Mid-January is a great time to visit Australia; warm summery weather, fewer tourists following the Christmas/NY break and a good time to escape the average NZ summer!
Amy and I had planned a 5 day visit to Sydney to catch up with dad's brother Max and his wife Carol. Amy had just finished her stint of two weeks volunteering on Codfish Island for DoC's Kakapo Recovery Programme (which was a roaring success) and had arrived in Christchurch only hours before our flight was scheduled to depart. A few anxious nights ago, we were certain she would miss the connecting flight as bad weather hampered efforts to get off Codfish Island.
At 4am on January 17, we departed Christchurch airport Sydney bound. Max and Carol met us at Sydney airport and the following is a catalogue of images from our stay in Aussie.
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| Walking from Bondi beach around the bays |
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| Brilliant golden sand, warm water and very little privacy! |
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| St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral |
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| Inside St Andrew's cathedral |
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| Looking across the park towards St Andrew's |
The following day, we ventured out, this time to Manly Beach where there was a surf competition and a good few thousand people on the beach. With Australia in the midst of a heat wave and 30-40deg days, the beaches were constantly packed with tourists and locals alike!
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| Sydney's Manly Beach |
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| Amy, myself, Max and Carol |
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| Surf clubs marching competition |
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| Surf races were quite entertaining |
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| Sydney harbour bridge, viewed from the river cat we took up to Parramatta |
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| A cruise ship leaving Berth in the harbour |
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| 'Muuuurica. No wait. 'Straya. That's it. |
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| Angry lego man-come-fire hydrant |
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| Feeling very Mediterranean in urban Sydney |
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| Orchid |
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| An enormous cruise ship doing a three point turn in the Harbour, nothing like a bit of performance pressure with a few hundred people watching! |
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| Firetail, a native Australia bird |
During our stay there were numerous lizards, geckos and skinks all throughout Max's property and in the surrounding bush. This little guy was in the garden every day and Amy could barely contain herself. Length about 20cm.
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| Max's chooks, aptly named blacky, whitey and browny. |
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| Lizards everywhere! |
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| Lace Monitor lizard, 1-2m long |
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| Andrew, Amy, Max and Carol walking around the Parramatta Lake |
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| Red belly lizard |
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Amy kissing ducks. This artwork was commissioned in order to make people smile - what a great idea!
Actual size, about 15m |
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| Kookaburra |
