15 June 2012

Final Days in Australia

Harbour bridge at sunset

We consider our month in Australia something of a taster. We got to see a lot, but there is so much left to look forward to when we come back: Uluru, the outback, Perth, Melbourne, Tasmania... the list goes on and on.

We were given a few more days to explore Sydney when our flight back to Christchurch was cancelled due to snow.

Cactus planters at the Botanic Gardens
Nice cactus planter at the Botanical Gardens

Flying foxes
What's that in the trees?

While exploring the Botanical Gardens, I heard an unfamiliar call. I searched the trees, wondering what strange bird I was hearing, and saw what looked to be hundreds of large pods hanging from the trees. Flying foxes! With an average wingspan of 1 meter, they are the largest bats in Australia.

Having never seen them before, I was very excited. Sam eventually got me to move along, and luckily I didn't get a mouthful of guano from all the upward gawking.

Botanics pyramid

Focaccia topping
Focaccia topping: fresh rosemary & thyme, basil, sea salt, garlic & sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

My inner freegan was happy to see the Botanical herb garden, where I pinched a few sprigs of rosemary & thyme for my focaccia topping. We also found some interesting native nuts below, but the sign said they require a lot of processing to rid them of toxins before consumption, so we left them where we found them.

Castanospermum australe

Hibiscus schizopetalus
Japanese Lantern Hibiscus
Stealing from the cats
This sign in a charity shop amused us.

Korean food

We met up with a really nice guy named Kiky, who took us out for our first Korean meal. It was delicious! Each table has a grill embedded in it for cooking marinated meat, and there were loads of little plates and bowls, each featuring a different side dish or sauce. I can't wait to try Korean again.

After the meal, Kiky took us to a couple landmark sights in Sydney, including the lookout below.

Sydney

Thanks, Australia! It was fun while it lasted. We'll see you again someday.

1 comment:

Australian Open 2013 said...

What was your favorite part about your travels in Australia? I am booking my trip to the Australian Open in 2013 and have been searching for places to go and things to do while I am there. Is there something that is a MUST? Thanks!!