Gold Coast

We left Sydney for the Gold Coast, stopping along the way at a famous Australian point break, Lockhead Point.

Then it was lunch and beach time in Byron Bay, a really cool hippy-arty town that's become a little posh, kind of like SoHo in New York but on the beach. It was really charming, but unfortunately we had to press northwards.

I got to hold a koala at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary!

There are also lots of grey and red kangaroos, crocodiles, birds, and other Australian wildlife everywhere, and the non-dangerous ones are just hanging out so visitors can go right up and hang out with them. The Sanctuary's motto is "Get Closer," and I really got to - check out the baby joey!

We finally ended up in Coff's Harbour, a nice little town where we had a barbeque and drinks by the beach.

Sydney

After seventeen really boring hours on a plane, I landed in Sydney last night. I took a really cool ferry ride through Sydney Harbor to Manly, a peninsula to the northwest, and spent most of the time on Manly Beach, on the ocean side.

on the ferry from Sydney's Circular Quay to Manly

I swam in the Pacific for the first time!

Sydney's Manly Beach

The sand is very fine here, which makes it soft, and it's a warm golden color. There was a surfing exposition going on, including a small clinic. I'll be gracefully wiping out on the waves soon enough, so I decided to pass on this surf class.

Sydney's Manly Beach

Manly has a big promenade that's a lot like Miami Beach's own Lincoln Road. The Wharf starts at the small harbor-side beach and looks onto Sydney Harbor, which was filled with sailboats and yachts. I saw a almost-collisions and one capsized monohull - the people on-board flipped it back and kept right on sailing, so no worries.

Sydney Harbor from Manly Wharf

Sydney Harbor

On the ride back, I had to get a shot of me in front of the Opera House.

Sydney Opera House