Aussie Week Adventure: Dining Down Under, Part II

Finding our Own Food

Fish and Chips, Quay Seafood, Circular Quay, Sydney

We ended up only having to find a few meals ourselves, and we always sought out high-quality foods, such as the traditional "fish and chips." The Fish and Chips found along the Australian coast are far superior to the Brine Shrimp and Flies found along the coast of the Great Salt Lake. We bought some "take away" (Aussie term for "take out") for lunch after our Bridge Climb and returned to our hotel to enjoy it from our balcony. It satisfied April's craving for deep fried food, and we hoped her gall bladder would be forgiving.

French Pastries, La Renaissance, The Rocks

Sandwich from cafe at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour

Even though Fort Denison is just a tiny uninhabited island, there is a cafe, complete with a chef and kitchen staff. We were the only visitors that day and the waiter talked to us about how utterly boring it was to be stuck on the island waiting for boats to arrive. Out of pity Kevin bought a sandwich from him. It was actually quite the gourmet creation, but then again the chef had time to be creative. April waited until we returned to the Circular Quay where she picked up a spinach-cheese roll.

Thai Terrific, Bondi Beach area, Sydney

We spent Tuesday evening with Claire Mannus, one of Kevin's Aussie cousins from his high school exchange student program. Kevin remembered Claire as a cute little, blonde-haired, 10-year-old who loved the beach. Now Claire is a lovely young lady who still loves the beach. She drove us around Sydney area, showing us different sites (one beach after another) that would have been nice to walk around if it hadn't been dark and raining.

We ended up dining at one of Claire's favorite Thai restaurants by Bondi Beach. It was April's first experience with Thai food, and we got 3 dishes to share: pad thai, yellow curry, and a stir fry. It was very tasty, and yielded enough leftovers for the following day's lunch. Afterwards, Claire treated us to delicious gelati at Gelatissimo. Kevin ordered chocolate something, April ordered passionfruit-mango, and Claire chose chocolate chip. Kevin wants to start a franchise in Logan now.

Lebanese Take-Away, Katoomba

Our second night in the Blue Mountains, we knew we were not dining again at Darley's, so we looked at the many available options along the streets in Katoomba. We found a great Lebanese take-away cafe and ordered 2 spinach cheese triangles, a cauliflower omelette, and side of garbanzo beans and eggplant, all for only $9.60! What a deal and what a contrast to the $200.00 dinner from the previous night! Unfortunately we forgot to take a photo of our dinner. We were pretty hungry and damp after a 5-hour bushwalk in the rain and gobbled it down while walking back to our resort.

Sausage Roll and Meat Pie from sidewalk cafe, Sydney







Places We Saw But Didn't Patronize

McDonald's was ever present, but we didn't try it out. We couldn't imagine that the food could have been any better, even in Australia. We were surprised to see a rather nice dessert section (in the glass case if you care to enlarge the photo to view it).

Australia is apparently rather famous for its beer and wine. We took a few photos of the pubs that caught our attention, but you'll have to find other people to recommend the quality drinks.

Aussie Week Adventure: Dining Down Under, Part 1

Admittedly, we ate very well on this trip--fortunately calories work in reverse in the southern hemisphere, so we actually lost weight! When faced with unfamiliar, extravagant settings we did our best to blend in, though we had not practiced the art of acting "casual" in our "smart" attire. We choked at seeing the prices, but recovered when we reminded ourselves that Tourism New South Wales was footing the bill for these meals. Though we had never heard of many of the dishes, we enjoyed the novel tastes and the artful arrangements of each course. April especially enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to spend time planning, cooking, and cleaning up. So, hang on to your taste buds for our account of:

Dining Down Under, Part I

Breakfasts at The Quadrant Restaurant, Quay Grand Suites, Sydney

Breakfasts were part of the hotel package. Here we experienced the "a la carte" menu (that's French for $6.00 orange juice). The view overlooked the harbor, ambiance consisted of light Jazz mixed with muted conversations, and there were even free Vegemite samples that we snagged each morning.

One morning we were entertained watching an elderly man fishing illegally along the pier. He was rather sneaky, having his lines attached to a pop can and pieces of wood that he set on the ground to look like litter. Unfortunately, he didn't catch anything. We wanted to see how he would inconspicuously take the fish away. There was even a security guard who walked up and down the pier, which added to the drama. That story has nothing to do with our breakfast, but where else were we going to tell it?

Left: Kevin with fresh orange juice and the Australian delicacy, Vegemite

Right: Breakfast steak with poached eggs, grilled tomato, and toast

We sadly admit we did not realize that juices were included until the third morning, thus we missed out on fresh mango juice for the first couple of days. (We assumed the drinks were extra, and at $6.00/glass we weren't inclined to indulge--ask Kevin's parents about their unexpected $80.00 orange juice tab in France...)

Left: April enjoying an herb, cheese, and tomato omelette with toast and hashbrowns





Right: Pancakes with mixed berry compote and a glass of tasty mango juice

Breakfast with the Koalas, Featherdale Wildlife Park

This breakfast was part of our EcoTour to the Blue Mountains. We stopped and ate a continental breakfast (nothing overly fancy, but note the giant croissants!) and were visited by a cute little koala from the park which we were allowed to pet. Our guide advised us to eat quickly so we would have time to look around the park as we were only spending 45 minutes there.

Breakfasts at Tre Sorelle, Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa, Katoomba

This was Kevin's favorite breakfast experience--a tantalizing buffet of exotic fruits, all fresh and laid out ready to devour. Bordering the fruits were assorted French & Danish pastries, breads, meats, cheeses, etc. The charming waitress asked which juice we would enjoy--guava and grapefruit, thank you. A hot item from the a la carte menu was also included, so we tried the coconut-milk porridge with berries.

Breakfast at the Galileo Restaurant, Observatory Hotel, Sydney

Our final morning in Sydney, we ate the last of the wonderful buffet breakfasts provided. Here we had another selection of delicious fresh fruits (love that pineapple and mango!) along with scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and an assortment of fine breads and muffins.

Lunch at the Imperial Hotel, Mt. Victoria

This was just a quick stop on the way to the Blue Mountains on our EcoTour. Again, it was a buffet, and it was similar to something you might experience at a family reunion--stroganoff, pasta salads, rolls. The hotel is said to be haunted by a friendly ghost, Elena, who can sometimes cause trouble but is easily calmed by playing Beethoven (they were playing contemporary pop music during our visit, which is probably why she gets irritated in the first place).

Dinner at the Waterfront Restaurant, Sydney

On our first night in the country, we were treated to an elegant 3-course dinner in an outdoor restaurant with an incredible view of the Sydney Opera House. For those interested in the full menu, take a look here. We chose the following (not knowing what some of the ingredients included in spite of Kevin's knowledge of the French language):

Kevin's Entree: Tempura King Prawns with Wasabi Mayonnaise






April's Entree: Roasted Pumpkin and Sun-dried Tomato Ravioli with Wilted Spinach, Tomato and Basil Coulis

Kevin's Main Course: Wild Barramundi Fillet with Tomato, Caperberries & Pearl Onion Fondue (sidenote: we saw a live barramundi at the aquarium the following day)





April's Main Course: Char Grilled Corn Fed Chicken Breast with Ratatouille, Pancetta, Pan Juices and Pistou

Kevin's Dessert: Belgian Chocolate Truffle Cake with Vanilla Gelati






April's Dessert: Lemon Tarte with Berry Sauce

We probably broke some social etiquette by eating part of our individual dishes and then swapping plates so that we could taste each other's food. The food was delicious, and each plate was a work of art.

Darley's Restaurant, Lilianfels Resort, Katoomba



This was our fanciest (and hence most awkward) dining experience. We were self-conscious about camera flashes disrupting the candlelight atmosphere, so we did not take course-by-course photos. Hence, this lovely picture of Kevin's snapper is all you get to see. If you want to test your dining expertise, try deciphering the full menu, seen here. Kevin forgot that "boudin noir" was "blood sausage" until it arrived on his plate--yet another new stimulus for the palate (and one in which April declined to indulge). Our stunning sunset view was obscured by the mist which persisted during our entire stay in the Blue Mountains.

Magistic Dinner Cruise, Sydney Harbour

This was much less formal than the name implied (dress ranged from T-shirts and jeans to formal wear). The meal was an all-you-can-eat buffet (see above link for the menu) which was available from 7:00-9:00 p.m. after which they brought out a dessert and cheese table. Drinks were included, so we departed from our usual water and ordered Lemon Squash--a flavorsome, sour, bubbly, lemonade drink. April was a bit worried she might get seasick while eating, but the ride was very smooth. The ship went under the bridge, out and around the harbor, and back. Kevin struck up a conversation with 3 men from Bahrain who were sitting at the neighboring table. They were visiting on business and had attended a conference about aluminum.

If you're not salivating after reading this account, then just imagine the sound of Kevin slurping those oysters!

Aussie Week Adventure: Travel and Accommodations

It's finally here--our first official blog describing our travels Down Under!

The goal of our Aussie Week Contest sponsors, Tourism New South Wales (NSW), is to promote to West Coast Americans that they can travel to Australia and have a great time even if they only have a week. Why West Coast Americans as opposed to other Yankees? Because if you live on the West Coast, then it takes no longer to get to Australia than it does to get to Europe (and people will go to Europe for only a week or two). Although we did have a great time in seven days, we would suggest taking a full month (or longer) in order to more fully experience the country, especially if you are wanting to visit more than one place. (Oops, did we just violate part of our agreement by suggesting that?) Actually, even if you want to just spend a week you need to allow nine full days in order to compensate for the flight and the time difference.

We now present installment #1
Travel and Accommodations

The Airline: QANTAS

Qantas is Australia's largest airline. We left LA at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 November and traveled nonstop to Sydney, arriving around 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, 4 November. We don't know what happened to 3 November! The total air travel time was only 14.5 hours. Seating was a bit cramped (Kevin did not have much leg room), but Qantas had great service. The stewards and stewardesses were very polite and quick to respond with assistance, not to mention they all had adorable accents. They were also constantly feeding us! We ate dinner and breakfast on the plane as well as had a variety of snacks available--apples, water, juice, crackers, cookies, mints. Kevin really liked the Aboriginal art ties that the men were wearing and hopes he can find one sometime.

Each seatback had an individual screen with radio, tv, and movie menus for our entertainment. If we hadn't been so tired, we would have watched more movies. We did make it through Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End with some difficulty. We also dozed on and off for a few hours during the night, but we both had trouble sleeping very well.

The weather was rainy upon arrival (a lot more on rain later), but after the hour waiting in lines for luggage and customs it was sunny. We were further delayed due to the fact that we still had American soil stuck to the bottoms of our hiking boots. The Aussies are very thorough--no fresh or dried fruit, no peanuts, no plant matter, and no soil allowed. So be sure to clean the bottoms of your footwear before traveling. It was rather embarrassing having someone else take the boots off to a room to disinfect them for us. We next met our Astra Limousine driver, George, who was a tad disgruntled about waiting for almost an hour holding a sign "YOUNG." Nonetheless, he led us to a luxury BMW (not a stretch limo) and drove from the airport to our hotel the on the Circular Quay (pronounced "key" not "qway" or "kay").


Our First Hotel: Quay Grand Suites




Here is Kevin posing across the street from our first hotel (we ended up with a suite on the ninth floor overlooking the harbour, so our room actually is not visible in this photo). He is standing in a sculpture of remnants of sandstone buildings from the area that had been demolished over the years.









Our suite consisted of a small kitchen fully equipped with cookware and cutlery, a dining room, a bathroom larger than the one in our home and equipped with a shower and jacuzzi, a lounge room with flatscreen tv (which we never had time to watch), a bedroom with a giant king-sized bed, and a small laundry room. Our balcony overlooked the ferries and we could see the Harbour Bridge (it's not the Harbor Bridge, since it is Australian). Needless to say, we felt very out of place in such elegant accommodations, but in actuality we really did not spend too much time here since we were kept busy sightseeing.

Kevin performed in all the video sequences (which we also were required to submit to the travel agency), so it was only fair that April pose as the Vanna White of the Quay Grand Suites (wardrobe courtesy of D.I.).




It was so clean and tidy, but we engaged our instantaneous clutter talents and were able to create stacks of brochures, newspapers, and other travel information within the first couple of days.

Quay Grand Suites received high points for LOCATION, VIEW, and STAFF FRIENDLINESS. We were a bit put out by the lack of free wireless internet and, had we been paying for the trip ourselves, we would not have been staying here in the first place--so obviously they are marketing to a different crowd (you know, the crowd that doesn't mind paying $600 a night to have a great view in the heart of downtown Sydney).

Our Second Hotel: Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

We enjoyed a Deluxe Room (as opposed to a suite) at Lilianfels with a not-so-spectacular view of the roof and an outdoor patio area. It was very feminine and pink--at least our room was. The gardens were well-manicured and picturesque. Kevin tried out the sauna and jacuzzi downstairs in the spa area, but we decided to forego scheduling a massage treatment (starting at $85 for 30 minutes but not included as part of our package) and opted to go bushwalking in the Blue Mountains National Park instead. We did enjoy the heated towel racks, however, which came in very useful for drying out our wet clothing and boots following our 5-hour bushwalk in the rain. We also LOVED the herbal citrus soaps left in the bathroom. Additionally, there was lovely art work hanging throughout the hotel, much of it depicting Australian wildlife and wildflowers.

Lilianfels received our highest rating for LOCATION since it is right next to the Blue Mountains National Park. It had incredible BREAKFASTS (see Aussie Week Adventure: Dining Down Under, Part 1) and CHARMING STAFF. We especially appreciated the complimentary use of their big green UMBRELLAS. Sadly, once again there was no free wireless internet connection, and our idea of a "small fee" is not $15 per hour or $35 per day.

Our Third Hotel: Observatory Hotel

For our last night we had a Deluxe Room with a view overlooking another part of the Sydney Harbour. It wasn't as scenic as our first view, however, and we could see into the "back yards" of some apartments which consisted of small fenced spaces. Some people had clotheslines, others had a few small garden plants--we felt a bit like the folks in the great and spacious building looking down on the serfs. We again had heated towel racks, but we didn't utilize them this time since the final day was sunny. One of the nicest touches to this room was the large plate with fresh strawberries near the window...or perhaps it was the towel with his and her slippers laid out by the sides of the bed after the maid prepared the room for the night.

The Observatory Hotel lacked the prime location of Quay Grand Suites, but was still near major attractions. It is owned by the same company as Lilianfels, and we were pleased that they also had an outstanding BREAKFAST. We won't even mention the lack of free wireless internet...


Bus Transportation





We traveled to the Blue Mountains with Eco Adventures in this 4WD Mitsubishi 16-seater bus. Kevin wants one of these for field work. And when we are not doing field work we can do our own ecotours!











We got a pass for the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus for our day exploring the Blue Mountains area. This was a "hop on, hop off" deal where we could use it all day long, stopping wherever we desired along the route. The drivers were entertaining, cracking jokes as well as explaining about the different sights in the area. One of the drivers was enamored with Texas and was trying a "Howdy Y'all" with his cute Aussie accent.








Car Transportation: Astra Limousines




Astra Limousines provided transportation for us to and from the airport and also for our return trip from the Blue Mountains. Here Kevin is pictured with one of our drivers, Jason, who is a race car driver on the side (did we feel safe riding with him?). He likes sports and car racing, so we got along great with our similar interests!










Ferry Transportation: Sydney Ferries

Circular Quay is a major port for ferries that go all around the Sydney Harbour. You can purchase individual tickets or buy a ticket that will give you unlimited ferry, bus, and train transport for a week. We only used the ferries to travel to and from Ft. Denison and Taronga Zoo, but they are a fun and easy way to get around.

Now that you know the fascinating details of how we got to Australia, where we stayed, and how we traveled about, stay tuned for future posts on what we actually did while we were there!

The Adventure Continues (without photos)

Greetings from Sydney, Australia!

This country is a bit behind the times and 5-star hotels don't have free wireless connections. Not wanting to pay $29.oo a day for internet use (the trip prize doesn't cover it), we found free access at a library computer where the connection is rather slow. We are unable to upload any photos here, so we apologize. Rest assured, we have more than we need of the famous Opera House, which is a 5-minute stroll from our fancy hotel.

Sorry to disappoint our regular readers, but you'll have to wait for the details, photos, and video clips.

We are having a wonderful time, have been treated very well, are impressed with the Australians, and April is handling things well as long as she doesn't encounter cute curly-haired little girls, energetic boys, or quiet brown-haired girls reading books (better not stay too long here at the library!).

We're off to the races (on TV) to view the Melbourne Cup, which is what everyone else in the city is currently doing. Apparently it is a very big deal.

The Adventure Begins...

Well, we're just about ready to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure Down Under (although Kevin has a track record of winning trips, so who knows?). April was still skeptical about things until we finally received the itinerary yesterday morning (April was in panic mode late Wednesday night). Actually we didn't have repack too many things, just add "smart casual" clothing for the fancy dinners they have scheduled for us (yes, we had to look up the definition). We aren't going to reveal too many details yet, but we will be very much out of our comfort zone for part of the time. Remember, our style of travel usually involves camping and cooking over a camp stove--so...a dinner cruise in Sydney Harbor seems a bit out of our element. Oops, we'd better not say any more or readers may lose interest.

Don't ask April any questions relating to the children, as that has repeatedly proven to elicit an involuntary emotional response, complete with leaking eyes. We are hoping that she will be fine by the time we get off the plane (14 1/2 hours should be enough time to compose oneself). After all, we wouldn't want to look frumpy for the limousine transport to the Quay Grand Suites Hotel.

Stay tuned for photos of us doing our best to act casually smart in Sydney! Thank you to all who have helped already and are helping us while we are away.