I should mention that we are no longer in Sydney, but have come to Hobart, Tasmania, an Australian island to the southwest of the main island. We came here because it was described as beautiful and remote. Since many of our Australia locals will be more urban, we wanted to get away for a week.
One of the benefits of having authentic Aussie “mates” has been the opportunity to do things that most tourists cannot. Clearly, the day on the boat in Sydney harbor, our time in the Members section of the Sydney Cricket Grounds and our visit to the vineyard are stark examples of that.
When Susie and I were first engaged, she read “Lonesome Dove” to get a little feel for Texas and Texans. She was in Chicago finishing her MBA at Northwestern and I was already in Texas. One day, we were having a lovely chat and I mentioned I was learning to water ski.
“Texas is the way we Australians like to think of ourselves.”
I have attempted to make these blogs more than a simple chronology of our sites and scenery. I have seen this experience not as a trip, but an odd social experiment, “What happens when you expose 6 strong-willed people to 1) heightened levels of togetherness, 2) the vagaries of often uncomfortable travel, 3) a wide variety of cultures while 4) reducing their Internet access by 90%”?
“I love children and boats and I encourage all my friends to have several of both.”
We are now in Sydney. We left a sunny Perth and arrived here during an unusually grey and rainy day.
