Dave managed to get a surf in at North Narrabeen - he was lent a surf board and wet suit (the water is much much colder in Sydney!). The waves were perfect and Dave got some great tips from Adam, who is an experienced surfer, on how to improve his technique. The rest of us had a good time playing games, collecting shells and cheering Dave on (that is Dave and Adam bobbing up and down in the background of the picture below).
Narrabeen was a good introduction to Australian beaches for Elaine but we were all looking forward to seeing some of Sydney's world famous Beaches. On our fifth day in Sydney we took a seaside drive to Bondi Beach. People have been coming here since the 1850s but it became a popular destination (with up to 1000 cars parked near the beach) in the 1920s. When you arrive, you can see why it has been a timeless place to venture when looking for sun, sand and surf. It has a wonderful mix of cafes, shops, and stylish historical buildings to keep you busy for hours.
The beach itself is perfect - a kilometre-long stretch of fine, squeaky sand set in a sheltered cove. In contrast to summer, when the beach is littered with hundreds of sun-seeking tourists and locals, in winter the beach is sparsely populated. But there were a few brave souls looking to catch a wave, or like ourselves to have a little bit of summer during a Sydney winter day.
In the Sydney area there is an incredible amount of sandstone - this was a perfect medium for Australian Aboriginals to draw images of people, animals or other important symbols. Apparently, there are hundreds of these engravings in the Sydney area alone and many are on the sandstone cliffs near Bondi Beach. While we were hiking in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park we were fortunate to see a series of these engravings.
For our last day in Sydney we went to Manly Beach - it was a great end to the first part of our winter break. Manly is one of Sydney's northern beaches which attracts tourists and locals alike. It has that classic beach side feel of cafes, pedestrian malls and surfers looking to catch the next wave. The kids enjoyed an afternoon of long jumping, lounging and eating fish & chips.
Sydney is a great city and I look forward to seeing it in the summer months. Now we are off on part two of our winter holiday adventure - to the Red Centre of Australia.love Heather, Dave, Gemma and Ruben
2 comments:
It's always a treat to read your updates Heather. It sounds like you're continuing to make the most out of each day. I can't believe you've passed the halfway mark already. Do you think you could live in Oz? What about the kids? Is it going to be a harder transition to leave there than it was to leave the alley? (You know I just use that term to bug you.) We're all great and enjoying this HEAT!!! Yippeeee!!!! For a brief time this year, we're actually wearing fewer clothes than you are! Ah well, please pass on hugs and kisses from all of mine to all of yours. x0x0x0 KP
Dear Heather,
You make me sorry I've never been to Oz after all these years - and all the Aussies I've met over the years. I like the sandstone paintings - and being able to go to the beach in winter! I've never been much of a beach beach person, but it's nice to get away once in a while . . . and swim in warm water.
Nice sky!
Tim
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