Here are some phrases and terms Jean and I have picked up on here Australia Phraseology G'day : Hello, hey, good day, good morrow to you, salutations, greetings G'day is not just for Crocodile Dundee. Normal people, not wielding large knives, say it all the time. It's also one of the phrases I find almost impossible to say without trying to emulate an Australian accent. How are you going? : How are you? How are things going? What's up? What's happening? Que pasa? "On foot probably." Australians as a whole don't think this response is funny. How are you traveling? : See how are you going?  No worries : No problem, don't worry about it, you're welcome, hakuna matata I think you absorb this phrase into your speech as you step onto the continent. I almost have to force myself not to say it now. No drama(s) : See no worries. Throw "no dramas" into your Australian vernacular for a little variety Too easy : Good, that's...

Now, that's a big flag

Last week we got an email from my sister with the following subject header: I'm coming to Sydney!!!...for four hours‏ Meredith, who is currently living in China, did say she was going to find a way to come see us in Australia. And when my sister says she's going to meet you in some far flung corner of the globe I've discovered it's a good idea to believe her (See also Georgia [twice], India , and China) . In her email she explained that she would be helping organize a food and wine festival and Fiji and would have a 4 hour layover Monday morning in Sydney en route to the island. I got the day off and rolled up to the arrival gate just about when her plane was touching down. First, I finished the chapter I had been reading on the train to the airport. Then I framed a few shots of the arrival gate. A bored little girl in her red Chinese new year's costume doing gymnastics on the hand rail would be perfect in the background I finally decided. I found a good vantage ...

Only about 8km of hiking today we reassured our visitors...as we gathered at Kings cross station again, about nine thirty in the morning. Failing to elaborate that this distance is not like a stroll through the city, it's a very steep, rocky descent into a valley, with of course a very grueling ascent to return. Not to mention that the temperatures rose to about 38C (100F) that day, luckily Amy and John have been living in Texas for several years, so the heat didn't concern them too much, in fact they and Aaron all denied that it was that hot! Also (from having just walked up those steps yesterday) I can testify that the path from their hotel to the station probably warants being called a hike in itself! Having said that, it was the most amazing day out! We saw some incredible wildlife and were less than an hours train ride from the largest city in Australia. Sometimes this country really does astound me! Echidna After only just entering the park we saw an echidna scuttl...

It was day three of Amy and John's trip to Australia and we were already a man down, however Amy, Aaron and myself soldiered on! We met in the early morning at the train station to travel up to the blue mountains. The journey took about 2 1/2 hours so we settled in, browsed our maps and discussed where to go for our hike. Aaron and I have enjoyed two previous trips to the blue mountains, once we went  for a long weekend in Blackheath (see Aaron's previous blog Warning: Scenic vistas ahead! ) and once for a day trip to Wentworth falls with our friend Linden, who drove there. Another area we debated about visiting was Katoomba, as this is one of the most popular spots to visit. The railway runs right through the blue mountains making many of the trails accessible. Aaron recomended that we go to Blackheath since he and I had thoroughly explored that area, so we knew where the best trails were and how to get to them from the station. He suggested we first hike out to the viewpoint ...

The most grueling three days started with a trip to Manly. We expected the day to be a beautiful ferry ride down Sydney harbour followed by a gentle cycle ride and a day at the beach... (Note: Thanks to Amy for taking these wonderful photos we've posted on the blog, there were so many it was hard to choose.) View from the ferry Amy had thoroughly researched the best places to visit in Sydney and suggested we hire bikes in Manly then cycle up to North Head. Aaron and I had walked around North Head before (see our previous blog The old quarantine station ) and knew that there are amazing views there, so it sounded like a great idea. However having never cycled up there I'd forgotten what an incredibly steep hill the road leading up there is! We made it! - View from North Head looking back on Sydney harbour It was a beautiful day - I've never seen it looking so picturesque with so many sail boats Great photo of John! We're standing on a cliff of a sim...