The drive to Sydney was pretty and we saw some lovely scenery along the freeway. However, at one point we got lost, having taken a left instead of a right. We paid $4.40 in toll fees to head in the wrong direction and, when we turned around, we had to pay it again! Argh! We eventually got to our destination, a beautiful two storey home in Constitution Hill (the suburbs of Sydney). We immediately felt welcomed by our new hosts - Elaine and her mother, Beryl. Elai...

We awoke to beautiful sunny skies, so we decided we would hit the beach. We ate a simple but pleasing breakfast of cereal and toast at the hostel. Then we borrowed some bodyboards from our hostel and headed down to Bar Beach. It was a very popular beach, evident by the crowds of people. We noticed that the gigantic waves were crashing right at the shoreline - the type of waves Tessa does not like! However, we were all anxious to jump into the water because of th...

Three quarters of the Lewis family were up and out the door by 7:30 am for a morning swim! Margaret, however, opted for a cup of tea and some work on the blog. Although the Robinsons had offered us yet another night's accommodation, we decided to head down the road towards Sydney, but break up the 6 hour trip with a stay over at Newcastle. We'd already overstayed and couldn't believe, once again, how generous and friendly the Robinsons, as all our Australian hos...

At 7:00 am, Barry awoke to the words, "What are you doing?" muttered from within the next room. "Going for a surf with Barry." Barry leaped out of bed and moments later, he and Chris were out of the door headed for the ocean. Barry enjoyed the swim immensely and when he returned, it was with a huge grin on his face. Australian living definitely agrees with him! After a help-yourself breakfast (our favorite kind), we headed to Dorrigo Nationa...

From Coffs Harbour, it was a quick trip to Woolgoolga or Whoopi, as it's called by its citizens. There we stayed with yet another set of friends of the Kiryluks - the Robinsons. Fiona and Chris were kind enough to offer us a roof for a few days. We arrived to a houseful as Joan (Grandma), their eldest son and his girlfriend, and their three other children (all grown - 16, 18, 20) were also there. Despite the age difference, our kids were thrilled to be with the...