Day 24 – Sydney-The Final Day

 G'Day Mate,

                Today, I completed the last item on my Australian bucket list. When I taught first and second grade, I taught the students about mammals and of course had to have one example from the monotreme species (egg-laying mammals). I chose to study the platypus, drew pictures and gave the students a great deal of info about them. They are only found in Australia and the surrounding area, so of course I had never seen one.  I always thought they were the size of our beavers but no, they are only about ten inches long. We were so so lucky today to see them. They had just moved them from one park to another and up until a few days ago had the exhibit covered to let them get used to the new surroundings. I have wanted to see a platypus for years, so would have been so disappointed if I hadn’t gotten to see them.

            A manager of the park knew we were looking for them and came and chatted with us for quite a while. She also told us the story of Rex the crocodile who lived in the next exhibit. Rex kept showing up at a popular picnic area and had eaten several dogs. “Can’t have that!” she said. So they moved him to a wildlife park in hopes he would be a good dad. Nope, he ate not only one but two female crocodiles. “Oh dear, can’t have that.” So the Sydney Aquarium ended up with him. Now he has to jump out of the water on weekends while spectators watch and Pavarotti sings classical songs and he eats whole chickens, feathers and all. He looked fat and happy.

            Everybody walks in Sydney because parking is impossible. This morning we walked 10 blocks to the Aquarium in Darling Harbor, ate lunch at the harbor and then took a water taxi to the rocks area to do some shopping before walking 12 blocks back to the hotel. It is very easy to spot the Americans walking around Sydney; they are the ones grossly overweight. Most Australians we met are healthy fun loving people. We went to a pub tonight near the hotel and it was packed with locals getting off work and hooking up with friends. Pubs are wild on weekends, quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays and start getting active again on Wednesdays.

            We leave tomorrow, Thursday, on an 11:10 am flight and arrive in Los Angles tomorrow Thursday at 7:10 am four hours before we leave. This still blows our mind. We are spending Thursday night in Los Angeles and will be arriving home Friday evening to start planning our next trip wherever it may be. Thanks for putting up with our e-mails and remember: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

No More to Follow from Australia

Tom and Holly