A day trip into the city

Good news:  We have found a house!  Huge relief.  It is a 4 bed house out of Sydney a bit in a wonderful suburb which is just starting to back onto the acerage properties here.  So, room for visitors!    It seems to have a really nice community and there are some great pre-schools around there.  And the good news.....it has a pool for the summer!

More good news - my very good friend Marky and his fiancee Kat are visiting us this weekend for a few nights!  I can't quite believe we have only been here 2 weeks and we have a visitors coming already.  Long may it continue!  So excited.  Haven't seen him since January and it feels so long.

We took a day off yesterday for the family and caught the ferry into the city.  We parked for free at Huntleys point early and our tickets for the whole family return were $5!  This was the 1st time since we have been here that we have not had the whole car buying and house renting Sword of Damocles hanging over us.  We got off at Circular Quay and walked into The Rocks.  The markets were in full flow when we got there and we browsed and appreciated the gorgeous sunshine.  Bought a paperweight made from glass for our new home and 3 wooden models for Finn & Isla to put together - Koala, Kangaroo & Crocodile.  German fare for lunch in Lowenbrau which was good fun and busy - Australian Fathers Day here yesterday.  We then walked on around to the botanical gardens.  The children played in the gardens and in the trees and walked the whole way round.  Took in the flying foxes which amazed our two.  The locals however, not so much!  We all walked around faces skyward, amazed and were obviously new to the area.

Next we headed over to the monorail which Finn had been requesting for about the last 10 days - he was desperate to go on it.  So we did a circuit and then got off at Darling Harbour for drinks and some nibbles before catching the ferry back to the car.  I do honestly love the Sydney skyline as dusk draws in and the lights come on and twinkle from the back of a ferry as we pull out of the wharf.  There is nothing quite like it and I can't believe when I see it how lucky we are to have the opportunity to live here.

The boys enjoying a hot chocolate and a frappucino as we approach the markets in The Rocks.  Have to get into the mindset of the children wearing hats even though it is only just Spring.  The sun is still strong even if it is still quite chilly.

I think Isla looks so much like me but look at those eyes!  Andy through and through.  They both have gorgeous green eyes which are much darker around the iris.  This was at lunch - waiters in lederhosens!

Tree climbing in the Botanical Gardens.

Some of those trees were quite an effort for one so small!

It's remarkably hard getting a good picture of them together...  I like this one - Isla looks so enquiring.

Pile on....pile on....always interesting with a Daddy with a sore back...

Still in the Botanical Gardens - that is Finn & Isla running over to the pyramid.  My intrepid adventurers!

Walking back through the city to the monorail.  Finn having a little ride with "weapon" in hand.  Poor Daddy kept getting poked.  "Ooops, sorry Daddy..." was heard a lot.

What a great end to a fab time.  Two boat rides in one day - lucky littlies.

 We all slept well that night....