Lazy Days in Australia

G'day Mates!  We arrived in Australia no worries...  flight was 9 hours but we endured -  we had 2 empty seats between us so I was able to stretch out some.  Our friends, Greg and Anna, picked us up at the Sydney airport and we went on a picnic!  It seemed like a crazy thing to do after flying all night, but was actually quite fun.  We explored an old village and "had a coffee" then drove into the nearby forest area. The weather was great and we built a campfire and roasted sausages and potatoes.  We met some of Anna & Greg's friends too - this is a thing they all do yearly to celebrate the Easter holidays.  At 6pm when we finally arrived at their house, we were about ready for bed...lol 

boys on a bench with a beer

roasting sausages

yum!

Greg and Anna live in Manly which is a beach town about 30 minutes north of Sydney.  They live on the top of a hill and have a nice view. 

the view - when they build the 3rd story, they will be able to see Sydney and Manly harbour!

their garden

living room and kitchen

Greg and Anna's house

Manly is a beach town and their house is 1 kilometer away from Manly Wharf where you can catch the 20 minute ferry into Sydney.  It is an easy walk downhill and they have recently put in a free shuttle bus/van that is called Hop Skip Jump - great name huh?  So B and I have taken advantage of that and hopped/skipped/jumped every day all around Manly area...  We found a place to have pedicures, did a bit of sightseeing, found the post office (OMG! a postcard stamp costs $3!) and ate tacos at a Mexican place in Australia...lol  B went into the grocery store and experienced sticker shock!  A case of soda costs $50 - granted that is Aussy dollars, but still about $45 US.  One piece of fruit that we got in Viet Nam for 50 cents costs $3 here...  WOW!  

paid a dollar each for macaroons in Bangkok - here they are $3 for one!

note the price! and this isn't even family size

B's haircut and beard trim was $50

Manly is a terrific area with pubs, clubs and restaurants - very beachy. We went to a comedy club with Anna on Wednesday and had a few laughs.  The language is somewhat of a barrier - they say they are speaking English, but sometimes B and I wonder...lol  Manly has a harbor side with swimming beaches - Anna swims everyday and I plan to join her today, and it has the wave side, where the surfer dudes hang out...  According to Anna we have had amazing weather - it is sunny and 73* here - remember, Australia is the opposite of us: their summer just ended and fall is upon us...  seems very spring-like to us.  

the beach side with waves and surfers

Yesterday we rode the ferry and went into Sydney.  It was great and we had a successful shopping/sightseeing day.  We went to Paddy's Market and then over to China Town for a dim sum lunch.  It was tasty but the bill was wacky.  After B got it straightened out we checked out some shops and walked back by the Darling Harbor Holiday Inn - our first staly location 20 years ago...  Turns our it was senior citizens concert days in Sydney and so transportation was a bit crowded.  There were over 5000 seniors who were attending concerts and half of them wanted the same light rail as us!  We finally managed to push our way onto the train to ride 2 stops to the train station - we boarded an empty train then to ride 2 stops to the wharf, where we caught the ferry to return to Manly.  

Manly from the ferry

Sydney from the ferry

B on the ferry

Sydney Opera House and an RCL in port

I am quite tired today so stayed home to do some laundry, write this blog, fix my phone - it just quit, and had to spend 45 minutes on chat with Sprint - but it works now and relax a bit.  Greg has been on a business trip to Melbourne but returns tonight.  I still need to get a manicure and my hair blued before the 13th when we board our cruise ship to Canada.
Monday and Tuesday B and I will take a train to the Blue Mountains to see a bit of the countryside.  I will post again after we return...  No worries, mates