Australia

Saturday, Feb 16 - Wednesday, Feb 27

After a few days in LA we took a 10:45 pm flight on Sat., 2/16 to Sydney.  We had a restful fifteen hour flight in our business class seats.  We arrived on Mon, 2/18 after the time difference of eighteen hours.

Awww....business class!

DAYS 1 & 2:  SYDNEY
We were picked up at the airport and headed to our hotel, the VIBE in downtown Sydney.  Shaun then drove us to the Bondi Beach.  We enjoyed the warm 80s degree weather and sunshine.  We walked along the beach and cliffs for 1 1/2 miles to Bronte Beach. 

Monday

Bondi Beach

Love the view on the walk from Bondi to Bronte

Looking over at Bronte Beach

Tuesday
Don worked in the morning with players and coaches.  In the afternoon we rode the 30-minute Manly Ferry from Circular Quay in the Sydney harbor to Manly.  It provided a beautiful view of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney bridge, harbor side mansions, sandstone cliffs and the bushland along the north shore.  We walked the Corso walkway to the beach where we enjoyed a lunch of shrimp and chips on the beach.

Sydney Opera House

Sydney bridge and opera house

beautiful 30 minute ferry ride

Manly Ferry

Manly Beach

Manly beach

Lunch time

shrimp and chips on the beach

a walk along the beach

Many water dragons on our path

Don spent the evening working.

DAYS 3 & 4:  ADELAIDE
 Wednesday

Wednesday morning we took a flight to Adelaide and checked in at the Intercontinental Hotel.  The hotel is well placed on N Terrace St which is walking distance to much of what we want to do.  We had the afternoon to ourselves before Don was needed for the coaching clinic.  We had a delicious Italian lunch at the Parliament and then walked along N. Terrace St.  We walked by the Parliament House, the Governor's House, a National War Memorial and then walked down to the Torrens River.  

Intercontinental Hotel

The Parliament

the old Parliament

National War Memorial

the Torrens River

Thursday
We walked down King Williams St. to the Central Market where we had breakfast.  We walked through the market enjoying the fresh produce, flowers, meats (kangaroo??), and bought Christmas ornaments there.  

Town Hall

Don's yummy hot chocolate

my poached eggs and sour dough toast

Don's french toast

Central Market

We walked through Victoria Square to see a big cathedral, then walked through Rundle Mall, an outdoor pedestrian mall area.  From there we walked along N. Terrace St. to the National Wine Center for lunch and wine testing.

Central Market

Victoria Square

Adelaide - the city of churches

Lunch and wine tasting

After Don finished working we were treated to an evening meal at an Australian pub.

DAYS 5 & 6: BRISBANE
Friday

We left the hotel at 5:45 am for our flights to Melbourne:  1 1/2 hour flight from Adelaide to Melbourne, the running for the next 1 1/2 hour flight to Brisbane.  We checked in at the Art Series - The Johnson.  We used the afternoon for rest and relaxation at the pool before Don needed to work.

Saturday
We had breakfast at our hotel with two coaches and then Don worked until 2:00  I enjoyed relaxing at the pool again.  When Don returned we took an Uber to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  It is recognized as the world's first and largest koala sanctuary.  The attractions were more than koala.  We walked through the free-range kangaroo and wallaby enclosure, enjoyed the birds, crocodiles, wombats, platypus, dingoes, and tasmanian devil.

We spent the evening at South Bank in Brisbane.  It is a massive complex along the banks of the Brisbane River including parklands, shops, hotels, and restaurants.  We enjoyed a meal at a Turkish restaurant of turkish bread, steak and chicken skewers, and salads.  The Wheel of Brisbane is a giant Ferris wheel at the northern entrance of South Bank.

The Wheel of Brisbane

View of the city and Brisbane River from South Bank

Our Turkish meal

Fun ride on the Wheel of Brisbane

DAYS 7 & 8:  MELBOURNE
Sunday

Sunday we flew from Brisbane to Melbourne.  Alan picked us up and we went straight to the gym for the coaching clinic.  Mike Vear and Di came to the gym to get me, but we decided to wait for Don to finish.  We checked in at the Art Series - The Blackman on Kilda Rd.  On a recommendation from the manager at the hotel the four of us ate at The Steer Dining Room.  We ordered salads, three different steaks to share, sides, and desserts.  Wonderful meal!
 

Art Series The Blackman

 

View of the river from our hotel room.

Dinner at The Steer with Mike and Di

Steak!

Monday
Don and I took the tram to downtown Melbourne before Mike and Di picked us up at 11:00.

The state library in Melbourne

Mike and Di picked us up and we journeyed to the Yarra Valley where there are more than 70 wineries.  We went to the Tokar Winery where we had lunch, wine tasting and an afternoon of relaxing on the patio.

Lunch at the winery

tomatoes and goat cheese starter

steak, chats (potatoes), brussel sprouts and a wedge

unique dessert - yummy and pretty snow cone something

wine tasting and purchasing wine to take home

A great day with friends at the winery

Mike and Di drove us to the gym for an evening coaching clinic.


DAY 9:  SYDNEY

 Tuesday
We flew to Sydney for one last day of fun.  We checked into the VIBE Hotel again and took an Uber to the harbor in the intent of walking up the 200 steps of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and then to walk across it.  We had lunch at the Opera House plaza and then headed to the bridge.

Time for lunch at the plaza of the Opera House

Fish and chips

The Sydney Harbor Bridge

 

The path to the bridge

We headed back to the hotel to change for our evening at the Opera House.  Back at the harbor we have snacks and drinks before the production.  Fun evening.

Wednesday - 13 hour flight back to LA then Colorado Springs.  Once again we got upgrade to business class - yay!! 

Four cities (states) in nine days!  It was a whirlwind trip, but oh, so wonderful.  We experienced something unique at each stop!