Shaan decorating:
Geoff and Juliette put the lights on:
After a while, I made my way over to Manly Beach. I had gone with Shaan the previous week, but that day was so cold we didn't really get past the ferry terminal! This time I took my time wandering around the Corso and went up to the beach. It was a bit of a grey day, but still lovely to wander around that area.
And then I came home and we had a lovely BBQ and relaxed a bit. Sunday I got up early and made my way (after quite a travel log on public transport) down to Bondi Beach to meet up with even more cousins and their kids. Anthony had arranged the group, and he was there when I got there. It wasn't long before one of his brothers, Daniel, showed up with his girlfriend, Danny, and soon after our cousin Tom showed up before his turn in the Bondi beach swim that day.
Tom, Daniel, Anthony:
We watched the Little Nippers (the junior Life Savers club):
And then Tom had to go off to his swim race (and would meet up again later), and we found Anthony's wife, Loretta, and their three sons (Edward, George, and Sebastian), as well as Daniel's boy, Byron, and the third brother (of 5), Patrick. We all spent some time around the "pool" area on the side of the beach, and I finally got into the surf! We all splashed around a bit in the pool, too, and Anthony was kind enough to take photos. There's actually many more, but they're not all going online. If you're family and you want to see them, let me know!
I'm here in the surf:
The boys looking for fish:
Patrick and Edward:
The boys, Patrick, Loretta, and me:
After the swim time, we went and grabbed some breakfast for the boys, and then the kids were all tired, so I said goodbye to the three brothers and family and hung out on the beach for a while to wait for Tom. What a fabulous beach!
This is the life:
Tom arrived just about noon, and he and I went and got some lunch. It was great to catch up with him, and hear a bit about the family.
We ended up wandering around the Bondi markets for a bit, but since he'd just swam 2.2 km in the Bondi surf, he was a bit knackered! So he drove me into downtown, we said our goodbyes, and he dropped me off at the Rocks for some shopping (and boy, did I shop!)
Eventually I came back to the house and did a bit of organizing to ship another box home, and watched some tv with Shaan and Geoff. And now we're to my last day! I shipped one more box home, and Shaan and I had some lunch, and soon we'll be leaving for the airport.
I'm quite sad to be leaving family and a place I love. I look forward to coming back, and I do hope some of the relies can visit me! It's also shocking that I'll be home in a week and a half. I still have a whole 'nother adventure to go in New Zealand, but that will probably go quite quickly!
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