Sydney to Vancouver via Honolulu then HOME!!!

Ok, so I didn't get to blog while in Vancouver! You know how it is.....dudes and dudettes who love to party hearty in Lotusland. Ya gotta go with the flow babes......(deep inhale....).

Where was I....oh yes, Sydney (it seems so long ago) and our last night.

We met the charming and talented Jesse down by the ferry docks at Circular Quay and he took us for a drink, to a beautiful revolving restaurant/bar called Orbit overlooking Sydney. We arrived in time for the sunset. What a beautiful sight as we floated above the city! An hour or so later, we were back on the ground and headed for Wolfie's restaurant right on the harbour and directly opposite the Opera House. As Jesse said "it's almost surreal"...and indeed it was.

Jesse is a Canadian who has been in Sydney for almost a year now and will stay for at least one more. He is a true technical guru and markets Global Gossip (we are members), a fast-growing internet corporation with great growth ideas. He loves the Australian laid-back attitude of working the hours you choose and finishing by early Friday afternoon to enjoy life. Awesome!

Jesse; the three of us outside Wolfie's

Up at 5:30 the next morning, we were at the airport by 7 for our 10 a.m. flight.

We had a ticket that indicated we would fly direct from Sydney to Vancouver however we soon discovered that we had a refuel and crew change in Honolulu (by this fall all Canadian flights will be direct to Sydney and back). Same plane so we didn't have to get our luggage. We did however have to check through security again. It was kind of spooky arriving at midnight since we were the only plane on the tarmac at that time and kind of lonely inside the airport with all the lights dimmed and only the passengers wandering about trying to find their way to the gate with no assistance.

1 1/2 hours later we were on our way for the 5 hour trip to Vancouver. We arrived at the same time and date as our departure from Sydney.....cool (that's BC-speak) man!! Total trip time....17 hours.

We flew through Customs and Immigration with them not the least bit interested in our loot (thank goodness!) and as we exited, there was our daughter Darla with an armload of flowers we hadn't seen since leaving Canada 6 months ago.....TULIPS!!! Could she have chosen a better flower? It was fantastic to see her and after a couple of tears and many hugs, we were on our way to our friends (Ray and Janet) home.

What a welcome! They had balloons and a dinner party with their daughters, Denise and Claire and their partners Edan and Ari as well as dear friends Helene and Don. Darla's husband Peter was on a work related canoe trip and didn't arrive until Monday. Everyone in attendance had lived in Ontario so it truly was a fantastic reunion with so much laughter. We were also celebrating the news that Claire and Ari are expecting. What a joy!

Darla was in Vancouver for the week working on her artwork for an art show at a gallery in Victoria. She gave Bob his choice of one of her paintings as a 60th birthday present from her and Peter. He selected a gorgeous dragonfly painting. Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo of it to put on the blog before she took it to Victoria to frame it. Her work is now in two galleries in town and sales are steady. We are thrilled for her!

Peter arrived the next day with a new round of energy and the party continued with more visiting and more fun. Our sides and faces ached from the "happy's".

Back row: Don, Edan and Ari; Middle row: me, Darla, Denise, Janet and Claire; Front row: Ray with baby Norton and Helene; Best friends, Claire and Darla hammin' it up

Ray and Peter playing some bizarre game that only BC'ers can play. I can't explain it because it's secret...shhhhhh

Scenery in beautiful British Columbia; fun at Don and Helene's

Saying "farewell" at the airport on Wednesday.

It is wonderful to be home! We had such a fantastic time; the time of a lifetime. We flew thousands of km's and drove 31,000 km in the 6 months we were away. Of course the blog is not quite finished....not until we load the photo's of our Ontario reunion with the rest of our kids next weekend.

We learned so much and we made many friends. Life is good and we are truly blessed to be on this planet.

Three photo's we wanted you to see; two were in the 50 lb's of mail when we returned home and the other I forgot to upload in earlier blogs.

Remember the ballooning experience in New Zealand? Well this is what it looked like from the company's camera.

The Captain and passengers; The drag landing

Aussie fly......now THAT is a fly!!!!!

A very special "thank you" to our wonderful neighbours, Serge and Charlotte, for taking care of our home while we were away. Everything was perfect when we arrived home. Even the mail was sorted in a way that made it simple to plow through. We had such a sense of comfort knowing you were in charge.

Thanks also to our next door neighbours, Shant and Soola for raking the autumn leaves and shovelling the snow from the sidewalks during the winter.

Thanks once again to all of you who kept us in your thoughts, who emailed and wrote comments on the blog and who left messages via email and voicemail for our return. You were in our thoughts as well and we appreciated every connection.

More travel is on the books starting with boating this summer.

We look forward to catching up with you! Be well!

Blessings.

Sharon and Bob