Last Day

My Aunt and Cousins A and E took me down to Balmoral Beach this morning.  We had a delicious breakfast in the pavillion just visible on the right of this picture.  It's a lovely, bright (almost art-deco style in places) building with great views over the beach.  There were what appeared to be hundreds of kids on the beach in uniform swimmers, rashies and hats doing "little nippers" surf rescue training.  Lots of running, press-ups, running into surf and paddling on boards going on under the supervision of coaches and parents.  I thought of CyclopsJnr doing his Sunday morning rugby training - much the same idea!
 
After that it was time to head to the airport and start the long journey home.
 
I have really enjoyed visiting Australia.  The infrastructure feels quite American (roads, buildings), but the people and culture especially in Melbourne and the Blue Mountains felt much more European.  Sydney is a busy bustling metropolis like London, New York or San Francisco, but with very modern clean infrastructure and without the same obvious social problems - very little visible homelessness, no noticeable groups of disaffected youth.  In places the modern buildings and cleanliness felt like something out of sci-fi (the non-dystopian variety).  Sydney Harbour, the National Parks I saw, the beaches and the Blue Mountains were just spectacular.  There's clearly so much to explore here!
 
It was lovely to see some of my family I've not seen for years, and to meet many of the next generation for the first time.  I really will have to come back...