Happy Australia Day!!

Happy Australia Day! The 26th of January is considered the nation's Birthday, and we had a lot of fun celebrating. We spent the day on Saturday in The Rocks, which is Sydney's oldest neighborhood. Lots of free outdoor activities and fun for everyone. We got to see some of the air show - compliments of the RAAF - and the parajumpers who eventually landed in the harbour. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and I was sure to wear LOTS of sunblock.

The highlight of Australia Day in Sydney is the Ferry Boat Race and Regatta. Literally hundreds of boats and ships decorated with flags parade through the harbour. It's so much fun to watch them go by and see all the different kinds of boats - everything from a guy in a row boat to giant masted tall-ships. The view from the Harbour Bridge is supposedly really something, but we took a ferry across, just for the fun of it. (And because the breeze off the harbour was cooler, I must admit.) The atmosphere was very festive and we had so much fun sitting on the grass, watching people go by. Such an interesting blend of people here. We felt really at home.
After the heat of the afternoon, the sun finally went down and we joined some new friends for dinner in Darling Harbour. Seemed like the whole city showed up for the fireworks.

The rest of the weekend was spent chilling out and exploring the outer reaches of Sydney. This weekend we may venture further and try to get photos of some wildlife.