Slept well again last night - I don't know what it is about the cell, but it seems to work. Had brekkie at the hostel and then over to Maccas for an e-mail check. See? I am beginning to embrace the Aussie vocabulary.
I got over to Ethan's around 11:30 and we hung out and talked about what we might do. He had some work to finish up and was tired after working late, and for a while it just looked like we were going to stay around Coogee and not do too much. Ethan had a flash about going to Manly Beach, which is a ferry ride from Sydney Harbour. Ethan had been there before and there is a lovely long walk around the Heritage Trail that can be as short or as long as you wish. It seemed like something nice for a shortened day and that we could do at our own pace. We hopped on the Coogee to Sydney bus - I am becoming a veteran! - and made it to Circular Quay in time to buy ferry tickets. It was a bit cloudier and not as warm as originally predicted, but the sun came out and the weather was fine for our trip and for the day. We saw some glorious views once again of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, with the city in the background - I never get tired of seeing them.
Manly has a nice beach but is also an interesting town with lots of shops and restaurants. In 1788 Capt. Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy, looking to establish a colony in New South Wales, explored around Port Jackson. During the exploration the captain was impressed by the "confidence and manly behaviour" of a group of Aboriginals in the northern area of the harbour, and in that typically clever English way, Manly Beach received its name. Henry Gilbert Smith, an English businessman living in Sydney, realised the potential for this area and was responsible for helping to create the ferry service and pier, as well as the planting of many Norfolk pines along the harbour. He bought up land and encouraged the establishment of a village, and Manly became a popular destination for short trips.
We explored around the main streets for a while, including a little street market, and then we saw a burger restaurant with a menu that looked pretty good. It had apparently been voted one of the Top 10 restaurants for 2010 so we figured we had to try it. Ethan got a Lamblicious and I got a burger with grilled barramundi, and we agreed that the honour bestowed was well-deserved. For Ethan it ranked near the top of his Best Burger List, with Fernburger of New Zealand (where he apparently ate Bambi) at the top, followed by Bartley's in Cambridge, and then In and Out Burger and this one in a close tie.
We walked down by the beach and started out on the walk, stopping for beautiful views and photo opportunities. There were several different paths available, all seeming to eventually loop back to the start depending on how much time you wanted to spend. We had a lovely walk and somehow ended up for a time on a residential street, enjoying looking at the different houses built up high to overlook the water. We wended our way back to the trail and found a nice place to watch the sunset - the sun sets pretty quickly here, but it was really lovely while it lasted. We sat on a bench for a while until it got dark in order to take full advantage of an evening cruise back to Sydney. I know Dan was very close to us in our thoughts, and hopefully somewhere with us. We got back to the ferry in time for the 6:10 crossing. It was a bit breezy at first but soon the wind calmed down. We could see some stars and found the Southern Cross. We saw lots of gulls swooping and flying alongside the boat. The views were again breathtaking as we came within sight of the bridge and the city lights. Unfortunately my camera can't take pictures in the dark that do it any kind of justice, so the images will just have to remain in my head, but they are really quite amazing. We got off the ferry and somehow as soon as we got to the bus stop our bus to Coogee was there. When we got back we hung out at Ethan's with some of his roomies and Ethan and I again imbibed our favourite bevvie (goon!) as an aperitif to our dinner. Neither of us was very hungry, and by the time we started to think about eating something most places were closed, even though it was still fairly early. Ethan decided to cook himself some chicken and I said goodnight. I went back to the hostel and thought I might see what was happening there, but when I got to the reception/common area there were lots of "young'uns" watching a movie and I didn't really feel very comfortable - kind of stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. I went to Macca's and had a cappuccino and when I got back the two girls from the other room were in my common area so after saying hello I went into my room but left the door open so I wouldn't feel so much like Crazy Grace Poole in the attic. I feel I have very little to say to these kids and I am sure they have even less to say to me, so I smile and they smile and that's that.
Ethan has class tomorrow so it is another free day for me, which probably means going into Sydney again to see my favourite places. I can't believe I am actually coming to the end of my stay, and as usual I am never really ready to go. I am so grateful that I was able to take this trip and see so much of this beautiful country. I would really love to see the plans Dan made for our trip but I am not sure where they are. I know it would have been just wonderful, as all our adventures together were. He would love the beautiful views and all the interesting places, and of course I would love more than anything to be with him.
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