"Nash"-ional Lampoon's Australian Vacation

Words can't actually convey how excited Wilson and I were to see Mom, Dad, Walton, and Molly here in Sydney.  I had been counting down the days since we came back after Christmas, and they finally arrived on Friday, March 13th!  They climbed the Harbour Bridge soon after they arrived, which was ambitious considering their jet-lag, but they all agreed that it was definitely an appropriate introduction to the city.  We had a guided tour of Sydney on Saturday followed by a lovely dinner with John and Kathy Blahut.  Sunday, after a tour of the Opera House (see post below), Rob and Sue Segart were kind enough to take us all sailing in the harbour, providing an opportunity most tourists don't have to see Sydney.  We made time for a trip to Gladesville Sunday evening, which probably wasn't terribly impressive compared to the glamorous neighborhoods we toured Saturday, but Wilson and I were proud to introduce everyone to our apartment, our favorite pizza place, and the Aussie reality show "Border Security."  The four of them left for a short trip up to Port Douglas, Queensland on Monday to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef and explore the Daintree Rainforest only to return to Sydney last Thursday afternoon.

After a picturesque dinner on the harbour, we attended the Sydney Symphony's performance of  "The Best of the West End" in the magnificent Concert Hall in the Opera House, and it was all I could do not to sing along to the scores from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, etc.  We revisited the Blue Mountains Friday, and fortunately we were greeted by nicer weather this time as you can see in the photo of The Three Sisters below.  We also had the chance to stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park on our way up to the mountains, where we all had a great hands-on experience with quintessential Australian animals like kangaroos, koalas, emus, and a variety of exotic birds.  We weren't allowed to pet the wombat, pictured above, because it bites, but it is still tied with the koala as my second-favorite animal despite its aggressive tendencies (otters are my favorite).  After lunch in the lovely garden village of Leura, we rode the "steepest railway in the Southern Hemisphere," which was disappointingly short, into the Jamison Valley and then took the sky bucket back up the mountain over the tree tops.

We rode the ferry to Manly Beach on Saturday, and in the afternoon Wilson gave us a tour of the University of Sydney - from the Oxford-style Great Hall to the extremely modern law buildings, stopping by the lawn tennis courts for Molly.  We celebrated a successful trip by dining at The Summit, a revolving restaurant on the top level of Sydney's tallest buildings.  Wilson was so impressed by the food and the view that he already wants to go back!  Unfortunately, Mom, Dad, Walton, and Molly had to fly home Sunday, but it was a great week and we were glad for the opportunity to share this fantastic city with them.