Sydney, Australia & family

Monday Feb 8, 2016
We needed a day of rest after the busy weekend so we stayed around the apt most of the day.  Gerry didn’t rest as much as me since she washed a couple loads of clothes. She did manage to catch a short nap and was refreshed after that.

I managed to find a live broadcast of the Superbowl and we watched most of the game.  It came on at 10:30 am on Monday local time.  The announcers were the same ones you heard in the USA, but the commercials were Australian.   It was a rough game and I don’t think the Panthers were prepared for the Broncos defense.  They contained Newton and didn’t give him a chance to get his offense started.  

It was a good game for a SB, but not a memorable  one.  It does look like Peyton Manning will go out a winner unless he comes back  for another year.  He hasn’t made his decision on that public knowledge.

Rachel prepared a very nice dinner with smoked salmon.  She also surprised us with  a nut roll for dessert.  Gerry used to make a  similar one but finds it impossible to do in the motor home. It stirred up our taste buds.

Tuesday Feb 9, 2016
We walked around the area and did some shopping.  Sydney is a very expensive city and food & beverages are much more costly than in the USA.  A 24 bottle case of local beer runs from $30 and up.  Wine is more reasonable and we saw some really cheap ones for $3/bottle.  Most wines were in the $12 & up.  The beers & wines are very good.

We had lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant and shared a bowl of soup and pork/prawn rolls.  The meal was very good and filled us up.   There will be a return trip there in the near future.  Gerry asked some ladies sitting near us about tipping customs.  One lady said a small tip was ok, “but not like YOU do”.  It was said in a friendly manner but she got her point across.

Rachel prepared a nice chicken salad for dinner and we sat around on her balcony chatting until late in the evening.  The view is spectacular with trees nearby and the Sydney skyline in the background.   We could be content to sit here for a while.

Downtown Sydney

Rachel prepared a very nice dinner with smoked salmon.  She also surprised us with  a nut roll for dessert.  Gerry used to make a  similar one but finds it impossible to do in the motor home. It stirred up our taste buds.

Wednesday Feb 10, 2016
Gerry’s cousin Mike (Rachel’s father) came by today and drove us to Wollongong to show us some sites.  It was an hour drive through Sydney suburbs and finally into the countryside.   There are huge bluffs near Wollongong & we stopped at Sublime Point Lookout to enjoy the view overlooking Wollongong & the ocean.  The lookout was about 1200 ft above the city.

Mike & Gerry

Wollongong, NSW, Australia 

Mike wanted to take us to a seafood restaurant but there weren’t any parking spaces within walking distance.  On to plan B.  We drove all over the city enjoying the views of the parks, homes, etc.  We wound up at the Bullis Workers Club for lunch & drinks.   They have bar area with 6-7 dart boards, dance floor & a large snooker table.  We sat there enjoying our drinks and then went into the dining area.  There was a counter where you ordered the food & paid for it when it was ready a waitress delivered  the meals.  The food was quite good and reasonably priced.

We the rode back to Mikes home where he and Angela raised their family.  It was a very interesting & nice home.   He had flowers & shrubs in the yard & looked nice.  Mike prepared a nice meal and Gerry & he discussed family genealogy.  Both of their ancestors came from Croatia & Mike still has relatives there including a  brother.   By this time it was so getting late & Mike had a hour plus round trip ahead of him driving us back to Rachel’s apt.

Mike's backyard

We had a great day with him and saway a lot of the area that regular  tourists would have missed.   We were tired and slept very good that night.