Ryan picked us up on time at 10 AM and our Southwest Flight left at 12.20 on time. About 36 hours later we arrived in Sydney. I don't find air travel fun any more.
We arrived on time at about 8 AM Friday. Picked up the car and drove entirely across the city to Manly It was a bit early to turn up at the B&B so we parked the car and took a light lunch at a beach front restaurant. Visited a Vodafone store on the Corso and purchased SIM cards for our phones. Walked over to the ferry terminal "for old times sake". Arrived at the B&B at about 3 PM and hit the sack for a couple of hours. Dinner at a local Indian joint - good!
FYI: Welcome to Australia. I discovered on Wednesday October 20 that my Visa had been hacked. We tried to sort out the charges over the phone with Visa in the USA, but its a bit if a mess so I need to develop a record of the legit charges on the card. So I will use the blogs record of activities to build a daily record.
Visa:
Parking in Manly - $16
Lunch in Manly - about $50
Vodafone in Manly - about $60
Coffee shop in Freshwater - $30
Indian Restaurant in Freshwater - $30
Baby gift for Ky in Manly -
Tee shirt for Mason in Manly -
Salad Servers in Manly -
Post cards and stamps at the Post Office -
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| Morning tea in Manly! Yum. |
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| Kids at Manly Beach |
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| Our plane passed right over Sydney |
We were a bit jet lagged so we were up early and wandered into downtown Freshwater for breakfast. It was a perfect Saturday morning and the beach was only a few hundred yards from the B&B. A perfect beach on a perfect morning! The quintessential Sydney beach - half moon shape, about 1/2 mile long, Reef and cliffs at each end, Deep and soft yellow sand. Big blue waves.
The beach was the center of local activity - surf boat practice, knee board surf races,and "squibs" swimming lessons. All action, perfect to watch at 9 AM after 36 hours of travel and not much sleep. (I have photos but 2 of the 3 USB connections on my laptop are now not working. No clue why. I will load them when I have a solution.)
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| Bikini just for Dick |
We caught the 11 o'clock ferry over the harbor to Circular Key. Sydney Harbor from the ferry never ceases to please me. Circular Key is like "Grand Central" for the Harbor ferry system and is always a hive of activity.
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| Approaching Circular Key |
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| Crowd on Circular Key |
We spent the rest of the day strolling around Sydney - Circular Key, George St, Darling Harbour and back to manly on the 5 PM ferry. Met up with nephew Tim Gleeson and his family for dinner in Manly - very nice evening, especially since Tim paid!
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| One of the shopping arcades we wandered into |
Visa:
Breakfast Toastie and Coffee in Freshwater
Deidre's hair cut in Manly - $50+
Opal passes at the news agent in Freshwater - $40
Taxi - $10 cash?
Lunch darling harbor - 2 small charges
Ice cream for Tim's kids - cash?
Sunday October 16, 2016
Niece Robyn (Gleeson) and her friend Rick picked us up at 9:00 AM and drove us to Dee Why for breakfast. In addition to the company and the spectacular setting right on Dee Why beach, this happened to be the best tasting breakfast I have enjoyed for many moons.
By 11 AM we started the slop back across Sydney in the rental car, with the objective of getting at least 1/2 way to Melbourne that day. We did well and made it to Albury, right on the Victoria border.
Visa:
Breakfast in Dee Why - $80+
Parking meter - ??
Coffee and scone at McDonalds in Albury -
Dinner Niagara cafe in Gundagai
Gas a few miles before Albury - $60
Duct tape - $5 cash ?
Motel in Albury - $94
Monday October 17, 2016
Still a bit jet lagged, we were up early and found breakfast near the Albury railway station ("The longest railway platform in the Southern hemisphere! When I was a kid, the train (The "Spirit of Progress") from Melbourne stopped here in the middle of the night and all the passengers had to transfer to the Sydney train waiting on the other side of the platform. This was because Victorian trains used 5'3" gauge track and the NSW trains used 4'8" gauge track!)
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| Albury railway station |
We popped in on cousin Doug (and wife Dorothy) Heiner for a cuppa and then got back on the road. From Albury to Melbourne is about 200 miles. The Hume Highway is divided but not a USA style limited access freeway, It had been a wet spring so the country looked great.
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| Fields of "Rape" alongside the highway |
Late lunch in Gundagai at the "Niagara" restaurant. This is a 1930s style diner that just has not changed - reminds me a bit of the "Bright Star" restaurant in Bessemer, Alabama. We have visited the Niagara a few times with our kids.
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| Outside the "Niagara" |
Visa:
Breakfast opposite Albury railway station
Purchased pies for lunch at Mums
Groceries at Mt. Martha
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