So much to do, so little time

As our adventure in Oz draws to a close, we are racing around trying to see as much as we possibly can before we leave.  It's been a whirlwind of a month!  Nana and Pop Pop came to visit end of March, and we jetted off to Queensland.  A quick 3 day stop on the Gold Coast to visit Seaworld, Movie world and a pit-stop in Brisbane, followed by quick flight up to the Far North to hug a koala and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef before Nana and Pop Pop fly home.

Last week we hopped over to Tasmania for a quick visit.  Stopped at the Cataract Gorge, Cradle Mountain, Wineglass bay, Hobart, Salamanca Market, Bruny Island, Mt Wellington and finally Port Arthur before flying home, unpacking, repacking and heading to the Outback .. phew!  Tired?  I am!

So now we are in Broken Hill, NSW, having driven almost 300k through locust swarms surrounded by red dirt and nothingness.  A stark contrast to the lush greenness and rolling hills of Tassie. Today brought a quick visit to the Royal Flying Doctors of Australia ... wow!  Very humbling and inspiring to see what these people do, on a daily basis, to ensure that EVERYONE in the Outback, no matter who they are or where they are, can get free medical aid.

So you can see why my little blog has fallen by the wayside these past few weeks ... updates will be posted, along with photos very soon .. promise!!
xoxo

Melbourne

Melbourne has been our home for the past 5 months.  In that time, we have come to know and love the beautiful City with all it's wonderful cultural influences.  We've hung out in Federation Square, danced to digereedoos, ok, so R did all the dancing, but we watched!  We've walked along South Bank, gambled in the casino, dined in China Town, wandered through the delightful arcades, strolled around the enormous Queen Victoria Market .. and munched on fresh baked Turkish bread at the same time .. stood in a glass box 300 meters (approx 984 feet) above the ground (crazy I know!), taken an old tram around the city, watched some amazing tennis at the Aussie Open and much more.  Melbourne was our home and we have grown to love it, it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Our trip to Sydney NSW

As our time in Oz draws to a close, I realize that I'm quite behind on posting pics!  Just too busy having fun and exploring this wonderful country.

For Christmas and New Years, we took a trip to Sydney.  In an effort to see more of Australia, we decided to drive ... yup, with 2 little kiddies, a crazy idea!  We spread the drive over two days, stopping in Australia's capital, Canberra, for the night.  The drive was mainly highway on the way, and it rained most of the way!  For the return, we followed the coast and saw some beautiful beaches.  Easy to see why Australia is a surfers heaven!

Upon arrival in Coogee, we all jumped into the tumble dryer ... kidding of course, although we did need to dry off a bit ;o)  Coogee beach is beautiful and has a 7K walk to the famous Bondi beach.  Can't come all this way and not see it.  We embarked on the walk with our double stroller in tow, but the kiddies decided they were walking, so we carried the stroller up and down stairs while the kids followed ... hmmm, next time the stroller stays home!   The walk consists of path and stairs ... as M is quite little, I wanted him to hold my hand on the steps, but Mr Independent exclaimed "I hold my own hands" and then proceeded to hold his own hands and climb down the stairs.

Another outing was a trip to the Blue Mountains, about an hour outside of the City.  It was a beautiful day and we got to see the amazing rock formation known as The Three Sisters. 

Of course, not trip to Sydney is complete without the Harbour Bridge and the amazing Opera House.  In a moment of pure insanity, my mum and I decided to climb the Harbour Bridge at 3:30am.  After dragging ourselves out of bed at such an insane time of the morning ... yeah, I know that's the time I actually went to bed in my younger years! ... we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the sun rising over Sydney and watching the city come to life as people started their day.  

All in all, a fun time was had by all on our trip.  Farewell to Sydney, a beautiful city that was our home for 10 wonderful days.