Sydney, Australia Vacation 2010
Posted by Jeri on June 11, 2010
Getting the suitcases out is always fun. Here we are trying to decide which one we should take on our trip.
Craig was in North America for almost two weeks before he met us in Sydney. We were so excited to see him! Here we are in our hotel in Sydney the afternoon he arrived. Get used to these outfits – we wore them nearly every day. Since we were going to Sydney in the winter, we had to round up a few things besides flip flops and t-shirts so we wouldn’t freeze!
We stayed in Darling Harbour, Sydney. On our first day, we just took the monorail train around and enjoyed the area. Here are Craig and the kids waiting on the train.
Good thing these two know how to stick together when strangers are around. They were holding hands on the train – it was so cute!
We got off the train and walked to a nice park. Here are the 3 kiddos there.
My beautiful Hannah – inside and out.
Caleb was so funny. He insisted on wearing his hood every time he wore his sweatshirt. I bought him another sweater, but he only wanted to wear this one. It wasn’t THAT cold, silly boy!
At the park, there was a man making huge bubbles. Hannah and Caleb loved it. Why do we ever pay for entertainment anyway??
There were some nice fountains in the park there. Elizabeth loved getting a ride everywhere. She likes facing out in the Baby Bjorn so she can get a good look at everything.
We all enjoyed Sydney’s Wildlife World. Yes, that is a REAL snake. Any guesses why Craig wanted to be the photographer?? Hannah looks a little nervous, but she did end up touching the snake for at least a fraction of a second. Caleb wasn’t nervous about the ordeal at all.
We sat and watched the kangaroos for a long time. Too bad we couldn’t pet them. At a wildlife sanctuary we went to in Brisbane two years ago, we were able to pet the kangaroos.
Caleb loved these animals!
Our kids get to see a cassowary at church here in Alotau every Sunday, but they were still thrilled with the display there.
It’s not every day you get to sit on a big tree frog, either.
We also visited the Sydney Aquarium. Hannah was excited because she doesn’t get to snorkel like Craig and I do and she wanted to see fish like we get to see when we snorkel. Elizabeth was totally enamored by the fish. If you’re ever in Sydney, I highly recommend the Aquarium. It’s really amazing.
Part of our holiday fun was just being able to sleep in a hotel. Our family is too big for one room at the Four Points by Sheraton there, so we had two rooms – which was a blessing. Here’s Caleb performing for us in the window. He and Hannah loved singing for us then closing the curtains and opening them again for our show.
After our 5 days in Sydney, we drove to Wollongong to be with our friends, Jason, Nicole, Ella, and Noah Whaley, who are doing a church plant there. We had a marvelous time.
Nicole and I taught our 5 children (under 5 years) Bible class on Sunday at their house.
We really enjoyed the parks there The kids could just play for hours!
Elizabeth’s first time swinging – and lovin’ it!
Could her smile get any bigger?
Elizabeth started pulling up on everything while we were on our trip. Look at that almost-one-year-old!
Here are Caleb and Hannah with Ella Whaley. She was so sweet to share her toys and put up with all the extra noise in her house for a few days.
Jason and Nicole took us to a play area for young children called Green Bean. On our way there, Hannah asked why it wasn’t called “Black Bean.” I have no idea why it would have either name, but they sure had lots of fun – especially in the ball pit. Now this is a first world experience!
Elizabeth was a little nervous about the whole thing at first, but she soon became comfortable and had a great time.
Things we loved about our family vacation:
- Lots of time together
- Watching the kids experience new things
- Parks
- McDonald’s (yeah, yeah, I know…)
- Telling stories, laughing, and eating Thai food with the Whaleys
- Not cooking
- Riding the train
- Using disposable diapers
- Feeling a little bit chilly and not sweating
- Eating lots of apples and pears
- Relaxing
We had a wonderful time. Do you think you need a vacation?
Sounds like you had a GREAT time! That’s wonderful!
What fun. Your kids are so cute.
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