Boxing Day
We arrived back in Sydney on Xmas Eve and found our home for the next week. Our friend Steven lives in Sydney, but headed back to the States for the holidays, so he’s letting us use his flat while he’s away. It’s right in the city and is fantastic for us! Many thanks!
For Christmas dinner we made a turkey, stuffing, and even found a jar of cranberry sauce with “made from American cranberries” right on the label. Mmmm.
The day after Xmas is Boxing Day (a great tradition we’d like to bring home with us) and also the start of the Sydney to Hobart sailing race. We packed up some leftover turkey sandwiches and headed for the harbour to watch. While we really weren’t sure where to go, we happened to see a bunch of people scrambling to get on a ferry, so we followed them. We were lucky enough to squeeze onto the last ferry to Watson’s Bay near the South Head or entrance to the harbour. Quite a few angry people were left on the dock when it pulled away.
The weather was perfect for the race start – sunny, warm, and windy. All over the shores and cliffs, people set up picnic blankets, lawn chairs and grills to await the starting gun. The start itself is complete chaos as hundreds of spectator boats zoom alongside the racing boats as they leave the harbour and head for the open ocean. Helicopters are everywhere circling like flies. The first boat across the starting line was also the winner, Wild Oats, arriving in Hobart early this morning.
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