20th October to 3rd November 2010

20th October 10

We had an effortless move 30kms or so down the road back to Seven Mile Beach and had the annexe set up by 12.30pm. Later in the afternoon we took Foxy for a walk along the beach until we were almost level with the end of the airport runway and watched several military aircraft fly in over the water and land. We haven’t been able to identify them as a particular model, other than very big. They appeared to be on a training exercise as they also took off again and did more laps and land/take-off several times, which gave the impression that the military had at least a dozen of these aircraft rather than three, maybe four. There were also Qantas and Virgin Blue planes landing in between some of the military planes causing them to do a slightly wider lap.

28th October 10

Merry flew to Sydney to meet up with her sister Jackie and her son Andrew for a few days sightseeing. The last time she saw Jackie was at our younger son’s wedding 15 years ago, maybe more, and the last time we saw Andrew was in 1985.

29th October

Merry, Jackie and Andrew toured the Sydney Opera house as a group of 3 rather than a large group because of Jackie being in a wheelchair. They gained the benefit of seeing every auditorium including backstage, and were unofficially allowed to take photographs. Unfortunately Merry’s camera decided to throw a fit and didn't do very well out of it and it eventually died, so we will borrow some photos from Andrew.

 It did allow some photos to be taken but the nightime ones were handheld on a moving boat so not too many ended up useable. In the evening they did the evening dinner ferry trip around the harbour prior to returning to their hotel rooms that over look Darling Harbour.

31st October 10

I visited Stu and Be for dinner which meant one day I didn’t have to cook my own dinner with Merry still being away in Sydney. However, the meal was a bonus add-on to the company.

Meanwhile I am told that Merry, Jackie and Andrew had a conducted tour of the Blue Mountains which included riding the cable car down to the bottom and returning on the train that zigzags back up and also had lunch in the cafe that look directly at the Three Sisters, putting them pretty much in-your-face.

1st November 10

Merry and party visited the Taronga zoo but encountered rainy weather which slowed things down a bit, and somehow fitted in a trip to Bondi beach and the Queen Victoria shopping centre.

2nd November 10

Merry arrived back home in the afternoon so life has changed for the better and Foxy is much more relaxed.