April 7: Waiting for our first flight out of San Francisco, Brenna was loving looking out the window at all the activity. We took three flights: San Francisco to LA, LA to Auckland, and Auckland to Sydney.
April 7-8: On our flight between LA and Auckland we had 6 seats in Economy and two skycouches. The kids were able to lay down and sleep fairly well in the tents I made with blankets thrown over the tops of the seats.
April 9: In Sydney! The kids did amazingly well but we were all really tired by the time we got here. It took us a few hours to gather all our bags and figure out when we could check into our new apartment. So we camped out in the lobby for a couple hours and had a makeshift lunch.
Around noon, we headed to our new home in Sydney. It is a 3 bedroom apartment with a view of Sydney Harbor in a "suburb" (neighborhood) called Elizabeth Bay. I found it myself online and was relieved that it was as good as advertised. We spent the afternoon all napping and then headed out to find some dinner (pizza) before collapsing for the night.
April 10: While I headed into the office, Brian and the kids went down to the end of the block to this cute little cafe on the bay. They had a late morning snack and then explored the neighborhood.
April 10: We still didn't have much of any food in the apartment (just a couple convenience store items) so we went out for dinner after I got back from work. We ended up at a fancy fish & chips shop in our neighborhood. There are lots of cafes, shops and restaurants near us but many are too fancy for our crew.
By the end of the meal, both kids were exhausted and ready for bed. They transitioned time zones quite well, but were up an hour or more earlier than normal due to daylight savings time here.
April 11: While I was at work, Brian and the kids hit a nearby park, called Rushcutters Bay.
And they stopped at the cafe there for a drink. It has been quite warm all week - in the mid 80's and humid, which is a nice change from our usual mild San Francisco weather.
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April 12: Again, while I was at work the kids and Brian were out exploring. This little park (Arthur McElhone Reserve) is just down the block from our house. And there is another amazing view of Sydney Harbor from here too.
April 12: Our first Friday night in Sydney. I picked up our rental car and got groceries on Thursday, so we were able to stay in both nights and eat at home. Much less stressful. But we were all in bed by 9:30, with jet lag and exhaustion from all the new adventures.
April 13: We decided to take advantage of the warm weather and head to the beach (after going to our local farmers market and Brenna's morning nap at home). We went to Nielsen Park, just a 15 minute drive from our apartment (and we passed 2 other beach spots on the way to get there!). It is a harbor beach, so the water is very calm and great for swimming with little ones.
While the kids took their afternoon naps, I headed out to Target and Woolworths to get more groceries and household essentials. The apartment is finally about fully stocked and comfortable for our stay. Though we still need a step stool and potty ring. Liam's making due with the travel ring and a boost, luckily, for now.
