Joh

Punki - but we usually make up for it by having summer weather all during our 'Winter'.

Lots of FT'ers pass through Sydney and we have been lucky to have caught up with about 20-30 of them, including a few of those posting above. No time of year is bad, (think Miami type climate) but mid December/ mid January is hot, and the entire country is basically on vacation, so tourist places are busy, and prices higher.

There is a huge oversupply of 4 and 5 star hotels in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics, and deals are often as low as $US50 a night including tax. There are around two $A to one $US, so cabs, meals, tours, drinks, etc, generally are about HALF US prices. Fine dining is extremely affordable, and ozzie beer makes Bud taste as potent as Diet Coke.

If any date gets agreed upon, Glen and I are happy to help organise things. One really superb thing to do is take an afternoon cruise on the large Captain Cook cruise liners right around the harbour. These run about $US20 a person, from The Rocks/Circular Quay in city centre. Take several hours, and refreshments are on board.

http://www.captaincook.com.au/sydney/sightsee.htm

Cruise takes you right around the very expensive ($35 million) eastern suburb waterfronts, right past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the earliest settler landing place of Camp Cove (1788) and even close past nudist beaches. Past Manly, all the harbour islands, close to the Sydney Heads, then right under the Spit Bridge into Middle Harbour, and does a U-turn right in front of our home and heads back to Circular Quay. A tremendous orientation for any new visitor. Indeed locals like us were amazed doing this recently as to how much you saw and learned.

There are million other easy days trips to do. Climb right up top of the Harbour Bridge, but an exhilarating experience. Visit the Blue Mountains or the Hunter Valley wine region etc. Taronga Park Zoo is the best sited on earth probably, right on the harbour. Or Bondi Beach which is 15 minutes from the city, or a dozen other superb beaches just as close, for swimming or surfing. Go take in an Australian Rules football match?

This weekend we drove to Windsor and Wiseman's Ferry, on the Hawkesbury River. Had lunch ($US20 for 2 inc. 4 beers!) at Australia's oldest Hotel in Windsor, (1815) and wandered around the country's oldest Church and Cemetery at Ebenezer etc. Stayed in a bizarre Swiss Chalet on the water that Rudi would have loved. Walked along the now disused Great North Road constructed laboriously by hand by 500 convicts in leg irons during the 1820s. All made of huge hand cut sandstone block buttresses and culverts, with NO mortar, that would have made the Egyptians and Incans proud. Aboriginal ancient paintings nearby in caves. All these spots are deserted basically and not madly on the tourist beat.