Back to Sydney

(May 6 to 9)

We flew back to Sydney via Perth on May 6. Our last three days in Australia were pretty low key. We had to get some things organized for the next stage of our trip and try to wash the red sand out of all our clothes. We had a great meal one night when Barney and Bryan prepared one of the baramundi they caught on their fishing trip.

The last day in Sydney was Mother's Day. Jacquie and I attempted to spend an hour in bed reading but wind up talking non-stop as usual before we were treated to a great breakfast on the deck. In the afternoon we met up with Bryan's folks and his sister and family at a beautiful picnic spot overlooking the ocean. We were also jointed by Mary Armstrong and Dan Cornett from Whitehorse who were visiting Sydney.

Later that evening Jacquie brought out a bottle of champagne to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the founding of Bryan and Jacquie's business.

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A few notes about Australia...

* On our trip into the Kimberleys we drove a total of 2615 km and spent $500 on diesel. Litres per 100 km = 11.6 (about 20 cents /km)

* Price of gas per litre -
Sydney $1.20
Cairns $1.34
Broome $1.45

* Hostel – Cairns $65; Broome $125

* Population
Whole country – 22,000,000
Sydney- 4,500,000
Cairns- 123,000
Broome- 15,000
Aboriginal = about 2.4 %

* Underground parking for 3 hours in downtown Sydney = $47

* Food is expensive – even by Yukon standards. Avocados are over $2 each and bananas are $3.39/kg. We have a greater variety of fruit available in our Whitehorse grocery stores. There’s lots if lamb in the stores but it’s expensive too.

* Minimum wage seems to vary by state but in Queensland it is $12.70/ hour.

* Cappuccino costs the same as tea – about $4 in Sydney and Broome.

* Ice cream is cheaper the further you go away from Sydney!

* Australians drive on the left.

* Koala bears have individual finger prints like humans – the only other species to have them.

* The Great Barrier Reef is 2000 miles long.

* Australia has the greatest number of reptiles of any country.

* The dingo was introduced to Australia 5000 years ago.

* Overall, the insects weren’t too bad. One night in Purnululu I was bitten by multiple midges. I never felt a thing till the next morning when I woke up scratching like a mad woman and covered in little red welts. The run-of-the-mill type flies are tiny, tenacious, tedious and persistent. They have sticky little feet that tickle as they rapidly roam over your face in search of moisture.

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A few more pictures from Sydney (taken before and after we went to the Kimberleys)

Sydney 2

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