We've been looking forward to Sarah (my friend from University) and John's visit for some time, it's about the only date I've had scheduled in my calendar since March (not long after we moved to Sydney!) When they arrived on Thursday evening we went for a stroll in our local harbour-side park, then dinner at the pub. They had spent the last couple of days in Hunter Valley – a beautiful wine region just north of Sydney. From the number of stories they already had (including hot-air ballooning and climbing the harbour bridge) it sounded like they had already been on holiday for ages! Our local pub that we took them to is one of Aaron's favourite places to eat near here because they have a $10 deal for steak, salad and chips. However we didn't linger there too long after dinner because they started setting up for 'Tranny bingo'! On Friday, while Aaron was at work, Sarah, John and I headed over to Taronga zoo to meet some koalas. I'd heard a lot about...

Conversations with Richard Fidler is an Australian radio program that frequently finds its way on to my podcast list. Conversations is a daily broadcast that operates in a interview format. Richard Fidler is a warm and  engaging host. When he sits down with his guest for an hour long chat it feels more like they're in his living room rather than a recording studio. He interviewees cover a broad spectrum of Australian society. There was an octogenarian who immigrated from Ireland when she was a girl and became a school teacher at a Quaker school in the outback. A trio of driving school instructors confirmed for me that Sydney drivers are in fact terrible and it's not just my imagination. He guests range from farther afield as well. He had a chat with the Dalai Lama not to long ago. I like Fidler because he takes an active interest in a person's experiences regardless of their station in society. Conversations has been off the air for the past couple of months as Richard Fi...

Spring is here and its warmed up enough for a swim. Here's a pic of Redleaf pool near where we live.  And here's one in focus As you can see Redleaf pool is not so much a pool as a fenced off section of beach. No sharks allowed. Jean taking a breather on the steps out On the walk home

The stonefish is highly venomous, secreting neurotoxins from the glands at the base of it's dorsal fins. It is found off the coast of Australia but luckily we encountered this one at the Oceanworld aquarium in Manly.

Reaching Australia in the 19th century your first port of call would have been the quarantine station located on heavily wooded peninsula guarding the mouth of Sydney Harbor. The quarantine station continued to be expanded upon into the 20th century. In the 1930s it was converted into a military base forming an integral part of the harbors defense system. North head went on to become a national park and it and Manly beach are popular destinations for tourists and surfers. Shelley Beach and North Head taken from Manly Beach Strange coincidence Surfers off of North Head It used to be that the Parade Ground could not be crossed except during official ceremonies and parades. Another strange coincidence. Ned Kelly was an infamous bush ranger and outlaw. Most of the deaths at the quarantine station were attributed to bubonic plague. The view from North Head has probably changed a bit since the 19th century

The Coast track is a 26 kilometer (~16 mile) hiking trail through the Royal National Park to the south of Sydney. For most of its course the track follows the undulating coastline skirting around sheer cliffs and crossing sandy white beaches. Most people spend two or three days on the trail over-nighting at a primitive camping ground along the way. We finished packing up Friday morning. Friends and colleagues had come through in loaning us the camping gear we lacked including: a tent, a backpack, and sleeping pads. I sewed up a fleece blanket to serve as a sleeping bag and prepared some backpacking snacks. We took the train an hour south to the beach side suburb of Cronulla. From there we caught a ferry across Gunnamatta Bay to the village of Bundeena that lies on the outskirts of the Royal National Park. We set up camp at the Bonnie Vale camp site just outside of town and then spent the afternoon hiking around the area. On our walk we came across a red-bellied black snake stal...