7 -14 June 2020 This is Winter?

As I was helping prepare for new missionary arrivals a week ago, Don had a meeting in Sydney with one of the attorneys he works with on various matters.  Using the express bus, he arrived a bit early and enjoyed going into the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which was closed when we were there earlier in the month.  The beauty of stained glass and the upscale shops all located in Victorian-era- like facades is a lovely place to visit.

Another impressive building in Sydney is St. Andrews Cathedral.  An beautiful example of revivalist Gothic architecture, it is the cathedral church of the Anglican church here in Australia. 

The next day we went with another senior missionary couple, Ron and Elise Christensen from Highland, Utah on the Hornsby Blue Gum Hike.  Just as it sounds, we hiked through amazing stands of the towering eucalyptus trees through rain-forest like terrain to sandstone ridges.  Rock shelters, waterfalls and fishponds, we traversed through a number of environments as we reached the top of the ridge and then continued back down the trails.  I love these bush walks. What a beautiful day for a hike.  This is called winter "Down Under?!"

One of the most interesting things I've seen here is the regeneration taking place for some of the trees that were part of the firestorms last summer.  Already, trees not totally decimated have green sprouts coming right out of the tree trunks and branches.  What a hopeful sight to witness and see how flora life continues even under such devastating circumstances.

The Fishponds

Rock shelters and eroded sandstone boulders

Carpets of ferns throughout the lower parts of the bush

This week was equally busy as we had 40 new Australian missionaries arrive as they have been reassigned from other missions due to the corona virus.  It was a busy week for the office couples; two couples are preparing to return to the states in just two week so this is their last missionary orientation.  I watched, trying to learn everything I will need to do when they leave as I will continue helping in the mission office also.  

With more English speaking missionaries, I will probably teach my last Zoom ESL class this week.  Now they will be able to have English speaking companions that will help them continue practicing English with daily study.  Perhaps we will be able to continue since meetings of larger groups are now allowed and I could meet with groups.  I'll just see what the mission president and the self-reliance missionaries plan to do.  I feel pretty energized meeting with these enthusiastic young adults.  Their commitment to serving and working hard is inspiring.  It's been very hard for them as many cannot drive and they have been in isolation for a long time.  

Yesterday we went with the Christensens again and took on the challenge of the Bondi to Coogee Beach walk.  Parking at Coogee Beach, we began the 6km walk to Bondi Beach by walking along the coastal cliffs.  Absolutely amazing ocean views and five of  Sydney's fabulous beaches made for a memorable day. Leaving Coogee beach we then walked on to Clovelly, Bronte, Tamarama before stopping at Bondi for a late lunch. 

As we followed our walk, we passed the Waverly Cemetery at Bronte, a massive cemetery known for its Victorian and Edwardian headstones and monuments.  It opened in 1877 and has over 90,000 burials and monuments.  Its location is remarkable as it looks out toward the Tasman Sea and is situated high on the city hill.

The cliff views are as stunning to us as the beaches.

Clovelly Beach with ocean pools and swimming areas

 Another beautiful winter day, we stopped along the way to watch surfers and look for whales.  No luck with whale watching on this day, but each beach and bay had numerous wet-suit clad surfers trying to get the best wave.  We followed one lone swimmer, watching from the cliffs as he swam from Coogee to Bronte.  He just turned around and began swimming back.  Ocean swimming through swells cannot be easy.  After eating al fresco at a sidewalk cafe in Bondi, the four of us began the 6km  return trip. 

First Road Trip!!!  Don and I were so excited to get to drive up to Newcastle and meet with family members.  Tony and Laura Barton our daughter-in-law Rebecca's brother and wife, invited us to come up and share the day with them.  What a joy to spend time together and enjoy such a warm welcome to their home.  Afterward, they showed us more beautiful beaches and sites.  When we lived in Germany, I never tired of seeing half-timbered houses.  In Australia, I will never tire of the exquisite beaches and rocky cliffs. 

Here we are with Tony and Laura at the first beach they showed us: RedHead Beach by Lake Macquarie.

This next site is actually one of Tony's "offices," the Merewether Flying Site.  It is where he sometimes teaches and where he and other flyers take off when hang-gliding or paragliding.  A stunning location high above the beach, it has become something of a venue for weddings with its gorgeous backdrop.  We'd love to come back and watch.  I don't think I could run off the cliff though to get in the air!  Don thinks he's game for it though as long as Tony is with him!     

The third site we saw was located at the Strzelecki Lookout which is where the ANZAC Memorial Walk and Bridge is located.  This has an area which is really Tony's "official" office for take-offs!  

These steel silhouettes of WWI soldiers are also engraved with the names of those soldiers who served from Newcastle and the surrounding area in the "Great War."  Laura told us that at night, the silhouettes and bridge walkway are lit.  That would be a lovely site to see sometime.

                      

While looking out toward the ocean, we saw many coal barges as Newcastle is still a large coal mining and shipping area.  Earlier we had seen whales' spouts. But then, there it was.  A humpback whale tail slapping the water and breaching a few times.  She was putting on quite a show for us. We spent several minutes just enjoying the scene until a large yacht ventured to close probably trying to get up close and personal.  Alas, our friend disappeared.  

This is the fence that "protects" Tony's main office.  The flyers just have to lift their gear over and then be prepared to walk back up the trail from the beaches where they often land.

Our last stop for the day was Nobbys Beach which is a wonderful family and surf beach.  Here is the lighthouse.  While watching the surfers, we also could see the a pod of dolphins jumping and playing right behind them.  What an absolutely wonderful WINTER day.  Laura and Tony were so gracious and hospitable and spent their day taking us to see such beautiful scenes.  We are so privileged to call them family.  We hope to return even a modicum of hospitality when they come down our way.  But we will definitely be going back too.