Our first Bicycle ride

Last week we picked up our new bikes, however due to the bad weather, today was the first nice day to take them out for a ride. We decided on a trip to Watsons Bay we found on a website. Riding in Sydney is quite a strenuous  activity if you are used to the flat countryside of The Netherlands. Also there are limited bike-paths, which can make the ride a little more dangerous, therefore Bike helmets are compulsory in New South Wales. The ride was a bit longer then expected (27km).

Our new Giant Alias bikes with hydraulic disc brakes
that come in handy when going downhill in the city.

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This is the route we took, 27km.

You can see the city in the background.

Australia Day 2008

Today is Australia Day, the official national day of Australia, commemorating the establishment of the first European settlement on the continent of Australia. The date is that of the foundation of a British penal colony at Sydney Cove on Port Jackson, New South Wales, by Captain Arthur Phillip, who was to become the first Governor.

We spent the day on a yacht in Sydney Harbour, one of our friends chartered 3 yachts for the day. The weather was the best we had in weeks so we had a wonderful day with lots of food and drinks.

 

Our ship were Hunter 38 and 44 yachts.

The famous Ferry-a-thon, a race between ferry boats

Of course there was time for a swim during the time we anchored for lunch.

Just another Weekend

This Saturday there was Jazz in the Domain, part of the Sydney Festival. About 100.000 people gather in the Domain with their picnic baskets, packed with food and drinks to enjoy a lazy afternoon with some nice live music. This years performance was conceived and arranged by renowned composer, arranger and guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, one of the founders of the bossa nova movement. We spent the afternoon with some of our friends there.

 

 

Sunday we had a bit more active program. We went kayaking on the harbour with a group of 10. Leaving from Rushcutters Bay, paddling towards Shark Island where we had lunch. Then all the way back. Unfortunately our Kayak had sprung a leak so we had to paddle with a lot of extra weight. This was the route we took, about 6km:

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Guest at the office

Today we had a guest at the office, a giant Stick Insect! We fed him some leaves, which he thankfully ate. Now all we need to do, is learn him to write code.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone!

We watched the famous Sydney Fireworks this time from the Cahill Expressway (on top of Circular Quay Station). The RTA closed down the Expressway and turned it into a giant viewing platform with the best views of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour. The centrepiece of the display was a giant hour glass, a fitting symbol for our New Year's theme 'The Time of our Lives'.