Steve's Skydive!

     A couple of days after we arrived in Windang, Steve and I took the bus to the beach at North Wollongong because I wanted to check out a weekly French conversation group that meets at a restaurant there. Right next to The Lagoon restaurant we saw a business called Skydive Australia, and pretty soon we started seeing groups of people gently drifting down in parachutes and landing in a large field right near us. Later that day we also saw skydivers landing in the sand right behind the restaurant.
     Steve had an epiphany:  "I'm going to do it!" Even though skydiving had not been on his bucket list, he suddenly realized, "If not now, when?" and "Why not?" He thought of his mother who had waited and waited to do so many things in retirement, but died just before turning 65 and never got to do them. He thought of our dear friend Tom who recently passed away after a rich and full life. Steve asked himself, "What would Tom do?" And Steve heard Tom's voice answer: "JUMP!" And Steve even thought of recently deceased George H.W. Bush who had gone skydiving for the first time on his 80th birthday. Steve called and made his skyjump reservation.
     Tuesday, December 4 at 9:00 AM was the time. The morning was cool and overcast as we took the bus into Wollongong. We were the first to arrive at Skydive Australia and waited for them to open. After signing all those legal waiver and disclaimer forms, Steve was suiting up and getting into his harness.





The yellow fanny pack contains a life jacket -- just in case of a water landing!

Harnessing up.

     Then there was a brief group instruction on what positions to assume when leaving the plane, freefalling, and landing. Steve met his guide, Tony -- the guy whom (we thought) would literally have Steve's life in his hands. (There would later be a slight change of plans.) Everyone jumps in tandem with an instructor, with the instructor harnessed behind the student.

     At last it was time to get on the bus that would take Steve and his group to the airport about 20 minutes away for their one-way plane ride to 15,000 feet and their rendezvous with the sky! 

Practicing what to do when leaving the plane.

With first instructor Tony (the plans would change...)

Boarding the bus to the airport. 

     Even though Steve was the very first to arrive that morning, he somehow ended up getting scheduled in the second skydiving group. This ended up making for a very long morning.
     The first group took off in the plane and a while later I watched them land on the sand. Just as they were landing, the weather turned more threatening and it began to rain. We had hoped Steve's group would get to jump before the rain got bad, but it was not to be. Soon it was pouring and Steve's group was grounded indefinitely at the airport. After a good hour's wait, the weather started to lift. I checked in at the office and it looked like Steve's group would be jumping soon.
     But, then I was informed that Steve and been bumped to group #3. Apparently, with the changing weather conditions the plane needed more fuel and that meant less weight left for passengers. Someone had to be bumped, and as Steve was skydiving by himself and everyone else was with a partner, he was chosen. Sigh... More waiting...
     But eventually at around 1:00 PM, Steve was finally on the plane and ready to go. In the meantime, there was a change of instructors for him. Now instead of Tony, Steve would be jumping with Scott. Through all the waiting and the frustrations of being bumped twice, Steve never once thought of quitting. 
     Take a look at some of these amazing GoPro photos Scott was able to take of their experience. Due to the changing weather conditions, Steve's group would be landing on the grass field, not the sand.

Walking to the plane.

On the plane with Scott.

At the plane door.

Ready to JUMP!

 

 

 

FREEFALL!

 

Looking down on North Wollongong Beach.

Landing!

Mission Accomplished at 74!!!
 

 





This & That...

     Last Saturday, December 1, Andrea, Adam, Olivia, and Owen drove down to Windang from Sydney for the day. The weather was perfect so that meant BEACH DAY!!!

Lunch at Oh Dang! café in Windang

     Later on, after dinner at the Windang Club, it was time to walk back to the car and head home to Sydney. After playing at the beach all afternoon, I'm pretty sure Olivia and Owen slept the whole way home.

     Golf was the order of the day on Monday - just a 3 kilometer bike ride away at the Port Kembla Golf Club.

     Check out this warning sign at the golf course. Luckily, we didn't spot any slitherers. (Or any kangaroos, emus, or koalas for that matter.)

 

     Tuesday was Steve's SKYDIVING DAY!!! I'll describe that very soon in another, special post.
     On Wednesday, after my French conversation group in North Wollongong, Steve and I took the train up to Sydney. Our mission was to take Owen and Olivia swimming at their neighborhood pool to help them learn how to swim. With Andrea we made three adults and two kids, so it was easy to give Olivia and Owen lots of individual attention. While they are not quite swimming yet, both kids loved being in the water and seemed unafraid of putting their heads underwater or even jumping into water over their heads if we were there to catch them. We'll definitely be taking back them to the pool, and I think they'll be swimming very soon. Afterwards we went straight from the pool for Mexican food. Both kids were starving!
     On Thursday morning, it was time to walk Owen and Olivia to Sunshine Kids daycare before Steve and I boarded the train back south.

     But before returning to Windang, we met up with friends Jan and Bob in Wollongong. On several previous trips to Australia, Steve and I housesat for Jan and Bob while they were vacationing. They live in Maianbar, a lovely area south of Sydney near Cronulla. It was great to see Jan and Bob again and we enjoyed catching up over a yummy lunch at a beach café in North Wollongong. Steve noticed this anatomically correct bathroom sign at the café...

     Bob and Jan's son, Simon, and his wife Camille are good friends with Andrea and Adam. Simon and Camille currently live in Portland, Oregon and have a 15-month old daughter named Holly. Starting next week, Simon, Camille, and Holly will be in Australia for the holidays, and so we are hoping to all get together -- grandparents, kids, and grandkids -- while everyone is in country.
     Meanwhile, today is a catch-up day for me in Windang and Steve is off golfing. Stay tuned for photos from Steve's big skydive!

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!