Happy Holidays from Down Under

It has been a while since I wrote a blog, but Ryan has monopolized all the computer time. I have nicked named him the internet monster.
We are having a great time in Australia. For once the weather has started to co-operate and the sun is shining. We spent the first couple of days exploring the city, the Opera House, Art Museum, Botanical Garden, Harbor Bridge, Bondi Beach etc.... We even met up with some some of our friends from the China trip for lunch one day. The Opera house was great. As some of you know Ryan and I really appreciate modern architecture, so to see it up close was a true high light. All of the angles and the way the white iridescent tiles on the roof catch the light at different times of day was amazing. Ryan was also really impressed by the harbor bridge and of course the harbor. I enjoyed the botanical garden, Ryan tolerated it. The rose garden was small but still nice. The best part it that it is a free open park with great plants and trees all along the harbor with an amazing view of both the opera house and the bridge. (We hope to be able to get a spot there for the new years firework extravaganza.) We spent Christmas on the beach, still not used to the southern hemisphere thing of a bbq on the beach, but it was nice to get some sun after all the rain in Asia.

We spent the first part of today, Boxing Day, at Watson's cove which is right next to the southern Head of Sydney harbor, so we could watch the Sydney to Hobart boat race. We walked around the cove and then walked up the head so we had a better view of the start. It was cool to see all the sail boats jocking back in forth for the best starting position with harbor bridge in the back ground. We then walked to the ocean side of the head so we could see the boats race into the ocean for the sail to Hobart. Ryan was so happy.

We are planning a day trip tomorrow to St. Somewhere (can't remember the name) the Dolphins are suppose to be abundant. We are taking a boat tour, followed by 4 wheeling and sand boarding in the sand dunes, with even a stop at a wildlife sanctuary on the way home. (Yea!! koalas and kangaroos) I want to learn to surf here and I would love to go sailing the harbor with Ryan. We have not made it to Carins of Alice springs yet, so no reef diving and no big rock yet, but that is planned to come. I am sure Ryan or maybe even I (if I get a chance) blog about that later.