Saturdays in Sydney

Since Amy has been working so much in order for us to survive and for me to get my degree, I try to make sure my Saturday is free from working and studying so we can do something fun together.  Here are a few pics of what we have been doing.  It will definitely be hard to move back to a land locked state.

We went to downtown Sydney and had a picnic in Hyde Park.  It is a massive park in the heart of the CBD (Central Business District) with huge trees that form a canopy.  This spot has become a favorite for Amy and I to hang out.

If you are a chess master you can take on one of these guys on the gigantic chess board in Hyde Park but you better bring your A game or you will be embarrassed in a matter of seconds.

There are walkways all around the water in Sydney.  This one is in the suburb of Glebe near our friend Maz's place.  An apartment right behind me will run you a cool $2.5 million but the view might be worth the money.
We are now in the middle of winter and most people have hung up their board shorts but a few diehards are still out getting a little sun and why not when it is still 75 degrees out.  Amy and I took a picnic lunch and watched the surfers.
Not even the dead of winter can thwart the speedo.  We have just accepted the fact that if you are in Australia and you are a male over 50 then the speedo is required.  Like it or not it is as much a part of Australia as kangaroos or koalas.

I have come to accept a man with a speedo, I don't like it but I accept it.  I did get really nervous when I saw a speedo without a man but by the grace of God we didn't see the man without the speedo, cause that could really ruin a picnic!

48 Hours in Canberra

We spent last weekend in Canberra, the capital city of Australia.  Canberra is a unique city in Australia because it is an entirely planned city which means that a long time ago when Australians were deciding what city would be their capital they couldn't agree on Sydney or Melbourne so they built an entire new city in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne--Canberra.  

We went to Canberra with our friends Mark and Claire.  They were headed there to celebrate the 21st birthday of Lydia, Claire's sister.  Lydia was devastated when Damon told her Canberra was designed by an American architect.  Don't worry Lydia, I am sure he was really an Aussie at heart!  We enjoyed spending time with Claire's family, worshipping with the church there and seeing the sights of this nation's capital.  Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Parliament House

Claire, myself and Lydia in the House of Representatives.

Posing at the Parliament

Australian War Memorial

VERY large sheep on the side of the road--I don't know why.

Visitors

After time in New Zealand, Darci and Katy made a stop in Sydney to visit us last weekend.  It was SO good to see friends from home.  We had a great time showing them around Sydney. Here are some highlights of our time together:

Petting kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park

Darci and Katy with the sleeping koala

Kangaroo and joey too!

Damon's favorite--the Tasmanian Devil, he was running around and around in circles

Group shot

Fish and chips at Doyles in Watsons Bay

Bluff in Watsons Bay

We saw whales!

Pic from our walk halfway across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Opera House at night

Watson's Bay (sorry this one got out of order)

On our walk from Tamarama to Bondi beach

Near Tamarama beach

Katy and Darci at Bondi

Dinner at Pancakes on the Rocks

We did a lot of sightseeing, eating and shopping.  Thank you guys for coming to visit us.