Sydney

We arrived home last night from an eventful week - Georgie got her first tooth, she started sitting on her own, and she mastered both during our 5 day trip to Sydney. Despite the fact that the purpose of the trip was for Scott to attend a conference, we found lots to time to explore this fantastic city. We had the pleasure of Gladys' company there to help guide our experiences. Scott skipped out on one of his 3 conference days, so we did a double decker bus tour of the city on Thursday (I know...cheesy, but such a great way to get the lay of the land and hit the hot spots) - loved seeing the iconic Opera House, harbour bridge, and surfer dudes at Bondi Beach. That night, Gladys and I had an amazing meal at one of the best restaurants in Sydney. A delicious taste of Thai, albeit a very spicy one.

Scott and the Peach at Bondi Beach

Georgie and I taking in the sights

On Friday, we explored the botanical gardens, where we were amazed most by the 'flying foxes' (ie. massive fruit bats) who perch in the trees there. Saturday, we rented a car and made the 2 hour drive north of Sydney to visit the Hunter Valley. We tasted some NSW wines, soaked in the scenery of the beautiful countryside, and enjoyed some great food and vino (this seems to be the unifying theme of the trip...bless the Aussies, and damn them at the same time, for the great food and wine they make. I fear you won't recognize us when we hit Canadian soil again - there is likely going to be much more of us to love).

Scott, Gladys and G lounging in the sun on beanbags at a fantastic lunch spot ("MoJo on Wilderness") in the Hunter Valley - great pick, Gladys!

To cap off the weekend, on Mother's Day (while sending lots of love and appreciation to our wonderful moms and grandmothers in Canada!), we took the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. The animals were impressive, but the views they have, were even more so. The giraffes have, hands down, one of the nicest pieces of real estate the city has to offer. Georgie's favourite animal at the zoo: the koala hand puppet we bought her last week - apparently she is still a bit too young to appreciate the zoo experience. My fav: the 2 month old baby elephant scampering around...it just doesn't get cuter than that.

What a view

Back to the grind today for us all...the one bad part about traveling is the unpacking and getting back into a 'normal' routine. So far, no more big trips planned until the second wave of grandparents (the Miller clan) arrive in mid-June. Until then, we'll hunker down at 1/4 Hood Street and enjoy our last 6 weeks in Melbourne.

The Millspoons (a rare family shot thanks to Gladys) with beautiful Sydney Harbour in the background