Welcome to Sydney!

It was a quick flight to Sydney where I was greeted by Barbara, my cousin's husband's aunt. Barbara and Peter welcomed me into their home without hesitation, and it wasn't long before I felt like apart of the family. Their new place is conveniently located just up the hill from Manly, a popular beach spot, with easy access to the wharf and other transportation.

My first day in Sydney started with breakfast on the sunny veranda and a panoramic view the hilly town below (stay tuned for a photo). Barbara had placed a variety of tasty jams on the table, and she got a good kick out of my "bitter face" when I discovered the marmalade was not so sweet. And thus my Sydney adventure began...

Barbara took me out to show me the sights and help me get my bearings. The tour started with a ferry ride across the harbour to Circular Quay in downtown Sydney. The ride provided scenic views of the small towns, beaches, and parks surrounding the harbour on all sides. I couldn't have asked for a better guide; Barbara offered a commentary complete with city history, family connections, and more.

Harbor View



Bobby and Sydney Harbor Bridge



Downtown Sydney



I got a little excited and left a piece of myself at the Opera House when I stubbed my toe on a step, ouch!

Rainy Day in Cairns

My last day in Cairns was pretty mellow. In the morning I enjoyed an orange and almond muffin with freshly squeezed orange juice at a small cafe. I let my mind wonder while I listened to the soft music played over the cafe speakers and was amused watching people as they dodged rain drops in the square.

One of my friends on the dive trip had mentioned that there were bats around Cairns, but I hadn't noticed any until this day. I was walking down one of the back streets taking in the surroundings when I heard this awful screeching noise that kept getting louder and louder. I looked up to realize the tree branches right above my head were loaded with bats! It was a little creepy.

I believe you don't really know a city until you have shopped it. I spent a good part the day meandering around town near the water front popping in and out of gift shops; this is where I found Bobby. Bobby is a tiny wombat, not to be confused with a guinea pig. He will be traveling with me for the rest of the trip, so look for him in pictures.

Once the rain let up I made my way back to the square where there was a small folk band, husband and wife, playing music. I'm not sure how the older mountain man playing the tambourines fits in, but he added a lot to the music and was entertaining to watch. Bobby and I hung out and listened for a while before heading off to the airport for Sydney.

New Friends & New Foods

Three days living aboard a boat and diving together and you can make some really good friends!

These good friends can be very encouraging about trying new things... A group of us joined up for dinner at the local food court once we were back in Cairns and had fun experimenting with foods. Apparently, when the whole shrimp is fried you eat the WHOLE shrimp. You can't see Robin's entire face, but he seems to be enjoying the show.

That would be the shrimp's head going in...

 That's a baby octopus...

...and that's Olga eating it.

Then there's gelato, which is just GOOD!

The Great Barrier Reef - Part 2

Over the course of the tour we also saw plenty of interesting coral formations, stingrays, parrotfish, calms, nudibranch, and loads more... It's hard to do the reef justice using an underwater camera, but I was able to get few shots worth sharing.

 

Here I am demonstrating the difference between how an average fish's fins move compared to a parrotfish. Good times, lol!

 Parrotfish

The Great Barrier Reef - Now That's Diving!

The next two days were full of diving, diving, eating, and more diving. I logged a total of twelve dives in the three days we were on the water. Each dive was amazing in a different way whether it was watching fish buzz around the reef as they woke up, touching a sea turtle, or swimming with sharks at night.

In the morning the reef is kind of like a New York City of fish; it's teaming with sea life rushing about to start the new day.

Dive buddies Erika, Jorrit, and Pedro

Just to keep things interesting, before night dives the crew would throw food off the back of the boat to attract sharks. Below is a picture of Pedro pointing at the sharks with excitement just before he jumps in right where the sharks are circling! Notice the lifeboat waiting in the background... Pedro's enthusiasm for the sharks and fearless (or crazy) act became a running joke with our group of friends.