The Thoes take on Sydney

It was back to reality when we came back to Sydney from Cairns.  Well, semi-reality.  The new apartment was still a mess and we felt some stress from that.  But, there was still a week of school holidays left and Sean's parents were staying in Sydney for that week.  So, we tried to ignore what a disaster area the apartment was and just enjoy life instead.  

The Sunday after returning from Cairns, on April 21st, we took Terry and Margi down into the city to Darling Harbour for the first time.  The kids loved showing Terry and Margi their favorite playground by Darling Harbour.

Carter up at the top of his favorite "tower of lines" (his terminology)

Closeup of Carter at the top

It got chilly by the end of the day when the sun was setting.  I gave the kids my scarf and they were trying to stay warm while we waited for the ferry.

  

Monday, we had to deal with a few things at the new apartment, like getting cable and having our air conditioner maintenanced.  So it was a rest day.  Except for Sean, who had to go to work.  Poor Sean.  Although, he probably needed some time away from all of us at that point.

Tuesday the kids and I took Terry and Margi to Taronga Zoo.  Terry and Margi continued to luck out by having perfect weather.  We love the zoo and we have spent a lot of time there.  There was one thing we had never done before though - the bird show.  As with most of the zoo presentations; it was spectacular.  The huge birds flew right over our heads and it was very entertaining.  And, of course, the view....... 

We made a repeat visit back to Darling Harbour on Wednesday.  Terry and Carter toured the Maritime Museum. Margi and I had coffee and watched Aubrey play at the park.  That was followed by a very scrumptious mid-afternoon dessert sitting out on a balcony at Criniti's, an Italian restaurant.  What can I say?  Sometimes boys need boy time and girls need girl time.  

Margi and I took a Hunter Valley wine tour on Thursday.  Yet again, it was perfect weather.  We went via tour bus from North Sydney to the Hunter Valley Region, which takes about 2 hours.  We then went through wine tastings at 3 different wineries.  These were pretty in-depth tastings.  Someone from each winery sat down with us and went through their entire wine list and discussed food pairings.  They also talked about the history of Hunter Valley and educated us on the process of making the wine.  The tour was fabulous.  The only downside was that when it was over, we had to get back on the bus for the 2 hour ride back to Sydney. 

Looking over the vines at the first winery of the day; Irongate Winery Estate

The cellar door of Irongate Winery Estate.  It was designed to feel like the south of Spain.

Sean was off of work on Thursday because it was Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp Day).  This day is similar to Memorial Day in the US and there were many dawn ceremonies to commemorate the armed forces.  I love the motto of Anzac Day; "lest we forget".  

Sean, Terry, and the kids went out to Sydney Olympic Park for the day.  Sean and the kids went bike riding.  The kids absolutely love to get out and ride their bikes whenever possible.  Unfortunately, living in a busy city, that isn't possible nearly as often as we would like.  I heard there were a few bumps and bruises from bikes falling over (the kids, not Sean), but I think they had a great day.

Aubrey and Carter teaching Papa how to play Skylanders on the Xbox before going biking

We were all back together again for Friday.  I can't believe Terry and Margi had been in Australia almost 3 weeks and we hadn't taken them to Bondi Beach yet!!  Since the six of us cannot all fit into our little Ford Fiesta, we had to take public transport down there.  It only takes about 30-45 minutes to drive there, depending on the traffic.  However, it takes well over an hour on buses.  It was well worth it though.  As it was yet another gorgeous day, Terry and Margi got to see Bondi in all of its splendor. 

Carter at Bondi Beach

A more aerial view of Bondi Beach

The kids had to get their feet wet

Bondi on a beautiful, autumn day

We headed back into the city on Saturday.  We did a little shopping for souvenirs at The Rocks Markets and then hopped on a ferry to Watson's Bay.  I know that I talk a lot about the various fabulous views here in Sydney, but I still think Watson's Bay is in the top 3.  From one side you look over the entire harbour towards the city and from the other side you see cliffs and the seemingly endless ocean.  

The red pin is Watson's Bay

Stunning!

Carter walked with me up to this peak, so he posed for a photo.

The ocean side

We did a quick, final trip to Manly on Sunday.  We had to get back fairly early in the day so that Sean's parents could prepare to fly back to the US on Monday.  It was so lovely to have them here.  I didn't even mention how in this last week of the trip, the kids often stayed the night on an air mattress in their apartment.  It was nice that Sean and I got the luxury of a little more alone time.  Plus, it was so much fun to show our temporary home to loved ones.  Even though I write about this beautiful country and try to show as much as I can through photos, it was so enjoyable to be a "travel guide" and let others actually experience it.  It was a super busy time for us, but we would do it all again in a heartbeat.