Sydney

Saddle Pub in Fox Glacier

Queenstown Sunset

Queenstown

We've just spent 4 amazing, non-stop days in New Zealand. We found the best pizza in the world at The Cow in Queenstown. This is the view from our table up to the top of the Skyline gondola - 400 meters above. More later...

Cleanest Windshield In Australia

I am convinced that I can spot American drivers in Australia simply by examining their windshields. They are the cleanest windshields on the road. Not because Americans are particularly fastidious about cleaning our cars, we aren't. It is because the turn signal control is on the right on the steering wheel and the windshield wiper control is on the left. For over 20 years, I've used my left hand to operate the turn signal control and old habits are hard to break. So I've inadvertently cleaned my windshield just before almost every turn I've made during the last few days here.

Thank Goodness For McDonald's

I know it's boring to eat at McDonald's overseas but, just like home, it's convinient and cheap (33.75 AUD for the family). And It's much better than the alternstive - the mysterious Australian sausage roll.

No Jet Lag

There is a product from New Zealand called "No Jet Lag." It is a chewable pill full of natural herbal supplements that claims to reduce the effects of jet lag. It has been tested successfully with flight attendants and other long haul travellers. However, the guy a REI where I bought this miracle pill warned me that they don't actually work. I bought a pack anyway. As long as they did something - anything - to mitigate the exhaustion of transpacific jet lag then they would be worth the $11.50 price tag.

It turns out that after only three days and nights, I was almost completely adjusted to the new time zone. Those pills must've worked. But it turns out that you don't need to chew them. Or even take them out of the wrapper. Apparently, just spending $11.50, putting them in a secret pocket in your carry on bag and forgetting all about them and keeping is enough to prevent jet lag.

Dude, no ollies

Sorry kids, there is a strict ban on ollies, kickflips and most other
wicked street tricks in Australia.

Eat What?

This sign hangs outside a funky clothing store on The Corso in Manly. I've been thinking about it for a few days and still don't quite get what it means. Maybe if I were Australian it would make sense. Or maybe not.

Beyond What?

I've always wondered what the "beyond" was in Bed, Bath & Beyond.

North Carolina's Finest

Sure, Australia has Subway, McDonalds, Ford, Nike, ESPN and almost every other American brand you can think of but I was amazed to see this hot, sticky sugar goodness from North Carolina nearly 10,000 miles from home. But where is that famous "hot now" neon sign? Maybe that'd be just to much to ask for.

Refridgerated Sugar?

Yes those are eggs on that shelf. And either the sugar next to it is
also refridgerated or (gasp) those eggs are on the shelf warm.

Helpful Australian Signs

There are lots of these helpful signs in England, where thousands of continental Europeans visit everyday. But this is the only one I've seen here. It is just outside Manly Wharf. I suspect more than a few tourists land in Sydney, hop on the ferry to Manly, walk outside, look left for oncoming traffic and get blindsinded by loud horns and angry shouts from oncoming drivers.

Manly Wharf

Last night we sat outside the Many Wharf watching the sunset. Manly, where we've spent most of the weekend, is only a short ferry ride from Sydney. If we don't show up in Atlanta next week, you may want to start looking for us at the Manly Wharf.

Right?

Another idea we take for granted is left and right. Left is left and right is right. Even in Australia where you drive on the left, it is still the left, right?

Not if you are 7-years-old. Yesterday Amelia saw a sign that read "Turn Left." When we turned left as instructed, Amelia became very alarmed. In her mind we had gone the wrong way. After a brief discussion, we realized Amelia had decided that in Australia left actually means right and vice versa. We tried to explain that left is still left and right is still right but she's still suspicious.

Hang Nine, Dude

So surfing in Australia is not without it's risks: having a limb
become a shark's dinner, being stung by the man-killing box jelly and,
of course, getting your leash wrapped around a toe just before a huge
breaker whips the line taught. But fear not! I have survived three
surfing adventures in the last 24 hours (including an incredible
6:30am surf this morning). Totally worth sacrificing a toe.

Neverlost? Really???

So the flight from LA to Sydney went remarkably well. Customs and baggage claim were easy. We upgraded our car to a minivan when we realized that a "booster seat" in Australia means a full child seat rather than something small enough to fit three-across in a sedan. Even that was easy. Travelling 28 hours with three children couldn't really be this easy, could it?

Of course not. I have begun to notice that small details we usually take for granted (like the definition of "booster seat") can become important. Small details like driving on the right side of the car, on the left side of the road and following the directions from Hertz's Neverlost navigation system was one of those details. The drive to Seaforth should take 30-40 minutes but our Neverlost provided an Australian driving baptism-by-fire by taking us on a circuitous route through the heart of Sydney rather than via the relatively easy and direct highway. After missing several turns, looking for streets that don't exist and holding a one-sided argument with the Neverlost, I finally pulled over and looked at a map of downtown Sydney to chart our course to Seaforth. It only took an hour and half. I'm sure the girls may have learned a few new words in the process.

All in all - even with our Neverlost misadventure - it was actually a very smooth 28 hour process. We've been here now for a day and I already have many more adventures and misadventures to share: Why do Americans have the cleanest windshields in Australia? Who has the right-of-way on a wave? What does "hang nine" mean? And what do Crabs and Crocs have in common?

One Last Thought From LA: I Am The Best Husband In The World

Since I have superplutonium status from all my flying with Delta, I was given an upgrade on the way from Atlanta to LA. This was no ordinary upgrade. This was a new, top-of-the-line Boeing 777 with Business Elite lay-flat beds in first class. It really looked like Kristin was comfortable from my view 10 rows back in coach with the girls. As I write this (with Amelia planted to the carpet and Isabelle under my chair), I am noticing how refreshed Kristin looks from her flight in the new, top-of-the-line Boeing 777 Business Elite with lay-flat beds in first class.

And Isabelle Crashes

Only seconds later we found Isabelle curled up under my chair asleep. Only 1 left...

Amelia Crashes

Amelia finally fell asleep on our final approch to LAX. It took me 10 minutes to wake her up and we were the last people off the plane. Here she is sacked out on the floor in LAX.

Day 1

November 18, Los Angeles, 9:30pm

Australia, it turns out, now requires visas. I was told that these visas are usually issued instantly. In "very rare" cases there may be a slight delay of up to 12 hours. This isn't a big deal unless you learn about the new visa requirements two hours before your flight! Kristin and the girls were in the "instant" categorty. I, however, was in the very rare 12 hour category. Somehow we managed to get our tickets to LAX (despite Delta's policy that strictly forbids it). Thankfully, my visa cleared while we were somewhere over Arizona. We are now almost certain that we will be in Sydney in a mere 16 hours.