Day 1 - Trip to Australia

We left for the airport at 6:30pm on Sunday, December 21st. We were taking an overnight flight to Sydney. The kids were really excited to embark on our Australian adventure & they were also excited to have their friends joining us. The Rockett’s, Dave also works for GM China, decided to come along after hearing about the trip & looking for a place to go for the 2 week break. They have 3 children, Matthew 12, Adam 11, & Renee 6.


Justin, Renee, Amanda - Denise in the back


Dave, Ron, Tanner, Adam & Matthew (white shirt)

We were hoping that the kids would get a bit of rest on the flight as we were landing in the morning & heading out to do some sight seeing. Happy to report, the kids did great!!! Justin & Amanda slept pretty well & our usual non-flight sleeper Tanner managed to get about 2 hours rest. Even with little sleep the kids kept up once we landed.
The flight was 11 hours long, the food was disgusting but the ride was smooth. The weather in Sydney was a nice change from Shanghai – warm, blue skies & NO funky smells around!!
After checking into our hotel we headed to Darling Harbour to look around & get a bite to eat. The area was beautiful with lots of shops & places to eat. After taking in the sites for a bit, we decided to head to Target to SHOP!!!



However, once arriving & taking a look around, I was greatly disappointed….. It was not like the good ‘ol USA Target. The clothing selection was not all that good, they did not have a HABA section (which meant I could not stock up on the toiletries I am running low on) & the toy section was very slim. What a HUGE disappointment :( I guess I will be waiting until I get to the USA this summer – I might just set up all our meetings/playdates at Target as I may be there our whole trip home!!!
For dinner we had reservations at Phillips Foote (a restaurant known for their good steaks), a recommendation from a friend who used to live in Sydney. At this restaurant you grill your own steaks – kind of like a buffet because you pick your meat, then salad, potatoes, bread, sides – but then you have to grill your own steak. Ron did an excellent job at grilling.
The day was long but the kids did great, even after the disappointment at Target! Tomorrow will be a full day of exploring!

Quick Update

Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!!!!

No, we have not forgotten about our fellow bloggers while in Australia. Our hotel in Sydney did not have internet included in the room price & the cost to get on-line was extremely expensive. We figured we could get online in Cairns but luck was not on our side. The hotel in Cairns did have internet service and the cost was reasonable, but the service was not working the entire time we were there, as due to the holidays they weren’t working too hard to try to get it fixed. We feel so out of touch with everyone!
We had a great trip and we will begin our blog updates soon – stay tuned!!!

What happens when your driver has a blow-out?

Justin's Soccer

Justin played soccer this Fall for the local expat team. Soccer is called football over here which can be a bit confusing when talking with others. In your mind you have to process who you are talking to & determine if the football they are talking about is what we call football or what the Europeans call football - especially since an American football program was started here 2 years ago. Keeps you on your 'mental' toes!! Justin's team consisted of 8-10 year olds. He was on the younger side but definitely held his own. Leagues here are very lax - practices run for 1 1/2 hours, which is optional & the games are held on Saturday's. Ron was the coach for the Saturday games but with a lax system, he never knew who was going to show up & usually had only 5 players at any given game - which meant he had to 'steal' other players from the opponents team. Even with the craziness, Justin's team (Racing) came in 2nd place!!!

Tanner's Soccer

Tanner decided to play soccer for his Middle School team. They practiced 1 day a week & had games on Thursday's. Tanner sadly seems to have the knack of being on the loosing team. His team lost every game..........except for the last 2 games which were played on the same day!!!! What a good way to end the season!!


Tanner is #53 - almost as tall as his coach (the one with the hood on)!!!




His team, which consisted of 5th & 6th graders

Walk Along the Canal

On another warm day we decided to take a walk along the canal. The kids love going on these paths as you can run wild. The path is always free of crowds which gives the kids plenty of room to run. During the walks you can always see some beautiful flowers, locals doing some sort of tai chi, locals fishing or even playing a musical instrument. People here seem to feel at ease doing whatever they want, with or without a crowd!


We are free!!!!!!!!!






Local entertainment - and it's free


A house boat

Turtles

Before we moved (I'll tell you more about that in a minute...), we took a walk along the river behind our place. The kids like going on this walk because you never know what the locals have caught. This time, it was turtles - lots of turtles in different sizes! The locals spend hours trying to catch stuff from the river, which in turn they sell.


The nets they use - all handmade!!!

The locals catch for the day

Don't you want a pet turtle???

Don't they look so cuddly?????

So tiny - surprised they didn't fall through the net

About the move......We had discovered, through a lot of PI work on my behalf, that our subdivision had a lot of break-ins. When this was brought to GM's attention, they advised us that we should move out. After much looking around & a bunch of frustrating moments, we found a new place. We moved into a penthouse apartment. The apartment complex is in a great location - walking distance to the kids school, sports, restaurants, friends. The apartment is older & has a few quirks but we love the size (3 floors with more space than I know what to do with) & the location trumps all the quirks. If I have you intrigued, come visit!!! :)