We are back from Sydney!!!  A fantastic four days.  We stayed right downtown, across the street from Hyde Park!!! Sydney downtown is very alive and full of people.  It felt strange though, walking around downtown with thousands of other people, quite warm outside, very dark (except for street lights), stores totally open right to the street.............. and it was only 6 PM!!!
Our first full day there, we took a day tour to the 'Blueys' or the Blue Mountains.  David, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the plants, animals, abo culture and the history of Australia.  The first stop was at an Aboriginal Center, where we learned to throw boomerangs!!!  Jerry threw much better than I did.  We also tasted 'damper' with quandom jam - an abo snack.  Tasty!  Saw the three sisters in the Grand Canyon, and discovered why the Blueys are blue.  It's a blue haze that hovers above the mountains produced by the oil from the plentiful Eucalyptus trees. And there are about a thousand species of the Eucalyptus tree in Australia!  Lunch was the tastiest pie - Jerry had steak pie, I had cheese and onion pie; eaten    at small tea house in the Megalong Valley.  Very quaint!  We drove close to 400 km to see the Blueys, but it was gorgeous scenery, and fun getting to know three other couples.

Having spent so much time driving on Tues, we decided to do some walking on Wed.  We took the bus to Spit Bridge, and from there bushwalked to Manly. It's a 10 km hike, some of it on beaches, some on sidewalks beside huge and beautiful houses, apts  and gardens, up rocks, through banksia forests, etc.   By the end of the walk, Jerry and I were wearing only a T shirt, but some of the people were wearing light winter jackets!!!  We're tough Canadians, used to 'cold'!  We got to Manly around 5 PM, and went and sat on the beach and watched the surfers while watching the sunset on the clouds.  On the recommendation of a fellow bushwalker (native Australian), we went to the Styne Hotel pub and had fish and chips for supper.  The best fish and chips we've ever had!!!!  Then it was time to take the ferry back to Sydney - across the Sydney harbour.

On the ferry ride across the Sydney Harbour we met a 70 yr old gentleman, who convinced us that we should really climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge while in Sydney.  He and his wife had climbed it the day before, and he thought we should really do it.  As Jerry had already wanted to do this in Wpg, I decided to brave it and go for it.  So Thursday morning we walked through the botanical gardens to the Opera House, where we had a most interesting tour of the Opera House, hearing all about the controversy and the history of building it.  And, of course, seeing all the theatres!  Even the bathrooms were interesting.  THEN, to the bridge climb.  The  climb preparation and walking along catwalks and ladders to the summit took 3 1/2 hours!!! It was worth every minute!!!!  The summit is 134 meters above the Sydney Harbour, where we had amazing views of the Harbour and Sydney!!  And, of course, that is where this picture was taken!

So, today we flew back to Brisbane (takes 1 1/2 hours);  the laundry has been done, and and is drying on the line outside.  Most people hang their laundry here.  We are off to Andrew and Bella's favorite Thai restaurant for supper!