As close as we could get to the Opera House
After what seemed like a very short night, the alarm went off at 3:30 and we were up and ready by the time our taxi arrived just before 4:00 am. We got to the airport in no time (naturally the roads were practically empty) and after checking in, we stopped for a cup of coffee. Then we went through the departure process (we had to fill out a departure card, something I don't think you have to do in the U.S., which could help explain the Visa overstay problem we have!) and get through security, which was no problem. I browsed through an apparel shop hoping to find a suitable T-shirt, but decided I didn't need to carry any more stuff. After two weeks, I've only worn about 15 percent of what I brought, though I suspect that will change in Australia, as I brought mostly summer clothes, and it's been quite cool in NZ, and we didn't bring that many cool weather clothes! After planting Hubby in the waiting area at the gate, I headed over to another restaurant and picked up a bacon and egg pie for me and an egg sandwich for him, to eat on the flight later. We're on Jetstar, an economy service where you have to pay for everything, even beverages. It wasn't long before we were boarding, and there was no one sitting next to us, so we were able to spread out a bit. After an uneventful flight that landed 15 minutes early, we made our way through customs and immigration. We had to declare we had been on a farm (one of the questions on the declaration card), so they had to take our boots and disinfect them, which didn't take long. Grabbed a taxi to the campervan place, which was only about 15 minutes away, though the Arabic driver was on the phone nearly the entire time, so I'm glad I programmed it into my phone, since he kept asking me where we were going! Anyway, we arrived safe and sound, and were soon filling out all the necessary paperwork to get going. The woman who helped us spent a lot of time trying to up-sell us on various packages, but eventually she moved on to actually completing the transaction. When it was finally time to get the vehicle, we were all surprised to learn the Deuce model we ordered wasn't in the older, cheaper Mighty Brand, but in the Maui brand. That's a big difference, because Mighty only get the vans after they're about 5-6 years old, whereas one is brand new and other is 3-5 years old. So we got a top of the line luxury model with all the bells and whistles. Automatic transmission (as opposed to the 5-speed on the last one), cruise control, air conditioning in the living quarters, three-burner stove, big refrigerator, larger fresh water tank, and lots more storage, though in some ways not quite as convenient as the one in NZ. Nevertheless, we're not complaining, it will be a very easy machine to drive and live in, quite comfortable for the duration! I thought we were lucky to get a unit at all on such short notice, didn't realize it would be a fabulous upgrade like this! Nice! After moving all our stuff in, we walked across the street to a nice little cafe where we had a meal, and I got a chance to use their free wi-fi for a bit. Then we hit the road! We were hoping to get in a tour at the Sydney Opera House, but soon learned there was absolutely NO parking downtown for a rig this size, and after driving around in circles for an hour, we abandoned the idea and headed out of the city, grateful to be on slightly less crowded roads, though they stayed crowded all the way down the highway. It being Friday, I imagine a lot of people go up to the Blue Mountains for the weekend because it's likely to be cooler up there, so we never really got out of traffic. We eventually found an IGA grocery store, did our mandatory shopping, and checked into the Big 3 Easts Holiday Park for the night. Their wi-fi is terrible, probably because we're about as far away from the office as we can get, but otherwise it was a fine spot to sleep in. It didn't take long to make the bed and get things stored away, and I even managed to get the cabin A/C going, which we needed as it was pretty hot. This park is full of kids on bikes and adults mingling around, like a summer camp, but it's right on the ocean so I can see the attraction for some on holiday. Anyway, we were too tired to cook, so a bowl of cereal and some toast later, we were in bed before 7! Hubby was snoring away almost immediately, I read awhile before I fell asleep with my Kindle falling out of my hands.
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