Layover in Sydney + Arrival in Albany, near Auckland, New Zealand

We have arrived safely in Auckland, although our flight was delayed, so we didn't get here till 3:30 in the morning. We had a glorious day in Sydney during our 10-hour layover. We bought a train/ferry day pass, took the train down to the harbor and hopped on the Manley beach ferry. There had been a big storm the day before and there were white caps, a 20 mph wind, and scudding white clouds. The views from the ferry of the Sydney opera house, skyscrapers, bridges, and boats were wonderful. We had a picnic on the beach watching kayakers surfing and then walked along the ocean to a small cove where I went swimming. Then we walked up to the headland and back to the ferry. We took the returning ferry and then another ferry around the harbor, just drinking in the day and the sights. Then we walked out to the Sydney opera house. I'd always imagined it was white, but it's more of an creamy eggshell color; it reminds me of ostrich eggs. We went in the foyer, then walked through the edge of the botanic garden back to the train to the airport, extremely tired, but happy.

Today I went with Rich to the university, where he was immediately plunged into hard physics/chemistry discussions with some brilliant physicists and chemists. I joined the group for lunch and then headed off to the grocery store. I always like grocery shopping in other countries, seeing different vegetables and fruits. Just when we got settled at home, this famous physicist came by to take us for an evening walk, so we joined him on a long ramble along a creek and up a hill. The vegetation is a weird mix of familiar and unfamiliar. The mimosa trees and watsonia (wild) are in bloom everywhere. There are 30 foot high ferns and lots of subtropical plants growing wild. Under the forest canopy it is dark and cool. The birds are all unfamiliar: a cute fantail, some weird 2-foot high bright blue birds with long curving red beaks, long legs, and bright red feet (pukekos). The bird calls sound like the soundtrack for a B jungle movie. The man-made development is also a weird juxtaposition. A street sign will have an English-sounding name like Greenwithe beside a Maori name like Takapuna.