They actually DO say "G'day" in Australia. "No worries." too. They are also, near as I can tell, the tallest and blondest people I have seen on my trip so far. Partially that could be because I just came from Japan, which is home to a very different predominate physical type. I felt so tall on the Japanese train. I was often the tallest there, or could at least look everyone in the eye, even the men! But here I feel positively short! And I am 5'6'' in my stocking feet, which is average back home for a woman. Here, though, everyone's legs go a foot longer than mine. Sydney, though, is a cosmopolitan city, so there are all sorts of folks walking down the street here. In general, though, the people with Australian accents are tall, blonde and, since we just finished summer, very tan.

Speaking of summer, it was a gorgeous day today. The temp read 27 at the bank I passed by Hyde park, so that is about 80. Poifect! And sunny. Shorts, tank top and straw hat weather, which is what I wore. Most folks joined me in that sort of attire, enjoying the last summer weekend, if the weather guy is right.

I took the bus and ferry tours and learned bunches about Sydney and Australia in general. Well, certainly more than I knew before, which I now realize was very little. Did you know that an Australian invented the rotary lawn mower? True Fact! Oh, and Sydneysider is what a person living in Sydney is called.

I hadn't thought of it before, but Australia is the country that is most like America that I have visited on this trip. Both are relatively new countries from a European viewpoint and have an indiginous population that the Europeans marginalized, though I think the treatment of the Native Americans was worse.
Both were British colonies. And Sydney is kinda like San Francisco, a port city that came of age during an Old West (or old East, if you like) kind of time, with bandits or bush rangers as appropriate. And both countries have the attitude that you can come from nothing and make something of yourself if you have enjoy drive. Very interesting.

I learned that before the last ice age, like 40,000 years ago, present day Sydney was high and dry, and the edge of a great canyon carved by the Parramatta River as it rushed toward the Pacific. When the land ice melted, the Pacific rose and flooded the canyon, creating the series of bays, coves and inlets that make up the complicated Sydney Harbor complex. Sydney is actually quite a ways in from the Pacific, but is still a deep water harbor due to this canyon. It is oriented norht/south (Harbor Bridge is about N/S) and I've discovered that the view of the Bridge and the Opera house from Mrs. Macquire's seat (as this point is known - I'll tell you why sometime) is best in the morning. So I am going to try and and get out there some morning before I go. Anyone want to bet if that will actually happen, knowing me? Such a good view, though, might be too good to pass up.

Tomorrow - Bondi Beach! And I will have hit the magic three!

And now, let's have a moment of silence for Pope John Paul II, who as you know died this morning, at 6 am Sunday April 3 2005 Sydney time. Let us pray...................

.........Amen