I got up bright and early yesterday and went into the city to catch a ferry to Manly. I have done this on each of my last four trips to Australia, and it seems to have become a tradition. I love the ferry trip, so it hardly bothered me that it was raining:
I was on an early ferry and it was almost abandoned. The gigantic ship was a bit eerie with so few on board. I wandered all over enjoying the trip from many different railings (upstairs and down).
The rain was less at Manly beach, more like a pervasive sprinkle. The surf was powerful and unwelcoming, with no flags erected for swimmers. Only surfers were braving the water:
Despite the lack of swimmers, it was a crowded place even at 9:30 am. There were hundreds of people along the stretch of the beach, walking, running or eating at cafes. I walked halfway down the beach to the north before the rain picked up, and then walked all the way to the south and half way along the coastal walk toward cabbage tree. It was a relaxing walk, with a strong breeze helping to overcome the heat (even present in the overcast weather).
At the point where the corso meets the boardwalk, a pagoda is decorated with images of the sand-art of a famous sand sculptor who lived in Manly during the 1930s. He would create lavish sculptures – often even painting them – and charge admission for people to see them. He also sold postcards, and these are now the only evidence of his talent. Which was – to say the least – significant:
I was spend the middle of the day shopping for last minute gifts in the city, then spend the afternoon watching a superb cricket game with Adam. During this period (watching the cricket) I drunk 4 440ml bottles of Solo, and ate a generous amount of lollies. I ate pies for dinner. It was a good afternoon.
But on the ferry back to Sydney from Manly I took the following self portrait:
As you can see I was in a good mood (I love exploring Sydney by myself) but I am also very, very tired. 2.5 weeks of non-stop exertion has more than caught up on me and it is now time for a vacation!
Unfortunately today I return home, and tomorrow I must spend most of the day preparing for work. I haven’t even begun to write the lecture I will be giving less than 48 hours from now!
So I am packing now for the trip, and doing my best to ignore the fact that it will all end quite abruptly and I will be thrown back into the school year. Australia has been fantastic, but like every vacation, it has ended too soon 🙂