We’re on our way! After a great family celebration for Geoff’s mother, Dorothy’s 95th birthday, we flew out of Toronto this evening on the same flight as Erin, returning to Vancouver. Months of planning now leave us 16.5 hours flying time from Sydney. Already Australian accents are filling the lounge.

Geoff, anticipating Sydney warmth, is in shorts. Not quite ready to freeze in YVR air conditioning I am elegantly attired in socks under my sandals, but I do promise to remove them before we touch down in Sydney.

It was 42 years ago this November that two very excited newlyweds left Canada for an Aussie adventure. Before we settled down to have a family and take on a mortgage we wanted to see the world. Geoff’s dream had always been to see Australia and so for the next 2+ years we lived in Sydney, travelled to New Zealand, welcomed Erin, hiked and camped along the east coast under the gums eventually returning to Canada.

This time we are retired but still excited, and looking forward to renewing friendships and exploring the less travelled parts of this glorious sunburnt country especially Kakadu Park in the Northern Territory and the Gibb River Road in Western Australia for the next three months.

More to come later from Sydney.

Catherine

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