Away from Sydney

We've just got back from our first trip away from Sydney, having spent a few days near Wollongong. It's just an hour and a half south of the city but feels like a thousand miles away. In many ways it was the Australia we were expecting to come to - very laid back - very beach centric - very 'outdoor'. We took advantage of the weather and camped - something we've only occasionally done in the UK having learned the hard way that it's not much fun in a tent when it's raining. It was warm and sunny the whole time and so camping was a joy - particularly in the good company of the Flowers family. We'll endeavour to do more of the same.

It's Australia day this Sunday (a public holiday celebrating the founding of the nation - as you might guess) so it seemed appropriate to take a look at Botany Bay over the weekend. The point where Captain Cook landed and which inevitably led to the colonisation of the continent is marked by several memorials and flags. To their credit the Australians are increasingly sensitive to the flip side of the story i.e. successful colonisation can also be seen as devastating dispossession if you happen to be Aboriginal. Aldi (the supermarket) was forced by public opinion to remove Australia Day celebratory T shirts off their shelves last week. The shirts read 'Australia - Founded 1788'  - effectively ignoring 40,000 years of rich history in a single sentence! Thankfully it didn't go unnoticed.

Here's a few photo's taken over the last month :- Sydney January 2014

Alternative festive season

We were a little unsure in the run up to Christmas as to how it might pan out. On the one hand it was refreshing to be in a place where the build up to the season is less frantic but on the other we were aware that we would miss friends and family. It was also strange to be in summer heat at a time we strongly associate with cold , it just didn't compute! We decided early on that the only way to approach things was to go for a completely alternative Christmas. And so it was. Unfortunately the planned BBQ on the beach on Christmas day didn't happen due to rain (yes it does rain here!) but otherwise we've had a fantastic week. A couple of days at the beach, a trip to a national park, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, new year fireworks at the harbour, a couple of BBQ's by the pool and upteen skype calls with folks back home. Good times!

I've posted the Yacht race photos below:
Sydney to Hobart, Boxing Day 2013

Back to normality

It's a comment on modern life that we, collectively, rely so heavily on the internet that when you're not connected day to day routines become difficult. Without it you feel like the poor relation. That's how it's been for us since we've been here. But not any more - we're now connected! No more evening walks/drives up to the university campus to latch on to the wifi there. No more sneaky peaks at Facebook on the office PC over lunch time. Perhaps it's a comment on Australian inefficiency that it's taken 8 weeks from ordering to delivery but I won't bore you with the details. Regardless, we now feel normal.

Wilderness

We took our first trip out of Greater Sydney last weekend. It was quite an eye opener. We drove an hour and a half west to the blue mountains and by the time we got there it already felt like the wilderness. It's just a blip on the Australian map and it was easy to imagine miles and miles of the same nothingness all the way to Perth on the west coast (a mere 4000 km) Yes, I know I have a vivid imagination! See the photos below for a taste of the wild west.

Blue mountains photoset

Homesick??

Despite the feeling that things are finally slotting into place here (see previous posts!) it’s fair to say that the honeymoon period is over. We’ve been here two months now so perhaps our subconscious minds are realising that we’re not on a holiday after all and in fact we’re here for the long-haul. All three of us are feeling homesick to varying degrees and for various reasons, perhaps it’s the thought of Christmas away from friends and family that’s reinforcing this. However we realise that the best thing to do is to focus on all the positives of living here - and there are many (see previous posts!)

Yesterday slotted into the category of compensations!! Here’s how it went:

We set the alarm early to get out on the bikes before the traffic build up (starting the day early seems to be an Australian thing to do) and so Niall and myself were setting out under a clear blue sky by 7am. We rode the 20 miles out to the coast and stopped for coffee and warm muffins by an inlet, Church Point, with yachts and rowing boats in abundance. Then around a loop on smooth roads where cyclists were in the majority and cars were giving way for once. Returning home to find Ros resting after her morning run we dived into the swimming pool to cool off. A quick lunch and we were heading out to the coast again, this time in the car. We parked at Palm Beach (where Home and Away is filmed - apparently) to start a bush walk to Barrenjoey Lighthouse on a rocky promontory 400 metres above the beach. The immediate area was ravaged by bush fires a few weeks ago so it made for a strange landscape - black trees with no leaves but with green shoots of life sprouting from the ground. By way of contrast the walk back down to the beach was very lush and tropical - a testament to the effectiveness of the fire service here who must have contained the worst of the fire. We grabbed the things from the boot of the car and spent a couple of hours on the beach and in the surf. Niall now has a body board and he was perfecting his technique (aided by a brief expert demonstration from his dad). The day was still young as we drove down the coast towards home so we stopped off in one of the small towns, Avalon, for a bite to eat. We found an Asian street food restaurant and sat outdoors eating fish cakes, dumplings and tai green curry. The end to a perfect day!

I can't claim that every day is like this, the highlight the day before was a trip to Ikea for example, but we're determined to maximise the opportunities life here presents, it's a good balance.

Cars and bikes

A couple of significant happenings this week!

Our shipment from the UK has finally arrived -  pots and pans, bedding and extra clothes etc. Of course it makes a massive difference from a practical point of view but what we weren't expecting was the emotional aspect of all these extra's. It's like getting lots of home comforts in a box, all at once. Perhaps most importantly we now have our bikes! Niall and myself have already been out on an evening and we'll be dragging Ros along for weekend rides before long. I've already got a few routes worked out and we're eager to get started. 

Over the past few weeks we've become increasingly aware that society here has a very American approach to car ownership - it's pretty much essential. Everywhere is set up with the assumption that you have access to a car and we've been getting the feeling that we're missing out on things as a result. So we've finally taken the plunge and bought one. I'll admit to being a bit of a car snob normally and only consider certain makes but I've taken the 'when in Rome' approach and have chosen a second hand Hyundai - the most popular small car here. It's not a brilliant car to drive but it doesn't half make a difference to day to day life and that sense of freedom that easy mobility can bring. I suspect it's going to be the most significant of the incremental steps we're making towards normality here. 

Finally, I realise I've been getting behind on the photos front. Here's a couple of links to the latest two sets :

• Royal Botanic Gardens
• Sculptures by the Sea 

Adventist hospitals and the like

I came across a Church sponsored hospital while out on a bike ride at the weekend - The Sydney Adventist Hospital . There was an Emergency department and I got to wondering if they turn you away if you're not Adventist??  I don’t think I’ve seen such a thing before but it didn’t come as a surprise as it appears to be a very religious society here... to a point. By which I mean the majority of schools, both Primary and Secondary, are religious i.e. under the auspices of one church or another. I have to say the kids are very polite particularly when in uniform - there do seem to be some benefits to what is probably a strict school regime. I say things are religious to a point and that seems to be where it ends - school! There are churches around, probably as many as back home, but like the UK they seem to be empty the majority of the time….. and I haven’t seen anyone queuing to get in on a Sunday either.

The preponderance of Religious schools has worried Ros. Despite the fact that she’s applied for a number of teaching jobs she still hasn’t even managed to get an interview. She thinks it might be down to the fact that she can’t demonstrate that she’s a devout catholic (the predominant church here from what we’ve seen) i.e. provide a reference from the priest. Some schools actually insist on this!