Alot has happened since we left Singapore! When we went to board the plane from Singapore to Sydney, we were bumped to "business class." Excited at this upgrade, we had yet to realize what this all entailed... Seats large enough for 3 people, big 20 inch tv screens, white table cloths for all of our meals, and a high class menu designed by chefs such as Gordon Ramsay! Of course we had to start our high-class trip with a cheers to a glass of free champagne!!
We arrived in Sydney on time and everything was working on our side. We were among the first off the plane and therefore the first through customs. As we rolled through customs, our luggage was right there waiting for us. Security had no issues, and Crocs were on the other side waiting for us to purchase! Melissa and Jeri were there to greet us, and we went back to Melissa's house to settle in and picked up some sushi for supper. The rest of the night was pretty chill.
Got up early Friday morning and the four of us girls went for a nice long run in the beautiful weather! Afterwards, we caught a bus to Sydney central to do the touristy-stuff, like check out the Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Had a picnic in the park, and then caught the ferry into Manly to check out the scenery and have a tasty low-carb beer on the rooftop patio overlooking the ocean. Later that night, we went back to Manly for a night out on the town. We started at the Wharf bar, and ended up dancing to a live band at the Steyne.
Saturday, we slept in a bit and then went on a 10k hike from the Spit bridge to Manly. We were expecting a nice scenic stroll, and were surprised that it was really a 10k hike up and down through lots of rolling hills and lizards. That evening, we went to a 30th birthday party at a surf club on the beach. $2 and free food! By the end of the night, we were begging the bartenders to let us jump in the canoe that was made into the bar and drinking beer straight from the tap.
Sunday was our long-awaited beach day. We headed up to Palm Springs beach, and soaked up the sun and had a few swims in the ocean. We ended today with $10 pizza and beers at an ocean side pub called the Surf Rock. It was an early night as today we woke up very early to drive to the Blue Mountains. We went for several hikes around the area and even walked up 1km of stairs up the side of a mountain! We rode the train with the world's steepest decline, and took many pictures of the scenery. Today is another early night as we have to wake up by 4am tomorrow to catch our bus to the Surf Camp. The weather has been great so far, and we're having a fantastic time! We miss you all and will have an update soon!
Love, Kristin and Tanis.
