Sydney

When Lindsey first suggested that we make a day trip to Sydney, I thought it was a waste of a day when The Travellers would only be here for two weeks. What would we do? Look at the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House? Go to Manly? Why?

We went anyway. Tabitha, Cally and Flynn were quite keen. We caught the 7:25 morning flight and arrived in time for breakfast in the Sydney airport. We might not have chosen to have breakfast at the airport but Cally and Flynn were hungry and we wanted them to be happy and energetic.

Then we took the train to Circular Quay and collected the opera house and the bridge

And then the ferry to Manly

It was an absolutely glorious day. Perfect weather for a visit to Manly. Cally and Flynn had brought their bathers. Lindsey had had the foresight to bring a towel. Manly has a surf beach.

The surf wasn't high - just enough to be fun. Cally and Flynn had a great time playing in the sea. 

We had burgers for lunch. Tabitha explored the surf clothes shops. We had a wander around.

Then Lindsey added an element of excitement to the day by announcing that she had lost her key pouch, which should have been attached to her little bag and wasn't. She has a tag on the pouch and could see that they had last been seen at the beach. Off she went to see if she could find them. I somewhat belatedly remembered that someone had handed to the lifeguard a little blue pouch she had found on the sand. I hadn't paid much attention at the time but it seemed worth checking in the surf club to see if it was hers. I rang Lindsey and she went to check. Good news! It was hers. It wouldn't have been an unmitigated disaster if they had not been found. Her car key was still with her and I have a spare key to her flat at my place so she could have got home. It would have been hugely inconvenient and extremely irritating but not a major catastrophe. Fortunately, by a series of happy chances, the keys are back with her.

A visit to an Australian sandy beach was on the list of things the children wanted to do. Tick! (Most Australian beaches are sandy; some are more sandy than others.)

It was a good day. We could have gone to a surf beach near Melbourne but the weather was indisputably better in Sydney yesterday and it was more exciting to go to Sydney than the Mornington back beaches. Also, I don't think the Mornington surf beaches would have had lifeguards yesterday.

Happy seagulls, playing in the water

Melbourne Zoo

One of the things that was high on the list of things that Tabitha, Cally and Flynn wanted to do while they are in Melbourne was a visit to the zoo. Cally also wanted to go to Rottnest Island to see the quokkas, which wasn't really a practical option if you are in Melbourne for two weeks. Flynn wanted to see the rhinos. The rhinos are in Werribee. The Melbourne quokkas are in Parkville. A dilemma.

Tabitha resolved it by pointing out that they can see rhinos in the UK but they can't see quokkas.

We went to Parkville. Freyja and Simon joined us.

The weather played nicely; it didn't rain, it was neither too hot nor too cold, it was not too windy.

A good day for wandering around the zoo.

Then we took the tram to Brunswick and had lunch in The Cornish Arms.

Next time they come we will go to Werribee so Flynn can see the rhinos and we can all visit the elephants. If they come for a bit longer we could also perhaps go to Perth. They could fly in via Perth and we could meet them there. I have never been to Rottnest. I could be persuaded.

Melbourne Aquarium

I had never been to the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne. I go past it very regularly but had never had any reason to go in. It's not that I don't like aquariums I just hadn't got around to going or, indeed, had anyone to go with.

Yesterday, I had willing companions and some spare time. So Tabitha, Cally, Flynn and I met mid-morning and ventured in.

My first surprise was the number of people who were there. I had been expecting it to be reasonably quiet, mid-morning on a Tuesday. My second surprise was the number of school parties that were there. I was not expecting schools. Or children. It was also expensive. It would have been a bit cheaper to have bought the tickets online but I didn't know that and I didn't have enough signal to do it in the foyer, which is what the woman on the desk suggested.

A selection of what we saw:

Flynn's jellyfish
Cally made one too but I didn't get
a proper photo of it

Flynn having a VR meet up with sharks

I enjoyed the visit. It wasn't the best aquarium I have ever been to (awarded to The Deep, in Hull, and the freshwater aquarium in Gifu). On the other hand, it absolutely was not the worst either (hands up the aquarium in Ise, Japan which was dismal). It just wasn't very exciting. It might have been more exciting, I suppose, if we had done the glass bottomed boat ride and Flynn very much enjoyed the VR meet up with sharks. Still, it was clean and bright and spacious. I might have enjoyed it more had it been less busy. I am increasingly unhappy in crowded spaces and I do not enjoy the company of lots of noisy children.

Then we went to meet Freyja for lunch at the Queen Victoria Shopping Complex

It wasn't raining so I got my photo
under the clocks

Freyja went back to work and the rest of us had frozen yoghurt in Yo-Chi for dessert. Then Tabitha, Cally and Flynn met Ross at the state library and I came home. 

A tale of two cities - and two weather systems

So everyone did enjoy the wildlife park. Friday was Sovereign Hill day. Unfortunately, one by one everyone except Cally was struck down with some form of gastro. Tabitha, not much; Freyja a bit more. Simon and Flynn were struck hard. 

Even so, they managed to achieve quite a lot of their plans. They caught up with Pat for coffee. They visited Buninyong, where Ross and Anne live. They saw the kangaroos in the paddocks at Mount Helen. Cally and Freyja had a good time at Sovereign Hill and then went to the movies.

Simon and Freyja drove back on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha, Cally and Flynn went to the lake with Ross and then came back on the train later in the day.

In the meantime I stayed in Melbourne. I went to my Japanese class on. Thursday evening. I went out to Northcote to play with Ghost on Friday. I went to the plant nursery to buy some tomato seedlings. I did useful things at home. I pottered around.

And the weather was warm and sunny and summery in both cities.

It was none of these things on Sunday, when Melbourne reminded us emphatically that spring weather is fickle. The temperature plummeted and the rain swept in with enthusiasm.

Tabitha, Cally and Flynn met an old friend of Tabitha's and her children at ACMI. Then I met them under the clocks at Flinders Street station - inside rather than the more traditional outside on the steps. It was raining!

We dropped into Daiso and then Kmart. Then we went back to the flat in East Melbourne, where they had stayed on Saturday night. Lindsey came back from Cairns. And we moved them to their new digs in Collingwood, a 10 minute walk from the flat. Although, we took them and their stuff round in Lindsey's car. It was raining! Also - they had quite a lot of bags to carry. 

The apartment that Freyja had found for them is absolutely gorgeous. It is spacious and light and quirky. I would almost be tempted to sell my place and buy it - if I could afford it (I almost certainly couldn't) and if I thought my knees and hips would cope with all of the stairs (unlikely!). Also, it isn't for sale.

Then we all hopped on a tram and came back into the city for dinner in The Quarterhouse

The weather wasn't quite as dreadful yesterday. Still rainy but showers rather than continuous, flooding rain. Freyja gathered them up and took them off to play in Northcote. Lindsey went to work. I went to the Library at the Dock to collect a book that was waiting for me. And we had a Family Gathering at The Fox in the evening. We haven't had a Fox Night for some time and most of the people who came aren't available for lunch on Sunday. Flynn finally got to meet some children, even if two of them are considerably younger than he is.

And the rain returned just as it was time to head home!

It is not raining this morning. The sun is shining in a clear blue sky. Here's hoping that continues!

Tabitha, Cally and Flynn ...

... arrived in Melbourne for a two week stay on Tuesday evening.

Freyja and I went to the airport to meet them. Their flight was due in at 21:45.

This would not matter, except that I am usually in bed by then, or at least getting ready for bed. 

I managed to stay awake anyway. Lindsey is in Cairns this week so I borrowed her car for the pickup. It's bigger than Ziggy and also was in East Melbourne and not Northcote. Much more convenient, especially since I would be taking the travellers to East Melbourne and not Northcote.

Waiting, waiting, waiting ...

Finally, they're here

Cally and Flynn have never been to Australia, although they have both British and Australian citizenship. Tabitha hasn't been since Stella's 70th birthday party, 23 or 24 years ago. It was an adventure for them all.

We got them settled into the flat in East Melbourne (it was available because Ian is in Canada and, as mentioned, Lindsey is in Cairns). Freyja and I went to our respective flats by taxi.

On the very top of Flynn's list of "I absolutely have to do this while I'm in Melbourne" were: visit the MCG, eat East Asian food. The flat is not far from the MCG so we dropped by on way from the airport so he could have a look at it. Yesterday morning, we all, including Freyja and Simon, walked back to the MCG for a proper look at it in daylight

Then we walked to the river and strolled along the riverside until we reached Flinders Street

We saw this sculpture from the river on Monday

Then we went to a dumpling bar in one of the laneways. I'm not sure that Cally enjoyed the dumplings much but we have now ticked off the top two wishes from Flynn's list. Top of Cally's list is to visit a bookshop. There are some specific books that she is looking for. There are lots of bookshops. Shouldn't be a problem - although finding the exact titles that she wants might be a bit more challenging.

They came to visit my flat and went back to East Melbourne on a tram. Another tick on the To Do list.

They've now gone to Ballarat for a few days. They're at the Wildlife Park today, playing with kangaroos and other fauna. The wildlife park is predominantly but not exclusively Australian animals. The weather is good. It should be a good. day. I remain in Melbourne. I have a Japanese class this evening, am down for Ghost visiting tomorrow and have various other things to do.  No trip to Ballarat for me