So Long, Sydney Sabbatical; Hello West Australia Vacation

December 2019

A weird first half of December brought to an end our Sydney Sabbatical. The historically devastating bushfires surrounding the city and across the state overshadowed everything. We frequently awoke to ominously hazy skies and on some days grey smoke blanketed the city. Apocalyptic was the word of the month.

Orange sun through smoky sky in Sydney

Nevertheless summer and festive celebrations were full on in the city center. At the Rocks, the Queen Victoria Center and Martin Place there were elaborate Christmas displays and festivities.

Giant, ornately decorated tree inside Queen Victoria Building

Spot the Christmas tree on the Town Hall

Every evening after dinner we ambled around the harbor where restaurants were abuzz with party clad employees of the CBD's big corporations. The first December Friday was particularly bizarre with the juxtaposition of a gloomy smoke choked city and vivacious office parties held at popular restaurants.

Our last Sydney Opera House event was the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's rendition of Mahler's Klagende Lied, a cantata we'd never encountered before. The dynamic female conductor, Simone Young, (music director of Hamburg State Opera) exhibited boundless energy. Mahler was 20 when he composed this piece, based on a fairy tale. It failed to win the award that motivated the composition and he spent years revising the original. In this 3 movement  piece, there was a large orchestra, soloists, a chorus and an offstage band toward the end. The result was an impressive, moving piece of music with a beautiful combination of orchestral music and singing. So glad we splurged on good seats which allowed us to be moved emotionally by facial expressions.

Our last Sunday walk was a sort of repeat of a walk we'd done back in October, but in reverse, with an additional detour. We took a ferry to Taronga Zoo, then hopped on a bus to Balmoral Beach. The weather was ideal, not too warm, and the air delightfully smoke free. From the beach we headed into a forested section, up steep stairs over a suspended walkway and ended at Middle Head, a detour we hadn't done before.

Sunday walk from Balmoral Beach to Middle Head on the North Shore of Sydney

Here, there were World War 1 monuments, gun encasements and tunnels identical to the ones we'd seen in Bradley's Head back in October. It confused the heck out of me. To Daryl's amusement I insisted we'd been there before though we hadn't! The views of the city skyline and Harbor Bridge were gorgeous. Before ending the walk at Taronga Zoo we munched our last picnic lunch with harbor views from the North Shore - the usual avocado sandwich crammed with salad veggies.

There were two noteworthy new restaurants we tried out. One was the very popular Thai Pothong on King Street in Newtown, an inner west suburb close to the University of Sydney with an alternative Berkeley-esque vibe. All along King Street restaurants proudly display vegan menus. A vegan 'chicken' satay for starters signaled high quality. The kee-mow noodles and tofu jungle curry dish that followed were boldly seasoned, with a generous amount of crunchy vegetables. What a shame to have discovered this excellent restuarant at the end of our time in this city!

Yellow, an upmarket vegan restaurant in Potts Point, had been on our list of "must do" dining spots since September, and thankfully we finally tried it out. It's one of the Metropole fine dining locations, an indulgence to celebrate a successful Sabbatical. The 3 course meal was exquisite - inventive, seasonal, beautifully presented and the service was in keeping with what you'd expect at these establishments.

Emptying out closets and drawers at our Cove apartment was a joyless act. There was so much we'd miss. Most of all, that view of a dynamic, modern city from the living room glass wall: green and yellow ferries departing and arriving at Circular Quay; ceaseless traffic across the Harbor Bridge; cyclists, joggers, walkers on Observation Hill; tourists milling along Opera Quays; a giant cruise ship drifting out of the harbor, and above all, the famous and beautiful Sydney Harbor Bridge. I'll miss popping into Coles for groceries, weaving through elegantly dressed office workers emerging from Wynyard Station and rushing to work. We'll miss hopping down our street, Harrington, to the Munich Bar for Happy Hour where a pint of locally brewed pale ale went for just $5.00 and paired perfectly with a warm, doughy pretzel.

Our favorite Happy Hour place - the Munich bar down our street at the Rocks where a pint of Pale Ale is just $5.00

So much else to add to the list of things we'll miss ...
Luckily, the 2nd half of December was packed with exciting plans through clever planning.

Perth and West Australia

In WA you are instantly hit by a relaxed pace, an absence of density, a calmness. You can't help being aware of its remoteness. Yet a definite 21st century pervades the metropolitan areas. Perth and its sprawling suburbs are concentrated along a long stretch of coast. Our days were inevitably centered around beaches of powdery white sand and water, a mesmerizing turquoise.

Pristne, peaceful beach north of Perth

On our first morning in Burns Beach, a northern Perth suburb where Pam and family live, Daryl and I awoke at 5:00 A.M. for a beach walk. The sun was already peeking above the horizon when we crossed the street over to the park from where we caught our first vistas of the Indian Ocean. Stepping down the steps to the beach we saw a lady sitting lotus style meditating. The few locals we past smiled and greeted us - something Sydneysiders avoid doing (!). By 6:15 the sun was too fierce to continue our walk. That was when we realized beach walks should be done late in the day. In the days that followed we headed out around 5:00 PM when the temperatures were deliciously mild.
One late afternoon, instead of our usual walk south toward Perth City where we encounter friendly families walking their dogs, we headed north, which was more desolate, pristine, and as beautiful as those beaches you see in glamorous travel magazines. We had been misinformed that the walking track connecting Burns Beach to Mindara Marina 2 kilometers away, had been completed. It wasn't - so when the track ended at a wall we stepped down to the beach. The soft sand covered in shells, nature sounds and the sweet air at a perfect temperature tempted us on ... until we reached Mindarie Marina two hours later.

Pigging out at Mindarie Marina after a 2 hour beach walk

There, we collapsed at a bar terrace and rewarded ourselves with a jug of local beer and a platter of carb heavy tapas - quesadilla, arancini, battered courgettes, sweet potato fries. Pam ferried us back home.

Other than beach walks, Perth city center provided a day of fun entertainment. The summer heat though, was unbearable. Luckily, at the airconditioned Art Gallery of West Australia we could enjoy the paintings of early 20th century Australian artists. The modest collection of 18th and 19th century European art was satisfying too. Later in the day we headed out to the gleaming new Elizabeth Quay waterfront development. Over a chilled locally brewed IPA at a bar terrace we admired the eye catching new bridge, the sleek contemporary architecture and a giant metal sculpture of concentric ovals.

Perth City

Perth's economy cycles through booms and busts and the new Elizabeth Quay development was a result of a boom a decade ago, only recently finished.

King's Park, above the city center, provided hours of outdoor joy on a different day. Here, landscaped botanic gardens lead seamlessly to natural bush, with meandering and raised walkways and bridges over ravines. Sensational views force you to stop and gape.

Baobab tree in King's Park, trucked here from northern territories

View of Perth's skyline from King's Park

Double helix ladder, King's Park, Perth

We spent an afternoon in Fremantle (known as Freo by the locals), a port town at the mouth of the Swan River. The lively craft and food markets in a historic Victorian building were great for a meander. Then, out on the streets we strolled to the fishing harbor, passing colonial era buildings, and many cafes and bars with an alternative vibe. From the boardwalk, past vibrant cafe terraces and boats, we hopped onto the walking trail which led to 19th century stone remnants. We managed a quick glance at the famous Femantle Prison, a stone structure with round towers, before the drive back north along the coast road. We past bustling Scarborough, famous for its stunning beaches, then Hillary's, a cute harbor and beach suburb, before reaching the quieter, laidback Joondalup municipality where Burns Beach is located.

Down South to Wine Country

We joined Pam and family for 4 nights in the Margaret River Valley, a 3 hour drive south of Perth. Our Airbnb, a rather spacious beachside house, was in Dunsborough at Geographe Bay, where the water, just across the road from us, was warm and shallow, and the beaches wide, with soft sand. The region is famous for its high quality, highly structured wines, but it has plenty of natural beauty too due to an interesting coastline - rocky, curvy with inlets and bays, and many small, utterly beautiful beaches.

Rocky Coastline, Margaret River Valley

The emerald colors and fine, white sand attain perfection at Meelup Beach. Unfortunately, on the afternoon we appeared on this jaw-dropping beach, a great white shark had just been spotted and everyone was ordered out of the water.

Meelup Beach

What torture it was to stare at the water and not be able to plunge into it!

The Margaret River Valley, despite all its offerings for the perfect vacation, felt remarkably remote, the lack of crowds enhancing every joyful experience. Wine tasting leading to a purchase at Stella Bella and another at Vasse Felix, sampling oils and dips at the Olive Farm, stopping to gawp at a herd of kangaroos, lunch on the terrace of the Berry Farm where ingredients came right from the gardens around us, the stupendous boysenberry tart for dessert forever imprinted in our minds.

It's still free to taste wines at the Margaret River Valley!

Christmas

Christmas atmosphere was of course constantly in the background during our 2 weeks in West Australia. This year we yielded to tradition since we were at the home of close family in Burns Beach, Perth. There were presents under a small, artificial tree in the living room for all of us. So after breakfast we took turns to open up gifts that mainly reflected thoughtfulness rather than extravagance. Books, clothes, magazines - that sort of thing. Pam and I prepared a big lunch centered around a roast turkey and vegan duck with salad sides, and for dessert, a trifle featuring fresh summer fruit. In the late afternoon - you guessed it - we headed to the beach for a walk and a splash in the water.

We returned to Sydney for New Year's Eve. We stayed at Max's place and from his Darling Island Road apartment balcony we were in the midst of the celebratory Sydney atmosphere. Though, I must say that it was distinctly toned down this year. With the terrible bushfires still raging and in some areas, worse than ever, people were obviously conflicted about "celebrating". The parks around the apartment building filled up with people eager to see the fireworks across the Harbour Bridge. For the first moments of 2020 we sipped champagne and smiled at the dazzling display of fireworks lighting up with Sydney sky. The media pitched it as a celebration of the Australian spirit!

Crowd gathering to see fireworks on New Year's Eve

Fireworks over the Harbor Bridge at midnight to welcome 2020

A tough spirit we became familiar with during our 4 months in this country. I'll drink to that.