Every morning there was a huge breakfast buffet set up for us in the Captain Cook Ballroom. Fresh fruit, cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, belgium waffles, crepes, bread, milk, coffee, and juice were supplied in copious amounts. A few observations, if I may:
1. Aussies evidently like their eggs runny. Blechhh! The scrambled eggs were unappetizing but on a couple of days, they had an egg, mushroom, and pepper torte, which was mighty tasty.
2. The bacon was delicious. Big ol' thick slabs of slobbering pig meat. Loved it!
3. The everpresent tomato. Every meal comes with a pickled tomato. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tomahtoe, tomahtoe, tomahtoe...it is a national obsession, evidently.
4. Vegemite sucks! Tried some in New Zealand, didn't have the urge to try it in Oz. It is the devil's curd.
I forgot to post the pics of our walkabout after we left the beach. We wandered around the Hyde Park area (their Central Park):
Got some shots of this really cool fountain. ***CAUTION- NEKKIDNESS TO FOLLOW***
Here is a statue commemorating the true love Aussies have for their sheep:
Here is a statue of Athena or Diana, the huntress, with some critters she is about to slay:
And here is Smiling Bob from the Enzyte male-enhancement commercials extracting the Essence from the Bull-winkle:
The water in the fountain was very cold, evidently.
St. Mary's Cathedral, the largest and most elaborate church in all the land. It was the only place where I saw any homeless people. They would ask "Sir, do you have any coins?" and I would reply "Yes, I do. Thank you." and keep on trucking. Yes, I am probably eternally damned, but it's not the first time I have been:
The Enzyte World Headquarters:
The official seal of Australia. The Kangaroo and the Emu were chosen because neither one of them can go backwards, which is symbolic I reckon. And, they eat them:
The next day, we had breakfast at the Opera House. The folks sitting across from me are the Vice President of Watkins and his wife. What is really nice at these functions is that everyone is very down to earth, from the president of the company right through to the goobers like myself. We enjoy each other's company and there is no posturing on anyone's part, just one-big happy hot-tub selling family:
We then took a private tour of the OH, but Pumpkin and I got up and left when the tour guide kept going on and on about Pres. Clinton visiting and how wonderful he was. Blecchh! I had better things to do.
A couple of indigenous mates playing their diggitydoos on the Quay. There were several street musicians and most of them were very impressive:
These two inspired me to purchase a loincloth so that when I play my diggeridoo, I can be as authentic as possible. My wife said I have to lose some weight before I'm allowed to wear it in public and I was not offended.
While my True Love was resting in the room, I went on my own walkabout to do some souvenier shopping. I ended up over at the Wombat on the Rocks shop where I met Shadi. Shadi was very, very nice and friendly and we enjoyed visiting with one another. When my wife's tragic accident occurs sometime in the near future, I'm heading down under to reknew some new acquaintances. She even did the Hook 'em Horns for me. What a gal!:
Next stop, Tobruk Sheep Station and my moment of glory....