Royal National Park

Saturday we drove to the Royal National Park. It is the second oldest national park in the world, after Yellowstone. Once inside the park we drove to Wattamolla. We had a picnic lunch and then walked along the coast. We stopped at a beach that has a large lagoon tucked behind the beach.



There is a stream that is ankle deep which then enters the sea at one end of the beach. It was a beautiful day...lots of sun, although cool and very windy. Ella and Jack had lots of fun playing in the sand. The water was cold, but it didn't stop Jack from rolling up his pants and playing in the water.


All images from day (the batteries died in camera, sorry no pics of Ella! :-(

Royal National Park - Wattamolla Lagoon

This will be my last post of the sights of Australia. I leave Monday to return to the states. I won't have to leave Jill and the kids until I reach San Francisco though. They are coming home as well for a visit. I hope you have enjoyed reading during the last month. I have had an amazing time! I will continue to post with the updates of my life.

At Home In Australia

We've spent the last several days in the apartment trying to get everybody well before our trip home to the U.S. next week. We were very happy today when we saw that the high was 71 F. Everyone is not 100 percent yet, but we thought some fresh air would certainly do us all some good. We went to the park to play chase and ball. Ella and Jack had fun tickling me and throwing grass on me.


Later they had fun playing in their "tent".


And then a little more fun before bed.


If you are one of the grandmothers, grandfathers, or someone that thinks the kids are just so cute you might want to click on the album below to see a few more of the same. Otherwise, you have probably seen enough! Hope you are all feeling well!

At Home in Australia

A Few More Hong Kong Photos

Night Market.

Hong Kong at Night.

Ella and Jack having fun in the hotel room.
Background is view from hotel window.

Ella and I.

Ngong Ping 360

Our last day in Hong Kong was on Wednesday. We had an overnight flight back to Sydney on Wednesday night. Jack got in one last swim that morning while Ella took a nap. All of us then went to the Kowloon train station where we checked in our luggage. Many of the airlines offer this service at this station. They then transport your luggage to the airport...very convenient!

We visited Lantau Island to experience Ngong Ping 360. We took a 25 minute cable car ride to the top of a mountain on the island, to Ngong Ping Village. The Po Lin Monastery is located here and the giant Buddha, the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue. It's 268 steps to the top of the statue. We all climbed them...even the kids!

Ngong Ping 360

Everyone in Australia and in Hong Kong loves to stop and look at Ella and Jack because of their blonde hair. Many of them ask if they can take a picture. This happened when at the top of the Buddha statue. We got a photo as well this time. Ella liked the little girl's bracelet and she gave it to Ella...so sweet!

Stanley Market/ Peak Tram

We went to Stanley Market on Hong Kong Island. It is located on the waterfront. There was a nice promenade next to the market. The view of the sea and hills were beautiful during the drive there. Ella and Jack each picked out a toy. Jack- a motorcycle. Ella- a cell phone, maybe she will leave ours alone now, I somehow doubt it.

Stanley Market

Ella and Jack both enjoyed eating noodles at the restaurant. Jack is pretty good with chopsticks.


That night Jill and I rode the Peak Tram by ourselves. It has been running since 1888and takes passengers up to the Peak. The incline was so steep that buildings looked like they were leaning at a 45 degree angle as we went up the mountain. There are trails for hiking and many shops and restaurants at the top. Jill and I went to the top of the Peak Tower for an amazing view of Hong Kong below. Unfortunately the camera batteries were dying and the pictures aren't the best.

Peak Tram

Hong Kong Fun!

We stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Hong Kong. It is connected to a mall with a large play area for children. Jack and Ella had so much fun playing!

Playground

There was a display of the Olympic Village made out of Legos at the mall.

Olympic Village

The hotel had a very nice pool, which we visited several times.

Hong Kong Pool

There was also a nice area on our floor where breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour were available. It was nice to come back to after a long day of walking around Hong Kong.

Trip to Hong Kong

Jill, Jack, Ella, and I flew together to Hong Kong. Our flight was delayed about 5 hours. We tried to make the best of the situation as we hung out at the Sydney airport.

Sydney Airport

It is a 9 hour flight from Sydney to Hong Kong. Jack was seated next to a lovely lady on the flight, Lilly. He and Ella had a lot of fun with Lilly.

Hong Kong Flight

We were all glad to see Ben at the airport and to get to the hotel, as it was almost 2 a.m. by then!

A Few Pics...

Jack and I have been working on buttoning...the OT in me! He really didn't need any help from me, just a little patience.

Ella loves glasses! Somehow she still had a smile on her face with looking through the lens of my glasses (for those of you that don't know my vision is BAD). Maybe we need to get her eyes checked!

Ella during our breakfast time together.

Ella playing at the mall. She loves to drive the car.

Featherdale Wildlife Park

Today we visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park. The kids hadn't been to this park yet and we all had a great time. We saw wallabys, kangaroos, koala bears, various birds, pelicans, pigs, chickens, you name it! A wallaby got spooked once and ran out under his fence. Jack ran right up to it and started petting it.



The kangaroos were out where we could feed and pet them. We spent a long time there! Ella was a little hesitant about getting this close to them, but Jack had a lot of fun!



We all had our picture taken with a koala bear...so sweet!


Check out the rest of the photos here:

Featherdale Wildlife

We are ending our day with packing for our trip to Hong Kong tomorrow. We will return next Thursday morning. Jack and Ella were helping me pack my suitcase and Ella found the goggles I brought them. The Cheeks family are ready for some hot weather (I'm not so sure I'm ready to return to it yet). Ben is already in Hong Kong and he said it was 95 yesterday. So they are excited about going swimming and wearing their new goggles!

Goggles

I will probably not post again until we return from Hong Kong. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Hi From Australia!

We've had a couple of "normal" days around here. Ella and I have started our mornings like usual, or what has become the usual since about day 3 of me being here. She wakes up and after a little bit makes it known that she is ready to get up (I am sleeping in Jack and Ella's room). We have breakfast together and shortly after the others get up. This didn't start until day 3 because even though I was the one that "saved" her from her bed in the morning, she wasn't sure about me yet at that early hour.

We went to IKEA and the outlet mall yesterday. There wasn't much buying though. Most things are much more expensive here and many of the outlet prices were similar to what we would pay regular price in the U.S.

Today I drove the car for the first time, only for a few miles! This was a big deal because the driving is British style in Australia. Constantly remembering to stay in the left hand lane is one thing, but then you also have to be careful of the cars parked on the left side of the street. I wasn't very observant of the left side of the car or those cars. As my sister repeatedly said, just hug the center line!

A couple of other tidbits: rubbish=trash, bin=trashcan, a sleep=a nap, buscuit=cookie, morning/afternoon tea=snack for the kids (or anyone).

Touring Sydney and Bondi Beach

Jill and I spent the day in Sydney and Bondi Beach. We took the Ferry to Darling Harbour and walked along the water to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. The pavilions, waterfalls, and landscaping were beautiful. It is a peaceful garden in the middle of an otherwise busy city.

Chinese Garden of Friendship

Our next stop was Chinatown. We made a brief stop in the many stores. We probably would have spent a little more time here if we weren't going to Hong Kong on Saturday.



We then took the train to Bondi Beach, one of Australia's most famous beaches. There are many outside cafes and restaurants and shops, like most beaches that you have been to. But I especially liked the rocks along the coast of this beach. We walked/ climbed along the cliffs. It was a beautiful day and the water looked amazing. There were many surfers out enjoying the water. Although the sun was out it was very windy and cool by the water....60F for all of you in the Northern Hemisphere. I am not wishing for 100 degree temperatures but you do have to put on many layers here to to make sure you are prepared for the cool and few warm moments of the day.

Bondi Beach

A Day at Breakfast Point

Sunday started off with mass at St. Patrick's Church. The church is charming. It is just a short 15 minute walk (with children in tow) from the apartment. Ella insisted on walking versus being carried so Jack, being the good big brother he is, took the opportunity to teach her how to walk on the sidewalk....she'll need a little more practice!

We decided to spend the day at Breakfast Point, where Jill and her family live. It is a development west of Sydney with homes, specialty shops, grocery store, cafe, etc. The property is on the Parramatta River, which flows into the Sydney Harbour. This is where we get on the ferry when going into Sydney. We packed a lunch and spent the afternoon at Silkstone Park. The kids enjoyed playing tag with Jill. Ella thought she was big enough to ride Jack's bike. Our fun was cut short by afternoon showers but Ella and I headed out again later for a walk by the water. Although I have not been running as much lately, I'm sure that this scenery could get me to go for a daily jog.

BreakfastPoint

The Rocks Market

We went to the Rocks Market today. The Rocks Market is located on the northern end of George Street, Sydney's biggest and most high profile street. The Rocks Market is a weekend market with over 150 stalls of jewelry, antiques, food, flowers, toys, etc. Jack got to purchase a car at the market and couldn't wait to play with it. It was another beautiful day and we enjoyed walking around. We used the train and bus as transportation today. I'm enjoying using the different modes of public transportation. Jack has had fun teaching me how to put my ticket in the machine for the train and the bus.

See the photos here:

Rocks Market

Ferry to Sydney

It was a beautiful day Thursday! Jill, Ella, and I took the ferry into Sydney (Jack was at preschool). We took the ferry to Circular Quay, which is the hub of Sydney Harbour. There are several outdoor cafes and benches where you can watch all that is going on at the harbour. We walked around the Sydney Opera House (to be determined if we will make it back for a show). Seeing it in person wasn't quite what I had expected. I thought it would be larger than it was; it was still quite a sight to see though. We walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens. Ella got to see some bats while there! We went to Hyde Park and the Queen Victoria Building. The QVB is an old, large building with stained glass windows and tons of boutiques. Australia is known for their meat pies. I had my first one for lunch. It was really good!

Click here to see photos:

Ferry to Sydney

Arrive in Australia!

I arrived in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday morning. It was cool and rainy, but I stood outside at the airport waiting for Jill to pick me up because the weather was such a nice relief from the recent Arkansas temperatures! We took the train and bus to Jill's apartment. They have a beautiful view of the water from their balcony. Jill had scheduled me a massage for that afternoon. Which was such a nice treat after the long flight. We then had a cup of coffee at one of the nearby cafes before going to pick up my niece and nephew, Ella and Jack. I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon playing with the kids. I brought Jack a puzzle and Ella a purse.

Click on this picture to view the rest of the photos from the day.

Jennifer Arrives in AU Aug 2008

Cleaning...Unpacking...

I'm officially moved to Fort Smith. I finished my last day of work on Thursday. Now begins the fun part of cleaning and unpacking at my new place. Although I am using this blog as an excuse to take a break, I can honestly say that it's not that bad. For one, the cleaning is only being done for my peace of mind, I'm not sure it's really needed. And the unpacking is a necessity so... My goal is to have every box unpacked by the time I leave for Australia; which is Monday. I leave Fort Smith Monday afternoon and arrive in Sydney on their Wednesday morning. There is a 15 hour time difference. Unpacking awaits!