Squydney:

Noah and I at the top of the Harbor Bridge

I went to Sydney from August 27-29.  Laura, Noah, and I headed up Friday so that Noah and I could do the Harbor Bridge climb.  If I were to do one thing over again in Sydney, it would be the bridge climb.  We took the night hike because we missed our train earlier (and then almost our second train. fail.).  However, that turned out being wonderful because we got to see the sun set over the city. 

That night was yet another interesting hostel experience (we’re getting good at these).  Little did we know when we booked our hostel that it was located in strip club central.  Oops.  Don’t worry mom, I didn’t go into any, just pointed and laughed from the outside.  And got some business cards for Michelle….

Laura, Mark and I on the Harbor Cruise

On Saturday morning Laura and I went to an art museum, where we wandered around for a bit.  It was no Art Institute, but it was cool to see some aboriginal art.  Later, we got all fancy and went on the Harbor Cruise, which my dorm had rented out for the night.  Basically, everyone dressed up and got to ride the boat around the harbor.  After seeing the city from the top of the Harbor Bridge, it was cool floating around and seeing it all at eye level.  Furthermore, its always an experience seeing people dress up who typically look like bums (aka me). 

On Sunday morning, we went to a Jewish/Holocaust museum, where we learned about the Holocaust refugees that moved to Australia.  From there, we all went to the semifinal rugby league game (Sydney Roosters vs. Manly Sea Eagles).  Although I didn’t totally get what was happening the whole time, I followed most of it, which was exciting. Many years of soccer coaching must have helped team Sydney, because the Rooster’s won 30-14. 

Let's pretend this is a good picture.

FUN FACT:  There are many animals in Australia that can kill you, ranging from box jellyfish and blue ringed octapi to Hunstman spiders.  There’s also the cassowary, which is known for its ability and desire to disembowel its victims.  However, the most deadly of all is the drop bear, which will sit up in trees and jump down on you unexpectedly.