Moms Downunder: Sydney, Adelaide, & Melbourne

We have heard the news of the hurricane force storm blowing into the Northwest. Hold onto your hats and stand guard next to your heaters. Approaching Christmas here is surreal, a little bit like someone telling you it is going to snow in July. Christmas around Oceania is marked by the fast approach of summer and heaps of school aged children on summer break. Zach and I were at the beach last Friday trying futilely to boogie-board and we almost thought we were at the a beach themed high school dance with the number of bikini clad teenagers prancing about. I miss the snow. My memories of slipping around snow covered Seattle are some of my favorite. Please be safe those of you driving and cycling in this weather. We wish you all a beautiful quiet snowy Christmas with lots of electrical power.

We are blessed to be spending this time in Australia with our moms. At the present we're calling Melbourne, in the SE state of Victoria, home. Time with our moms has been refreshing. There is nothing like having a little piece of home during the holidays. With over two weeks of travel time with our moms we've traversed the countryside via plane, boat, and tram sightseeing some of southern Australia's key tourist sights. Now in the final leg of "Moms Downunder" we're moving a bit slower - Sleeping in, religiously globing aloe onto our sunburned bodies, and walking just a little bit slower. Here are a few of our travel highlights:

Sydney

Sydney Harbor passenger ferries. From speedy catamaran to sluggish tugboat design these boats are perfect for exploring Sydney and are a mighty fine excuse to put your legs up.

Don't forget the sunscreen:




My mom (Miro) and I took a hiatus from our four person family tour to visit the Coney Island themed amusement park in Sydney.





A leisurely stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens where we viewed beautiful blossoms, bats, and bamboo. Some years ago a family of fox bats started calling the botanic gardens home. Now literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, call the trees their home.





Adelaide

Sit back and enjoy the ride in Adelaide. That's exactly what we did with our own personal tour guide Pauline, my mom's friendly a Sedona, AZ visiting artist. Our local Aussie friend took the moms around the city and countryside. Visiting beautiful lookouts and sprawling vineyards they had quite a prestigious tour. One of our main destinations was Kangaroo Island, a 150km long island off the coast of Adelaide boasting seal colonies, kangaroos, wallabies, unique rock formations, and perched lighthouses. Unfortunately Zach was feeling down with a stomach bug so he slept our tour hours away in bed.







On the tour bus we relaxed and listened to our tour guide while off the bus our moms and Pauline trekked all over.



Our last two nights in Adelaide were spent on the beach in a luxurious service apartment, boasting our own private balcony. Four stars above our ramshackle hostel room. We immediately went for an ocean swim. Finally we had warm swimming water. Pauline warned us about seasonal shark attacks along the coast and although we swam within watch of lifeguards the thought of meeting a tiger shark still lingered. After jumping around in the waves for an hour I was lucky enough to meet a jellyfish. Wrapping one of its tendrils around my left leg, I was left with quite a burn. Its nearly impossible to see a jellyfish in the churning sea, but they sure let you know they're there.

Hi from Zach:


Melbourne

With a quick two night jaunt through Melbourne we ended up staying in a funky section named Fitzroy. Having broken in their walking shoes, our moms tour the city by foot. Zach and I both feel like we could call Melbourne home. With its eccentric lived in feel, graffiti art lined streets, and visible cycling scene, we love it. Navigating through last minute holiday shoppers we perused through a crafty outdoor market along the Yarra River then onto a great contemporary exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria.







Tomorrow evening we're flying back to Sydney for the final leg with our moms. I've heard mention of relaxing by Sydney's Manly or Bondi beach.

Much love,

Elise (and Zach)