Off to Tasmania

We apologize for the late entry. We have been off the Sandpiper touring Tasmania. We will update soon.

Hey all,

Dad and Grandma leave tomorrow. Their time here has really flown by. We are ending our trip with lunch at the The American Club, followed by a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. Also, Tom and I are preparing to leave for our 2 week adventure in Tasmania this Wednesday. So, we'll post a message as soon as we can upon our return.

The last few days with Dad and Grandma again have been chalk full of tours around Sydney. January 26 was Australia day. We started the day with lunch, then off to Darling Harbor where all the action was. We boarded the vessel 'Ocean Dreaming' for a 4-hour tour of the harbor. The weather was excellent, and the vessel was not even half full. So there was plenty of room to roam around.

We pulled into a bay outside Darling Harbor before returning to our slip to catch some free jazz in the park, and take a look at the "Best Dressed Vessels" competition. Once returning to our slip, we had the best view of all the activities. There was a floating stage set up in the middle of the bay with fireworks platforms surrounding it. At 9 pm the fireworks went off. We oohh'd and ahhhh'd for the next 20 minutes. What a spectacular way to celebrate Australia Day!

We've also toured the Australian Museum, browsed the Market at the Rocks, and saw a free show at the Cultural Center.

A few weeks back Tom and I met a gentlemen named Jeremy Donovan. Jeremy informed us he performs at the Cultural Center playing the Aboriginal musical instrument, the Digeridoo. Well, his show lasts about 20 minutes and is excellent! Jeremy keeps himself quite busy and can be found performing at the Las Vegas Hilton for the next few weeks. You can check him out at www.didgeridooboy.com.

Tom and I are really looking forward to our trip to Tasmania. We plan on checking out the beach in Melbourne for a few days before flying to the island. Once in Tasmania we are hoping to do lots of walks and exploring at and around Cradle Mountain, Launceston, Devenport, and Hobart.

Hopes this finds everyone well.

Love to all Amy and Tom