Australia
December 2010
G'day from Down under!
Connor and I arrive Sydney December 17th joining Brendan and Ann aboard Blaze. We spent the day acclimating and walking about. Blaze is in d'Abora Marina on Rushcutters Bay just east of Sydney. Sam and Lauren arrive late the next nite from London. Got out just before the big snow storm!
Next am I off with the boys to Uluru (Ayers Rock) located smack in the middle of this gigantic continent. Uluru is a huge red monolith erupting from a flat arid desert. It is one of the natural wonders of the world. That nite we have dinner at the Sound of Silence. It is dining "experience" set up in the brush facing Ayers Rock. We are dining as we watch the changing hues as the sun set. Quite a wonderful setting. Uluru is a red rock geological formation set in the middle of a flat,arid desert. We tour the rock one morning before bit the sweltering heat. There are hieroglyphics on the rock walls. The shapes depict the people, wildlife, and the celestial significance in their lives. The desert has had record rainfall the past few month. The landscape has some green vegetation and small flowers. These appear once in every 8-10 years! Only sections of Uluru are open to the public. The rest is sacred ground owned by the Aborigines. Nearby are the Olga's. There are 36 dome type rocks with steep valleys plunging to the earth. We hiked one of the trails through the immense gorges. A trekkers dream!
Back to Blaze with Peter and Whitney arriving to complete our family. We spent time walking around Sydney. It is a young, modern city. There are stunning views of the infamous Opera House, the Sydney Bridge, Circular Key and all the water along the city. It is a busy harbor with ferries, tourist boats, water taxis, sail and power boats, helicopters and sea planes. The sailboat races are each evening just outside the main harbor. We took the infamous bridge climb and are happy to report everyone survived. (Thank you Nikey and Gene). We managed to tour Circular Key, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach, the Rocks and did some Christmas shopping in downtown. Sydney is heading to the top of our favorite city experiences. On Christmas Eve we went to a show at the Opera House. Just being inside this unique structure was an event in itself. The Great Christmas Caper was part Opera, story telling, Christmas choir, comedy and Santa all rolled into one. The sounds of the opera voices made vibrated through our bones! Later, Christmas Eve Service at St Mary's Cathedral ( a stunning Church). Then back to Blaze for dinner. Christmas morning it was coffee, mimosas and presents! It was a gift to have our entire family together for Christmas. And to think we arrived from Seattle, San Francisco, Arley Beach, OZ and London!
Dec 26th is Boxing Day for OZies' and more important the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race. A 680 mile race that heads south towards Bass Straits. This area is notorious for high winds. Many boats are forced to pull out each year.
We took Blaze out to the first tac on the race course. The first class to start were the Maxis. These are large, sleek, spendy racing boats. (Think Amerca's Cup). The start looks like a massive curtain of huge sails moving toward us. The yachts are so close together you could jump from one to the other. A lot of yelling and screaming occurs as they battle to take the lead. There were boat names like Wild Oats, Secret Men's Business, Wild Thing and Vixen. A radio
We took Blaze out to the first tac on the race course. The first class to start were the Maxis. These are large, sleek, spendy racing boats. (Think Amerca's Cup). The start looks like a massive curtain of huge sails moving toward us. The yachts are so close together you could jump from one to the other. A lot of yelling and screaming occurs as they battle to take the lead. There were boat names like Wild Oats, Secret Men's Business, Wild Thing and Vixen.
Sitting on the "sidelines" are hundreds of boats all jockeying for the best view along the race course. We are all bobbing up and down trying to avoid collision. Peter is remembering his racing days. I know he would love to be aboard one of these racing machines.
After our city experience we sailed north to Pittwater. A scenic sailing area with many waterways. Reminiscent of the San Juans. You could spend months exploring. The wind and warm weather were perfect. Great kayaking and swimming. Our time flew by and suddenly it was time to head back. On our approach Sydney we sailed between the Heads. We had a fabulous view of the Sydney skyline. Truly impressive. Our time in Sydney has exceeded our expectations. This may be because we shared it with our family. We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! May your lives be filled with good health, happiness and love in 2011!!
