Arriving In Sydney

We made it to Sydney! Jeremy wore his Netherlands orange and was quite easily spotable in the airport. I was sneakier having told Jer that I would be wearing light pink, but changing my shirt when I decided that I could no longer stand my own smelliness after 32 hours of flying.

Fortunately, all those flights went well. Jeremy's flight was a bit turbulent which unfortunately made it harder to sleep, but the food he tells me was great. I was worried about my flight for a while - since the last leg of my journey (Beijing to Sydney) was more than 24 hours from my Toronto departure, I couldn't print my last boarding pass. However, without that boarding pass, it appeared to the computer system that I was ending my trip in China, which required a visa that I didn't have. I managed to get it all sorted out at my second stopover in New York, but I admittedly spent the flight to Beijing wondering if I'd be in trouble when I got out of the plane. Fortunately, there was no trouble at all in the Beijing airport - it was well signed and the people we all very helpful to a sleepy anneke.

Arriving in Sydney, we picked up our rental car and got a few groceries. Jeremy was exceptionally patient navigating an often faulty gps and we drove out to the Royal National Park. We knew it was beautiful from pictures, but we still weren't expecting it to be that beautiful! The waves were incredible and the cliffs that overlooked the ocean full of character. We met a fellow fishing in the  surf who told us that he'd show us his fish if we promised not to tell his wife how small it was. There were a few people tossing a rugby ball on the sand and others just watching the surfers who somehow kept their balance on the huge waves that were breaking on the shore.

When it was sadly time to leave the beautiful park behind, we picked up a key at our hostel and parked the car at the Mitchell's place - a very kind and generous family who are friends from the Grettons. Michelle fed us a delicious dinner and dropped us of at the ferry to make our way back to our hostel. Where we meet our friendly roommates.... and slept. At very long last and very well :)