Sydney Harbour

The last night in Hawaii was spent at a posh dinner overlooking Hilo bay on the lanai (veranda - at the Sugar plantation mansion "The Shipman House". The great granddaughter now owns it as a Bed and Breakfast. We had an exciting trip to Sydney from Honolulu. One of the 5 pilots got food poisoning and we had to land on the French owned island of New Caladonia. We were very delayed because the French workers close down for two hours in the afternoon and the airline crew couldn't replenish the food and drink supplies. We got in late and had a busy day Monday going to a Bobbin Head National Park, and had a conference tour of the Gibberagong Educational site. We went to the Tarango Zoo, and had lunch overlooking Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. We had a private back stage tour and presentation at the zoo and saw all the Aussie animals up close. I even held a live deadly black funnel web spider (In a Plexiglas box!!!) Boy they are big and ugly! We saw wombats - wallabies - platypus - roos - and the most beautiful birds ever. Go figure - The white Cockatoo is not well liked here! They are a predator to other birds and are affecting other bird populations! Then at night we went to a lifesaving surf demonstration at the Manly Lifesaving Club. They put on a wonderful Aussie BBQ for us.
We then took the ferry across the Harbour past the Opera House all lit up at night. Today we went by bus to Canberra, The capital of Australia. We are 14 hours ahead of you here!
Thursday our time I will get the computer - G'Day Mate!