though one of us did take a spill into the surf when a voracious rogue wave barreled in unexpectedly. That was on Tararama Beach - or something like it anyway. It was closed for dangerous conditions, which seemed to be waves that were way over our heads. No big mishaps to report yet. The sun seems quite strong, and my winter sun-deprived Alaskan skin is now a pretty shade of pink. We sailed through the harbor and saw a few 50 million dollar homes we'd like to buy - and of course viewed the opera house and the harbour bridge - and a few nude beaches! We've walked and walked and walked around the city. We climbed a Harbour Bridge pylon for a great view of the city, visited the open air markets, and the botanical gardens. The gardens were lush and green, with lots of fun birds (and screeching white cockatoos) flying around noisily. The umbrella cheese tree was my favorite. It was hard for me to believe that Australia is heading into fall. It feels like spring or early summer to me. The food has been nothing short of stellar. Last night I had the best sushi I've ever eaten - and the night before that the best seared tuna I've ever had. Add that to some absolutely divine dark chocolate mousse cake (obviously I can't be a food writer because the only way I can think to describe it is "indescribable,") and I can easily report that I have one satisfied belly! Oh, and I've been anxiously awaiting my chances to see Australian wildlife, so I'm afraid that I rather pathetically must report that my first (and only, other than the birds) creature was a rat! Here's a picture from our walk yesterday. I think it is from Bronte Beach. I like the "ghost" surfers in it.

BRONTE BEACH
(Coastal Walk Between Bondi Beach and Coogee Beach)