Mum and Dad Down Under (3)
Again, apologies for the late post and the "we did this" and "they did that" format but this is the last one covering Mum and Dad's trip to Australia.
Mum and Dad arrived back in Sydney on Friday night (4th). H and I met them back in Manly after we’d been out in the city for a few post-work beers. The weather over the weekend was stunning with temperatures again in the high twenties. May in Australia is the equivalent of November in the UK and I think they were both impressed.
We spent Saturday (5th) afternoon in the city. I went to the Fish Markets with Dad, H went to Paddington Markets with Mum. On the way home a lady began frantically running round the ferry shouting "I've lost my son. Has anyone seen my son? Help me please, Help me". Losing a kid on a ferry has to be a nightmare but I was sure I hadn't heard a splash although I was primed to jump out of the top window. Seconds later he was found hiding under his seat. He was 4 years old and looked like a real handful He even tried to hit Dad. We met back up with H and Mum in Manly. H and I went out for some beers with Katie and family Ward whilst Mum and Dad cooked dinner – prawns, snapper and barramundi! Result!
On Sunday (6th) we decided to do the Manly to Spit Bridge walk. We had done this walk with Mike and Ella back in December (starting at the Spit). Back then we got nailed by a storm and had to bail three quarters of the way round. However the sun was still shining on Sunday and we decided to start the 10k walk in Manly. I thought we would go half-way before heading back but one step led to another and before we knew it we were past the point of no return. Just over three hours after starting we arrived at The Spit. Once again I had chosen to walk in thongs, which aren't the most suitable footwear for that type walk and my feet were ruined for most of the week. We got the bus back to Manly, H and I jumped in the ocean and we all promptly collapsed in front of rubbish TV.
The folks spent Monday sight-seeing. They went up the Sydney Tower and took a walk around the Botanic Gardens. H went to see Dylan Moran in the evening. Mum and Dad took be out to Jellyfish.
They spent Tuesday in Manly and in the evening we all went out for the mighty $10 steak at The Ivanhoe. The even mightier Coopers Green is now on tap in there. What a result.....
The folks met quite a few of our friends on Wednesday night when we all went out to The Malaya on King Street Wharf. We'd all met beforehand in Pier 26 where Katie had her handbag nicked from the table we were sat at. Quite unbelievably she got a call from the police an hour later saying someone had found it on a rubbish bin nearby and they drove it round to her (when does that ever happen?), minus $20 and a lottery ticket she had bought after finding a 4-leafed clover stuck to her ankle whilst playing netball (she never checked the numbers to see if she had won!. She thought she had lost everything, including her mobile and flat keys!
Ok, moving onto Thursday and Mum and Dad spent the day on the Sydney Explorer and Bondi Explorer buses – a great way to see the city.
And Friday, well that was their last full day here and they spent it in Manly. It was also Kirby's 31st birthday so after a couple of beers with him on our way back to Manly, we met the folks off the ferry, went for a drink in the Wharf Bar and then ate at Rib and Rumps again. Pure gluttony and I love it!
Mum and Dad left on Saturday (12th). We saw them off at Manly wharf – they didn't want us to come to the airport. Whilst the 'Arrivals' gate is a happy place the 'Departures' is a sad place. Apart from those people going to New Zealand, everyone who leaves Sydney at the International Airport is going far, far away and it means people won't see each other for a while. It was easier saying goodbye in Manly and a whole lot easier than the goodbyes at Heathrow when we left last year. It's also easier for my parents as well as they can now see why we want to live in such an amazing place, they can visualise everything and they can put faces to the names we mention.
Mum and Dad arrived back in Sydney on Friday night (4th). H and I met them back in Manly after we’d been out in the city for a few post-work beers. The weather over the weekend was stunning with temperatures again in the high twenties. May in Australia is the equivalent of November in the UK and I think they were both impressed.
We spent Saturday (5th) afternoon in the city. I went to the Fish Markets with Dad, H went to Paddington Markets with Mum. On the way home a lady began frantically running round the ferry shouting "I've lost my son. Has anyone seen my son? Help me please, Help me". Losing a kid on a ferry has to be a nightmare but I was sure I hadn't heard a splash although I was primed to jump out of the top window. Seconds later he was found hiding under his seat. He was 4 years old and looked like a real handful He even tried to hit Dad. We met back up with H and Mum in Manly. H and I went out for some beers with Katie and family Ward whilst Mum and Dad cooked dinner – prawns, snapper and barramundi! Result!
On Sunday (6th) we decided to do the Manly to Spit Bridge walk. We had done this walk with Mike and Ella back in December (starting at the Spit). Back then we got nailed by a storm and had to bail three quarters of the way round. However the sun was still shining on Sunday and we decided to start the 10k walk in Manly. I thought we would go half-way before heading back but one step led to another and before we knew it we were past the point of no return. Just over three hours after starting we arrived at The Spit. Once again I had chosen to walk in thongs, which aren't the most suitable footwear for that type walk and my feet were ruined for most of the week. We got the bus back to Manly, H and I jumped in the ocean and we all promptly collapsed in front of rubbish TV.
The folks spent Monday sight-seeing. They went up the Sydney Tower and took a walk around the Botanic Gardens. H went to see Dylan Moran in the evening. Mum and Dad took be out to Jellyfish.
They spent Tuesday in Manly and in the evening we all went out for the mighty $10 steak at The Ivanhoe. The even mightier Coopers Green is now on tap in there. What a result.....
The folks met quite a few of our friends on Wednesday night when we all went out to The Malaya on King Street Wharf. We'd all met beforehand in Pier 26 where Katie had her handbag nicked from the table we were sat at. Quite unbelievably she got a call from the police an hour later saying someone had found it on a rubbish bin nearby and they drove it round to her (when does that ever happen?), minus $20 and a lottery ticket she had bought after finding a 4-leafed clover stuck to her ankle whilst playing netball (she never checked the numbers to see if she had won!. She thought she had lost everything, including her mobile and flat keys!
Ok, moving onto Thursday and Mum and Dad spent the day on the Sydney Explorer and Bondi Explorer buses – a great way to see the city.
And Friday, well that was their last full day here and they spent it in Manly. It was also Kirby's 31st birthday so after a couple of beers with him on our way back to Manly, we met the folks off the ferry, went for a drink in the Wharf Bar and then ate at Rib and Rumps again. Pure gluttony and I love it!
Mum and Dad left on Saturday (12th). We saw them off at Manly wharf – they didn't want us to come to the airport. Whilst the 'Arrivals' gate is a happy place the 'Departures' is a sad place. Apart from those people going to New Zealand, everyone who leaves Sydney at the International Airport is going far, far away and it means people won't see each other for a while. It was easier saying goodbye in Manly and a whole lot easier than the goodbyes at Heathrow when we left last year. It's also easier for my parents as well as they can now see why we want to live in such an amazing place, they can visualise everything and they can put faces to the names we mention.
posted by Jonny @ 8:46 AM
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