Sydney Jan 2 - 7

I am in the Amora Jamison hotel in Sydney, Australia. There is a terrific thunderstorm going on. It is still warm, a breeze. Sydney is beautiful, the setting of course, and also the wonderful combination of old and new. Elegant buildings from the early 1900’s, newer sleek buildings and an unbelievable waterfront make it feel a bit like San Francisco but more dynamic. The Opera house is magnificent. I went to see a play there, “Love, Lust and What I Wore”. It was fun.

I am in Sydney, ostensibly, for business, the Search Associates Recruitment Fair. They are over 100 schools here, looking to fill positions for next year. My agenda is to see as much as I can and visit with the Barretts, and interview.

Yvonne, David and I, as well as David’s sister Lyndal, had lunch and walked in the gardens. The museum is free! There was a long line for the Terracotta warriors, so I just took a quick look at the Australian artists section. The gardens are beautiful, with miles and miles of bay coast.

I love the people here, they talk to each other. I know it is English speaking and so easier, but it is much more open, more like America than Europe. They are helpful and friendly and smile a lot. Do you think it could be the sunshine? There is a much different ethnic mix here, Aboriginal, Asian, European, New Zealand, Tasmanian. I’m enjoying the long summer days, dusk at 8:30. It is expensive! The Australian dollar and the US dollar are almost even. A glass of wine is over $10.00. I hear they get paid well here. I could live here, except it is sooo far. It really is the other side of the world, it gets colder going south.

Port Douglas Dec 26 to Jan 2, 2011

Port Douglas Dec. 26

Day one –recovering from jet lag, a walk on the beach, hair cut and dinner.

27th Day two: I visited the Wildlife habitat, delightful. I got to see and photograph the natives. I love birds and the variety here is different and colorful.

I enjoyed seeing my first cassowary and then visited their habitat, Daintree Rainfortest and actually saw one cross the road with a baby. I didn’t get that picture, they were fast. People here have cockatoos in their backyards. They are all over. The bats here are huge! I watched them at dusk, circling in front of the hotel. I stayed at Mercure Treetops. It is supposed to look like the rainforest treetops. It works, sort of.

28th Day 3 Daintree Rainforest

Walk in Mossman’s Gorge, boat ride on the river, lunch in the rainforest and sighted a cassowary on the ride back!



29th Day 4 Quicksilver trip to Great Barrier Reef

Ride out to the Reef, snorkel, semisubmersible and work on the tan on the ride back.



30th Day 5 Kuranda and Skytrail over the rainforest

Even with my fear of heights, I made it. I had a sky car to myself, no one to make me nervous with movement but myself. Peaceful and beautiful.

Kuranda was a cute town with an interesting history. Delicious pies for lunch and a train ride to Cairns.


Jan 1 Day 6 Poseidon trip to Great Barrier Reef

Booked an intro dive, to try something different for New Year’s Day but I chickened out. I got suited up but panicked a bit in the water. I think I will try it again some day, but in a pool first, not open ocean. Enjoyed the snorkeling but had a rough ride home. It was the beginning of the storms that have flooded Queensland this year.

Jan 2 Fly to Syndey