I find travel days very disorienting, especially these long trips where I cross over the International Date Line.  I left Vancouver on Sunday, August 25, on the 11:15 pm flight to Sydney, Australia.  My body flew (on the plane, of course) through the air for 16 hours of my lifetime.  When I landed in Sydney, it was 8:30 am, Tuesday, August 27, a difference of 33 hours and 15 minutes.  Where did those extra hours go?

I had two hours on the ground in Sydney, just enough time to go through customs, collect my bags from the baggage carousel, carry the bags across the terminal to the far end, check my bags again, and go through security again, take a 20 minute bus ride across the tarmac to the domestic terminal, and board the plane to Brisbane.  I was very happy to see Ron waiting for me at the baggage carousel in Brisbane and grateful that he carried my suitcase as he accompanied me to our hotel suite.  We would overnight in Brisbane.

After a short nap, I dressed up to go out to dinner.  It was, after all, our 42^nd wedding anniversary (In Australia, today, but in Vancouver, tomorrow! – does that mean we can celebrate twice?)  Dinner was at a classy hotel overlooking the water and the Storey Bridge.  We watched the boats go by with their twinkling lights as we dined on delicious food.  Sorry, I was too tired to take photos.

Next morning I took a long walk along the riverfront, on the South Bank.  I walked along the River Walk and looked across to the city.

Then I walked along the Rain Forest Walk, where it was cooler and shaded.

Walked past the Nepalese Pagoda

Afterwards, I met Ron for lunch and a glass of wine on the patio before returning to the airport for the six hour flight to Perth.  Finally back to Perth at 9:30 last evening.  Good to be “home”.