2/9. United usually has a very tight connection at San Francisco (we were going to have 45 minutes this time.) Since it is winter, and the EWR-SFO flight (UA95) leaves during rush hour, any hiccup will make us miss the connecting flight and make us stay in San Francisco for a day. For this trip there was a severe snowstorm that was supposed to hit on Wednesday 2/10. And as of Tuesday Continental had already canceled many of its Wednesday flights. I was watching the weather reports and on Monday decided to call United to see if they had seats available for Tuesday. They did, so we took them even though they were middle row seats. Since they were exit row seats so they were reasonably comfortable. Anne was sitting one row behind me, turns out there were quite a few million-mile flyers among our neighbors. The flight landed early. While we wonder if we could have caught that evening’s flight to Sydney, we decided to stay in San Francisco. Ellie met up with us and we had dinner/midnight snack of Er-Fu noodles, Tofu casserole, and cashew nuts chicken at The Kitchen across the street after checking into the hotel (Millbrae Quality Suites). We then picked up Kuau from the airport and drove them to Ellie’s apartment. Turns out Kuau was planning to travel Wednesday also; he got to travel Tuesday but had a 3-leg flight. Anne actually dropped him off at Newark earlier Tuesday afternoon. And we managed to get there early enough to pick him up. Something interesting about it. And the Wednesday UA95 was canceled.
For some reasons rental car were very tight at SFO (perhaps due to Toyotas being recalled). We reserved a compact car for about $120 for one day – it’s never been this expensive – and all National had left were minivans. So we checked out this huge Dodge Grand Caravan.
2/10. Day in San Francisco. We stayed in our room until close to 11 am. Anne had various business items to take care of. We were at this hotel in December last year. It was undergoing renovation then, it is undergoing renovation now. And the hot breakfast they offered became a continental breakfast you have to eat in the room.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge with only a vague idea what we were going to do. First it was Sausalito. We were there perhaps about 20 years ago so I had only a vague memory of it. I do remember eating at a restaurant with a great view of San Francisco across the bay. It was very quiet on this weekend winter day. Many restaurant s and shops were not open. We ate a simple lunch at this Tutti restaurant (ham & cheese for Anne, clam chowder & quiche for me). Then it was to Mt. Tamalpais State Park which supposedly had a nice view of the city. We didn’t make it as the road was too windy for the minivan. Since Muir Woods was close by, we visited it instead. We have been there a few times, and it remains the same – that’s the point, isn’t it? We got back to San Francisco around 5 pm and managed to find a place to park! Walked with Ellie & Kuau to dinner at Eos, a fusion place that offered $40 off for $20. Asian fusion, tapas style (we are told it’s quite popular in San Francisco), pretty large servings. After a quick shower, we headed to the airport. It was quiet and we got through check-in and security quite easily. Security at Newark yesterday took close to 30 minutes, one of the longest in recent memory.
2/12. Enroute Sydney. It is about 4 am Sydney time as I type this; we have flown about 10 hours and still have 4 to go. We had the “express meal” and slept for a good six or seven hours. Business class, if one is willing to spend the money, is the way to go. The new seats lie flat and they have these 15” TV screens; too bad they are a bit far from the seats. In any case, Continental seems to offer (in coach) better entertainment options than United Business.
Visited the Botany Cemetery where father is buried; otherwise spent most of the day trying to keep awake. In my experience, jet lag has little to do with how much sleep one gets on the plane. Went to the House of Pi on Bunnerong Road and bought a few beef pies and a couple of sausage rolls. They are now “healthier” but less tasty than I remember. After lunch at Zilver in the City, we checked into Meriton Kent Street. We have a 1-bedroom apartment on the 53rd floor (street level is 10th floor) with a good view of the Darling Harbor, the Anzac Bridge, Pyrmont, Chatswood, and other parts of the city. Dinner at Fook Yuen in Chatswood with Steven & Ruth, Susanna & Chris and their two children Amy & Peter. Service at both Zilver and Fook Yuen left something to be desired.
2/13. Tim got into town early this morning. Ruth came by to pick Anne & me up to get to Matraville. Then the six of us (Steven & Ruth, Tim & Alyson, and Anne & me) went to Fairlea Old People’s Home to visit mother. Physically she looked quite good, the swelling she used to have in her ankles seems to have vanished, but there isn’t any recognition in her eyes. She was in the lounge with 15 or so other residents in various degrees of distressed health. The place tries to put on a Chinese New Year sing-along but didn’t get a lot of participation.
Lunch was dim sum at the Empress Restaurant in the Randwick Club. Anne & I then came back to the hotel to rest, with I taking a longer than planned nap. We had to rush to the Opera House to catch the 7:30pm performance. After the show we got back to the hotel by taking the train to Town Hall. I didn’t know exactly how to buy tickets from the limited number of machines at Circular Quay, and am quite sure we paid too much for the tickets. Got myself a small Whooper meal at Hungry Jack’s (Burger King); Anne decided not to waste the calories.
2/14. Chinese New Year! Took taxi to Evangelical Praise Church in Matraville for Sunday worship. Went to Ruth’s place and had lunch (which consisted of store-bought pizza, quiche, and lasagna) with their two children and three grand children. Borrowed her car and drove to cemetery to visit father’s grave. Then drove to Little Bay and Le Perouse before we return the car and took the bus back to the hotel. After a short nap it was off to dinner again. This time it was at Palace Chinese Restaurant on Castlereagh Street. Joining the usual group was Alfred, Naomi & Toby; we had altogether 16 people. The 12-people set dinner was sufficient for us; indeed there were left-overs. A troupe came by to perform a lion dance and we offered them a red packet. Anne and I also handed out red packets to Alyson and our four grand niece and nephews.
2/15. Checked out of the Meriton Apartments at Kent Street. Will move back into another apartment later in the afternoon. Lunch at Wildfire at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay. The food was presented nicely, but tasted only so-so. Then we took the ferry to Manly, walked for an hour or so, had ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, and then came back. Dinner at Pho Restaurant next to the hotel. Managed to get on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes.
2/16. Tim wanted to try Quay, this very famous restaurant at the OPT. It was closed yesterday when we stopped by, but today we could get a reservation for lunch. The restaurant ended up being about ½ full. It offers a prix fixe menu of two courses for $75, and dessert for an additional $20. We all opted for the former. For starts I picked the “Sea Pearls” which consists of four balls made of sashimi tuna, octopus, abalone, and sea scallop. They also claim smoked eel which I didn’t taste. Others ordered mud crab congee and poached partridge breast. For the main course I had the confit lamb loin topped with different kinds of nuts and accompanied by asparagus (not my favorite vegetable, so I appreciated the small servings). Others tried confit of duck and red snapper. A lot of people (certainly Tim & Alyson, but also my two children) like to experience these famous restaurants. I often come away disappointed, an experience I liken to going to just a so-so concert. That’s usually the case when I go to an expensive restaurant, and today was no exception.
Menu at the Quay Restaurant. A$75 for two courses.
The Appetizer. Four balls of seafood.
The Roasted Duck Confit. Compare its size to the camera.
After lunch Anne & I bought an “Inner Harbor” ferry ticket and went around the Darling Harbor route once before getting off at the aquarium. It was then a short walk back to the hotel. We then ordered take out (Chinese dishes from Mr. Wong and spring rolls from Just Pho). Tim bought a piece of steak and some racks of lamb and grilled them for dinner. Anne & I, Steven & Ruth, Tim & Alyson, and Alfred & Toby ate at Tim’s apartment.
Six of us went to see Tosca. This is described as “raw” by local media. The same set is used for all three acts, and some actors are recycled (played multiple roles), the clothing is relatively contemporary, the rape scene is more graphic than usual, and the final scene is depicted as a fantasy/dream sequence rather than the traditional interpretation of an actual execution. We are all scratching our heads a little, but overall I find the performance quite compelling. To use the eating at a restaurant analogy, this performance is less so in the disappointment department. (Not a ringing endorsement of the opera, unfortunately.)
2/17. Lunch at Pepper Lunch, inexpensive but rather tasty dishes of eel & rice and chicken & beef. Served on sizzling hot plates. Then took free bus 555 to Circular Quay to catch Captain Cook Coffee Cruise of the Middle Harbor. I am quite familiar with the Sydney Harbor but still find some of the narrative informative. A British gentleman in his 80s sat next to us and we had a rather interesting conversation about things in general. Dinner prepared by Tim who bought three kinds of beef from David Jones (Wagyu steak, New York Sirloin, and Wagyu Rump) which he grilled. The Wagyu steak sells for A$120 per kilogram, although one would argue the tastes of the New York Sirloin and Rump aren’t that far behind. We bought pretty pieces of cakes from the shop called 85 degrees, a bakery chain owned by Chinese from Taiwan. They tasted quite good also. Each person had about 150 to 200 grams worth of beef, somehow we all felt quite full.
2/18. Checked out at 8 am, taxi to Qantas Domestic Terminal, which actually is quite small at 16 gates. We had some time so we couldn’t resist eating something before getting on the plance. Flight to Alice Springs was uneventful, and Anne & I both had aisle seats with an empty middle seat. They served a quiche for breakfast/lunch, quite similar to what Continental would do. Bought RT transfers to hotel on Shuttle. Walked around town a bit and also bought another tour from Emu Run. The lady suggested we do the MacDonnell Range tour tomorrow, and the Ulura/Olgas tour on Saturday, which we will do.
Visited the Royal Flying Doctors’ Service Center on the southern end of town. RFDS runs a 55 plane fleet, each costing around A$6M when new. Most of the operating costs are provided by the government as grants or the Australian National Healthcare System. The rest (mostly in capital costs) is from donations. The lady said our entrance fee of A$7 each is a downpayment towards a plane. They need a lot of these admissions! Of the four planes based in Alice Springs, two were out on missions when we were passing through.
There are quite a few art galleries in town exhibiting and selling local aboriginal art. We wandered in one of them (Mbantua) which sells large paintings (say 3’ x 5’) priced as high as A$25,000. The most expensive ones seem to be painted by Minnie Pwerle. Her trademark looks something like a snowshoe (imagine that), unfortunately I don’t find her paintings particularly attractive. Now you can buy smaller paintings by street artists for around A$50. Anne is quite tempted, I keep telling her it will be cumbersome to bring it home. Another thing, seems all the artists are women.
Aboriginals painting (outside RFDS), Alice Springs.
Around 5:30 pm we walked up the ANZAC hill, about 150 feet elevation, but it was still quite warm. Hill has good view of town. One notices the town is very small, nestled among the surrounding hills, with the MacDonnell Range prominently on the West.
Town of Alice Springs as seen from Anzac Hill. Yes, this is pretty much it.
Dinner at the Hong Kong Restaurant. Since our expectations weren’t high, so it was okay. Cost about A$50 for three large dishes. Aurora Alice Springs is a budget hotel. Reasonably clean is probably the best compliment I can give it.
2/19. Woke up at 6:45 am to catch the tour bus at 7:45 am. Sam the tour guide was running a bit late. We ended up with a group of 11 people: a gentleman from Germany, one from Melbourne, a couple from Adelaide, two ladies from Greece, two young ladies, an older lady, and the two of us. We were on a similar tour in 1979, during the winter season. I still recall some of the scenery, but have forgotten many of the specifics. We stopped by (not quite in that order) Standley Chasm, named after a teacher of mixed blood aboriginal children, Simpson Gap, Glen Helen, Ellery Creek, Ochre Pits and Ormiston Gorge. We decided to try the helicopter ride for A$50. It lasted about 7 minutes in a "mosquito". Anne has a fear of heights, and I was a bit worried if the seat belts wouldn’t open on their own. Basically we did a loop of about 8 miles and got a great view of the Glen and a meteor crater. One could swim at 3 of the stops, the older woman did them all. It was about 5:30 pm when we got dropped off at the hotel.
Simpson Gap.
Standley Chasm. The flynets are quite effective.
Mosquito Helicopter about to land.
Helicopter Ride around Glen Helen Gorge.
Thorny Devil at intersection of road leading to Glen Helen Gorge.
Ormiston Gorge.
Flies are a problem here. They are bad in Alice Springs, even worse in the country. So we bought a couple of fly nets at A$8.90 each. I slipped and fell in Standley Chasm on soft river bed while trying to take a picture. Okay except for a tiny scrap. Before I knew it, several flies landed on it. I asked for some antiseptic and a bandaid, and that solved the problem.
The guide had some interesting things to say about the local flora and fauna, and aboriginal life. There seems to be very little effort in integrating the aborigines and the whites, and people (certainly the Australians in the group) appear to be okay both with the segregation and with talking about it.
We had morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea during the trip. All were simple, but we were not looking for gourmet meals on the trip. Our dinner was at Bojangle’s in town. Anne had the mixed grill of buffalo, emu, camel, kangaroo, and crocodile cooked different ways. I tried everything except the crocodile, and it was much less gamey than I remembered of the emu medallions I had several years back. She said the crocodile isn’t that good either. I had barramundi fish and chips.
Dinner dishes at Bojangles.
2/20. Got up at 4:45 am this morning to be picked up by Emu Run Tour at 5:55 am for the Ayers Rock/Olgas Tour. We took a similar tour in 1979, except at that time the road from the Stuart Highway to the region was gravel. The bitumen was laid down in 1985 or so. The sites haven’t changed, but now there are many more restrictions on climbing the rocks, and there are even places considered so sacred that photographs are prohibited. What I don’t remember was how long the day was. We didn’t get back to the hotel until about 1 am. The bus drivers (there were two of them, Scott & Tic) said we would be doing 11 hours of driving and about 1100 km. Stops on the trip are: among the Olgas, a couple of walks at the base of Ayers Rock, BBQ dinner at Bus Sunset location (wasn’t there 30+ years ago). The clouds came in about 15 minutes before the sunset, so we (again) missed the perfect orange glow on Ayers Rock. As it is it was quite pretty.
In front of the Olgas.
Olgas Walk.
During our last visit in 1979, I climbed into this cave. Such activities are now prohibited.
Notice the track on Ayers Rock. The chain is used to get up the first couple hundred yards and then the trail levels off. We couldn't climb today because it was too hot. I did it in 1979.
Tour guide Scott explaining aboriginal drawing and symbols.
Ayers Rock about 15 minutes before sunset.
The Flynets again came in handy. Yesterday someone who had been to this area said the flies are worse here than in the West MacDonnell ranges. I think they were equally bad. Except during the BBQ dinner the flies were so insistent on landing on the food that no amount of shooing seemed to do the job.
The ride from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs was mostly done in darkness as we didn’t begin until sunset. With the four high power headlights visibility was generally excellent. The roads were straight but the lanes (one in each direction) were narrow. Someone chatted with the driver and talked about how difficult specialists are (no doubt in part due to Australia’s National Health system) and unavailable to rural areas and about how much help should be given to the Aborigines. The complaint there seems to be much funding is given but little results is seen, and there is no accountability. Sounds very much like the complaint we have back home.
2/21. Ruth called me up at 8:00 am in the morning, not knowing there is a 1.5 hours time difference between Alice Springs and Sydney. I was on the verge of waking up anyway. Walked along Todd Mall where they had a Sunday market selling craft and food. Anne bought some takeout English breakfast from a restaurant. Looks like every non-aboriginal resident was there - and there were a few aboriginals in the mix too – and it wasn’t crowded at all. Shuttle ride from hotel was a bit frustrating as the driver waited for a no show for perhaps 20 minutes, making a 20-minute ride into a ¾ hour one. Waiting at this small terminal (no jetways) and having pie and coffee.
Plane left and landed on time. Qantas is a smallish airline, after all, and things tend to be quite simple. There was an empty row so Anne and I took an aisle and window seat. It may be a bit cooler here, but quite a bit more humid.
Dinner at Golden Dragon restaurant in Maroubra with Ruth’s children and their families. Stayed at 58 Jennings Street.
2/22. Took Ruth’s car and drove to Le Perouse and then along the western edge of Botany Bay to Dolls Point. The area just teems with nice beaches, many with nets around them to ward off the sharks. Supposedly Botany Bay is where commercial shipping is (and you do see these huge cranes) but today there wasn’t much activity.
After lunch at Imperial Garden, it was a quick shower and then to the airport for the long journey home. The SYD-SFO leg will be less than 13 hours, which is great. After sitting in business class for this leg, we found the SFO to EWR leg, in economy plus, to be quite unbearable. Doesn't take much to spoil someone.
