It's getting cold

Just thought some of you would like to know...

Yesterday I actually saw my breath when I walked outside in the morning (even if it was just for one breath). We've also used the heat in the house a little bit. Oh well, it's still nice during the day. But the time has come when the weather in Canada is warmer than the weather in Sydney.

End of Holiday

Knowing many people are waiting for more pictures and stories about the last while; here's the end of my sister's time here.





We spent a day with one of my friends who grew up in the Blue Mountains. Here's one of the many great sites we saw.








One of the people slipped on the rock and got a little wet. Once we were all sure she wasn't hurt, we started laughing and taking pictures.







We took walk through the bush. Found some mud, lots of water, a few stairs, lots of hills, and the most beautiful scenery I've found yet in Australia. Here's a sample of the steepest steps we took. Certain people thought it was too demanding, but others say it's well worth it. I won't tell you who was in which group; but if any of you want to come visit me, I'll gladly take you to see the sights.




Look closely. There's something of significance being pointed at in this picture.







As the holiday began, so it must come to an end. Betty was introduced to the beach at the beginning of her time here; and she said farewell the same way.






So now the holiday is done and Betty is on her way home. Tomorrow I'm back to classes again and the regular routine is about to begin.

The real pizza

I was sent this picture to post on the blog just so the rest of the world can see what a real pizza looks like. I've said it for many years, Verns Pizza is better cold than any other pizza I've found hot and fresh - and it's that much better fresh.



Here's a message my brother John sent me to post on the blog


It looks like you are having fun out there Betty. Hopefully I can make it there soon on a business trip to check out the possibility of setting up a Vern's Pizza there. For those that haven't seen a Vern's Pizza before, I'll try to send Larry a Picture to post.

John, I'd love to host you on your business trip. I'd also love to see Vern's' expand it's horizons.

Finally

The last week has been really busy. My sister Betty is out and we've been keeping ourselves really busy doing things. Some of you have tried calling, some have sent email, and I've just been gone. Here's some results of what we've been doing. Enjoy!


Wanting to be the best host I could, I gave my room to my sister and set up a temporary bedroom for myself in the garage. I bought a camping bed and we hung bed sheets to make the room feel smaller and more cozy. I turned off the power to the garage door openers just in case :)


The weather was great at the beginning, some of us students were tired, and we all thought a relaxing day would help Betty get over the jet lag so we did what any good Aussie would do for relaxation on a hot summer day - we went to the beach! We found a quite one and actually convinced her to get wet. Once the convincing was done, she realized it can be fun to use a boogie board on the waves.


After a long hard day at the beach, Ryan and I found the best activity possible for a couple of Canadians living away from home. We found some pizza and had supper in front of the TV watching HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA!!! Ok, so it's not quite the same when the game is recorded, but it's great anyways. Now I do have to point out the beverage of choice. Also note, Ryan was the cook that night. Unlike the rumours he's been trying to spread, he's the one being converted to the truth.



It's important to know some stats about my new homeland... swimming really isn't that dangerous in regards to sharks - see the stats.



It's not a dog, and thankfully, not a horse, but she was able to pet it.

A large old catholic church we went into.


We got a tour of the Opera House. Here's a photo of the concert hall. Now I just need someone special to take in there for a performance :)


And speaking of someone special... We went to the Jenolan Caves. There are over 400 different caves in this area but only a small percentage of them are safe for the general public. This particular room is called the cathedral. What you see in the picture is about half the room. The roof is about 150 feet high. This room is used by some people for symphony's, operas, and weddings. I'm thinking it sounds like a good place for that. (just a little interesting to get in and out in wedding attire.


Another 2 photos of what's inside the caves.



In case anyone was wondering what makes it interesting to get in here with wedding attire, this is not a modified picture and Betty has not grown taller. She's still 5 feet tall, and this walkway was quite typical in the cave. She was revelling in the fact that I spent a 1 1/2 hour tour hunched over much of the time.



We took a ride down the steepest incline train in the world. As the picture shows, it went quite fast!

It was fun though.

And when we got to the bottom, Betty decided to take a closer look at where we had come from. Note, the track is just as steep as the staircase.

One last picture for this post. We did a lot of walking in the Blue Mountains and found some great scenery. Here's one of the waterfalls we found.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, check back for more in the near future.