Sydney, NSW

• Woolwich Marina
  Sydney, New South Wales
  Australia
  
• 17-Dec-2006
• 33°50.6000"S/151°10.1000"E

It’s official! We are in Sydney, Australia... our home for the next few months.

Upon rounding the corner at Port Jackson, we were greeted by hundreds of boats enjoying the picture-perfect Sunday afternoon on the bay. The busy bay was full of sailboats, mega-powerboats, small fishing boat, kayaks, racing boats of all size, ferries, and even large container ships. Getting through the bay was quite a challenge with all the commotion. We even had a ferry get within 40 feet of us because of the crowded bay. That was a bit on the scary side.

The commotion was worth it all once the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House finally came into view. Yes, my eyes swelled up with the emotion of it all. Seeing the city center, bridge, and Opera House was a huge milestone for ‘Team Sandpiper’. We made it to San Francisco’s sister city.

Just as we were going under the bridge, our friends from S/V Blue Sky called on VHF, sang "Happy Birthday "to Tom. They deployed their dingy and came out to meet us for an escort to our new home. With all the commotion on the bay, we hooked on to a ball for the night and celebrated Tom’s 40th birthday with Blue Sky and our friends Paddy and Allison off of S/V Zarfarrsa.

The next morning we took advantage of the calm water and pulled into our berth. It’s not quite what we are use to, but we have a fantastic view of the city. Sandpiper is basically tied to two posts on the stern while the bow of the boat is somewhat tied to the pier. Getting on and off the boat is a challenge!

New Year’s Eve here will be amazing! We have million dollar views of the city and the bridge. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Love to all,

Amy and Tom