Middle-aged flash packers

Needed to get our washing done today. The hotel has a laundry room but the tumble dryer wasn’t very good so it was lunchtime before we got out and about.
Shopping was on the agenda but it was such a beautiful day, we played truant and went to the beach instead.
Saturday is a bit different to Friday on Manly beach with all the Sydney-siders making their way there as well as tourists, so we wandered further down the beach where it was a bit quieter.
I love people watching at the best of times, and it was a delight seeing families enjoying the surf, even tiny toddlers. What was also nice was seeing how involved the Dads were with their kids.
I’m very impressed with the good shape people are in here – I guess that’s what an outdoors life does for you. I’m sad to say that the fattest people on the beach were Brits. Having said that, I did see a beauty clinic advertising targeted liposuction for men so maybe there’s a bit of cheating going on!
We managed to do some power shopping on the walk back to the ferry so instead of hunting through the Sydney shops, when we arrived back to Circular Quay, we had an extended walk through the botanical gardens. I’m so glad we did.
There were wedding photos being taken, an outdoor opera production, posh picnics with tables, chairs and wine, young people enjoying each other’s company – what a great use of a park.
While we were in Katoomba, I bought a bottle of white wine which needed drinking up before we set off for Fiji. When we got back to our hotel, we sat outside in the little courtyard adjacent to our room and quaffed the lot. Steve is not keen on white wine but absolutely loved this one. I’ve attached a photo of it. If you see it in the shops, buy it!
Throw in a couple of beers and we ended up feeling way too lazy to walk into Darlinghurst for a meal so we went to Frisco’s hotel round the corner.
Seen Crocodile Dundee? Frisco’s couldn’t be more typical of an Ozzie pub/hotel. Downstairs it’s jugs of beer, upstairs grub. We had steaks with salad and chips. Totally delicious, bloody good value.
A fitting end to our time in Oz. Will miss it. What a great lifestyle you can have out here. Obviously there are downsides – I think I would miss the sheer variety of geography, history and culture there is In the uk and Europe, but the lack of pretentiousness and the outdoors life here could go a long way to make up for that. Food for thought.