December in Windang

     Yikes, here in Australia it's already December 1st! Thanksgiving came and went for us without any turkey. But we'll make up for that next year. In the meantime, Steve and I have been having fun in all kinds of crazy weather.
     Last Saturday (November 24) Steve and I headed up to Sydney for the twins' Christmas Concert. It was a picnic in the park!(What a difference a hemisphere makes!)

Andrea, Owen, Steve

 



     Sunday afternoon was gardening time.

Olivia found a snail.

     After returning to Windang, Steve and I decided to spend two nights down in lovely Kiama. Steve had found a great cabin directly overlooking the ocean and a beautiful natural rock pool. It seemed perfect for doing all the things we wanted -- swimming, hiking, and BBQing. Plus, we had heard the nearby town of Berry was a must see, so we planned to go there as well.
     But Mother Nature had other ideas. On Tuesday afternoon when we arrived in Kiama the weather was breezy and cool, but pleasant. We settled into our cabin, did a bit of shopping, and called it good. The next day we had big plans...
     But on Wednesday, the worst storm of the year hit New South Wales. Sydney got the brunt of it, with tons of flooding and the airport mostly shut down. For our part, Steve and I were pretty much stranded in our cabin with a deck of playing cards. The few times we did venture out, we got soaked. But at least we had a dryer to get our sodden clothes dry again. It seems we had picked the worst possible time to go. Oh well... As Kiama isn't very far by train, we might still try a day trip before we leave. (These pictures don't to justice to just how miserable it was!)

     When it isn't storming around here -- rain and/or wind -- Steve and I are really enjoying having bicycles at our disposal. It's nice and flat here by the beach with a great bike trail along parts of Lake Illawarra. Having not biked for a few years, it's a bit hard on our butts, but otherwise great. The Pacific Ocean is less than five minutes away!

 

     On a typical evening's walk, here is some of the birdlife we see...

     Yesterday, our Airbnb host, Alan, generously drove us to the Illawarra Rainforest where there is a canopy walk through the mostly eucalyptus trees. After the recent deluge, the forest was especially fresh and green. The word "Illawarra" means "high place near the sea."

     Today (Saturday) Andrea, Adam, Owen, and Olivia are coming down for a visit. The weather is perfect and we hope to have a great time playing on the beach, etc. Pictures to follow soon!
     Speaking of Olivia, she just lost her first tooth! It was super loose when we saw her last Sunday. The next day it fell out while she was at preschool. Take a look at her gap, and at the note she wrote to the tooth fairy!

A Week in Windang

     Today is one week since we moved into our Airbnb in Windang, New South Wales. To go to Newtown to see the family, we take a local bus to Wollongong, then a train into Sydney. If we make good connections, it takes about 1.5 hours. Here's a little map to show you where we are situated. Sydney is about one hour north of Wollongong by train.

     What we love about Windang is how quiet, tranquil, and mostly undiscovered it is. Steve feels like he's back in a Southern California beach community in the 1950s. If we walk out to the beach (just 5 minutes away), there is nobody on it! If we have dinner at the local Bowling Club it costs <$10 Australian each! (Steak night is Mondays, schnitzel night is Wednesday, and so on...) Plus, our wonderful Airbnb hosts have already loaned us their bicycles, so we can get around just about everywhere now.
     On Saturday morning, Steve and I took the bus north to N. Wollongong because we wanted to try the local French club that meets there weekly. I've since signed up for an advanced French conversation group that meets at the same café on Tuesday mornings. Led by Céline, I'll be joining the group next week.
     Next, we checked out the skydiving business right by the beach where you can jump out of plane in tandem with a pro and experience parachuting. As we watched many of the tandem pairs land safely and softly either on soft sand or grass, it didn't look that scary any more. Steve decided he's definitely going to try it! And I'm considering it (something I would never have imagined myself saying). We shall see...

     Sunday evening Steve and I took a leisurely stroll across the bridge that spans Lake Illawarra (5 minutes from our apartment). We then followed a lovely pedestrian/bicycle path  south along the lake to the next town of Warilla. After asking around, we learned that Warilla had its own Bowling Club that is even bigger than Windang's. So we decided to have dinner there and compare clubs. While Warilla's club is definitely much bigger, we think the food is better at Windang. But the casino in Warilla was much larger, and it easily took too much of my money. So done with gambling for now!
     On Monday, Steve and I decided to revisit the charming town of Kiama about 30 km south of Windang. We caught the local bus to the town of Oak Flats, then boarded the southbound train for just a few stops. The weather was perfect, and Kiama was just as beautiful as we remembered when we first visited there in 2006.

     As we wandered along the beach, we came across the local swimming hole/lagoon we had seen years before -- connected to the Pacific Ocean but protected.

     Steve took one look at my face when I saw the swimming hole and decided to seize the opportunity at once. He found a charming beach cottage for rent right above and decided to rent it for us for a couple of nights next week! Then we strolled through the town until we found the local "Salvo" (Salvation Army) and I bought two used bathing suits for a total of $14.00 AU. I now have a three bathing suits -- one each for morning, noon, and night!
     By Tuesday it was time for our return trip to Sydney to visit Olivia and Owen. Our kind Airbnb host Alan generously offered to drive us to Wollongong where we could catch the Sydney train. Once in Newtown, we picked Owen and Olivia up from pre-school. Then Steve treated everyone to dinner at the Carlisle Pub directly across the street from Andrea and Adam's house. After dinner it was bath and bedtime for the kids, while Steve and I went gelato exploring in Newtown. Yum!
     Wednesday morning began with grand-twin breakfast.

    After Adam left to work, Andrea, Olivia, Owen, Steve, and I headed into Sydney for a day of play. The kids chose the Australian Museum as our destination. It did not disappoint!

     As we made our way back to the train in downtown Sydney, we said hello to Captain James Cook. We had all enjoyed our day on the town!

   

On to Sydney and Windang...

     Steve and I flew to Sydney from Auckland on Monday, November 12. We spent a few days in Newtown with Andrea, Adam, Owen, and Olivia enjoying some great family time. See what our five-year-old grand-twins look like!

 

     Olivia and Owen are now in pre-school, and in January they will be starting kindergarten! They commute to and from pre-school on their scooters. They are getting so grown up!

     Back in New Zealand Steve developed an infection on the underside of his tongue and it wasn't getting any better with over-the-counter medication. So Andrea arranged for him to visit her doctor. Steve was able to be seen the same day we arrived. Dr. Chin prescribed a steroid medication and we went next door to pick it up instantly. Within minutes Steve was on the mend. The total cost for foreigners like us? Around $60. Another example of excellent and affordable medical care outside the US.

     On Thursday, November 15 it was time for Steve and me to head down to our Airbnb in the tiny down of Windang on the coast about 1.5 hours south of Sydney. As Andrea had the day off, she joined us. We took the train from Newtown to Central Station, and then a second train south to Wollongong. We were planning to take a taxi or an Uber from the train station to our Airbnb, but lo and behold our Airbnb host Alan surprised us and was waiting at the train station for us. What hospitality!

    Our rental is small but very cozy, clean, and perfect for us. It's a 5-minute walk to either the Pacific Ocean or Lake Illawarra. Can't beat that! We're looking forward to getting the Sydney folks down here for some fun in the sun.

 

     The birdlife here is a bit different too...

 

     Steve and I have also checked out two different bowling clubs -- one here in Windang and one in the nearby community of Warilla. The bowling refers to outdoor lawn bowling, that's very popular here. But the clubs offer much more than bowling. They have restaurants, bars, live entertainment, and casinos. Sometimes they also have gyms, and hotel accommodations. Plus, they love to have meat raffles -- where the lucky winners get to take home huge platters of, well, meat.

 

     Since arriving in Windang we've been learning the local bus routes, as we are once again carless. On Friday we headed south to the nearby town of Shellharbour for a good look-see and to pick up a few needed household items -- like a coffee maker. On Saturday we headed north to Wollongong to check out the local French club that meets weekly at a local restaurant right by the beach. Along the way we saw skydivers, surfers, and loads of people swimming in the Pacific. Ah, springtime in November!

    And today, Sunday, started with the annual Illawarra Truck Convoy. Now in its 14th year, this massive parade raises millions of dollars to help families facing life-threatening illnesses. Our little town of Windang is right along the parade route. Hundreds of motorcycles started off the convoy and were followed by hundreds of trucks. We stayed for a good 1.5 hours, and it's still going on now!

     As it's another beautiful day in paradise, it's time for us to head out for a little more exploring. Until next time!



Last Stop - Auckland

     Our 15-day New Zealand tour finally comes to an end in Auckland, by far the biggest city in New Zealand at just over 1.5 million people. As the city is situated on a narrow isthmus of land, it has two harbors -- one that flows into the Pacific Ocean (on the west), and a second harbor that flows into the Tasman Sea (on the east).
     Upon arriving here yesterday afternoon, our tour guide David took us on a city sighting tour during which we saw breathtaking views and also smelled the roses.

 

     Then it was time to say goodbye to our luxurious coach that had been our steady companion for these past two weeks.

 

     Next we went to the top of Auckland's iconic Sky Tower, which opened in 1997. Standing 1,076 feet tall, it makes the 605-foot Seattle Space Needle seem rather puny by contrast. From the upper observation deck we could watch people wearing orange jumpsuits, strapped to harnesses walking around a windy outside deck. That's called the "skywalk." There is also the "skyjump," a bit like bungy jumping, which entails stepping off a 636-foot high platform and hurtling down to the street level. You won't be surprised to learn that neither option tempted us. Here is what it looked like to stand on a see-through plexiglass panel on the 722-foot high observation deck. That was enough for us!

Eeks!
 

     Last night was our farewell dinner at our hotel at which we said a fond goodbye to David and our traveling companions. This morning was a much awaited sleep-in, followed by doing laundry, and some leisurely strolling around the downtown area and waterfront.

Good-bye for now New Zealand!

     Early tomorrow morning we fly to Sydney to be with Adam, Andrea, Owen, and Olivia for a leisurely two-month visit in Australia. Kia Ora New Zealand!