A day without golf meant a day on the water. Our group enjoyed a three hour tour of the Sydney Harbour (Gilligan Island theme again?).

As you can see the harbour is massive.

We boarded our boat next to the Opera House and headed east (to the right towards the ocean). The captain cruised into each of the bays on the southern shore where we admired some fairly impressive real estate both in terms of architecture and prices.

One of the bays contained the Australian navy shipyards.

The real estate is mind boggling. Anything near the water is multiple millions and starter homes in some neighborhoods begin at $6M. There wasn’t a square foot of space left available.

And of course one has to have a boat anchorage.

We reached the eastern end of the harbour where it empties into the ocean.

Turning westward we paralleled the north shore which is not as built up but still had some impressive homes.

Back under the Harbour bridge with its climbers.

A very enjoyable afternoon on the water learning about the different areas and how they’ve changed in the past few years.

The day ended with dinner on the waterfront near the Opera House with about two thousand of our closest friends (the people and entertainment continues to amaze).

Back to golf tomorrow in the hills in the northern suburbs. Our good weather fairy continues to perform as warm, dry conditions prevail.

Tap the photos to see the full picture.

We are here as part of the Canadian Senior Golf Association tour of Australia cohosted by the New South Wales and Victoria Senior Golf Societies. We will play four different courses in each state over the next two weeks.

Day one was at the Pymble GC, about 45 minutes north of downtown Sydney.

The course was built out in stages on land used to graze dairy cattle and officially opened as a full golf club in 1928.

Those cattle must have had great balance as the land can only be described as hilly. Serious hills, both up and down. Lots of blind shots to greens where only the top of the flag could be seen.

Aside from the elevation changes, the main feature was the unique sculpturing of the bunkers.

It was evident our golf walking fitness was sadly lacking and not helped by the old fashioned small two wheel trolleys that we dragged everywhere. Notwithstanding the physical challenges, it was a good day overall golf wise as Mark was low Canadian and second overall while Mo won the ladies closest-to-the-hole competition.

The following day we moved to The Australian Club which is right in the city., 20 minutes south of the harbour.

This is one of the blue blood courses of Sydney. Opened in 1882, The Australian holds the honour of being the oldest Golf Club in the Commonwealth. Since a complete renovation in 2013 it has hosted the Australian Open six times.

While the start and finish were down/up a hill, for the most part it was serene parkland golf. The turf, rough, and sand, were in immaculate condition. The greens were tough to read but fair.

We were pitted in a match against our Australian hosts who promptly played their best golf of the season. Uh huh. We were waxed. The ladies played a different format and Mo was the top Canadian, finished T3 overall.

The fitness level is still dodgy with sore shins creeping into the mix. At least we had the big two wheel Rickshaws this time.

The camaraderie of meeting some of the Canadians for the first time and interacting with our Australian counterparts has been first class. Looking forward to cruising the Sydney Harbour tomorrow and then it’s on to more golf.

Sunday morning. Great day to get strapped into a safety harness and clamber up the steel structure to the summit of the Sydney Harbour bridge. Why? Why not.

We chose the Summit option which would mean climbing to the flagpoles at the apex of the span.

One other Canadian joined us (did the remaining 33 know something we didn’t?). Our climbing group comprised 13 people from all corners of the English speaking world. The entire operation is a very well oiled machine putting through anywhere from 800 – 1,400 climbers a day.

There’s a sunrise option (4:30 a.m.) and a sunset choice (7:45 p.m.) and a new group every 20 minutes or so. We began our forty minute “training” session just after 11.

You are required to remove any and all items that could possibly fall and they double check using metal detectors. That meant no phones which meant no photos. Wearing a full body jump suit, everything is provided and is clipped on securely. Hat, sunglasses, radio equipment, etc. is attached.

There is an umbilical cord which links the climber to the bridge and as our guide said, we haven’t lost anyone “yet”. They have a small climb section in the ops area which one has to do to confirm they’re listening to the guide then it’s off and upward.

The path includes squeezing along a narrow track past the girders before ascending three vertical ladders stretching 100 feet. Focus on the steps, Don’t look down.

We then emerged into the sunshine and trekked upward.

Higher up we stopped for more photos.

And the views were spectacular.

One last wave and it was time to descend.

We covered 1,332 vertical steps and reached a height of 134 metres (440 feet) above the bay. The round trip took just over two hours although the guide taking photos meant a lot of waiting around.

Back on tera firma, the inevitable tourist shot.

Back to the hotel and a quick change into our reception clothes as we headed to the Royal Sydney Golf Club for cocktails.

This is one of the prestigious clubs in the city but having just undergone $40 M renovation, the club isn’t open for play until the end of March. Pity. It looks very inviting.

A long fulfilling day. Tomorrow we begin our rounds of golf at the Pymble GC. Can hardly wait.

A bit of a blogging gap time wise as we got caught up in joining the Canadian team in Sydney and had some technical difficulties with photos.

On Saturday (our time) we flew south from Cairns (3 hours) and left the hot sticky weather behind. It was, however, the third consecutive day of sunshine there which was nice for the locals.

Successfully navigated the Sydney Airport and retrieved our golf clubs which we had stored there for four days. Interestingly, they distinguish terminals by destinations, not airlines so the domestic and international terminals are a ten minute bus ride apart on opposite sides of the airport. Our biggest fear was the safety of the glass Inukshuk mementos we’ve transported in our golf bags to give to our Australian hosts.

The city is massive and quite hilly. Everything leads down to the water which is swarming with boats, ships and ferries. Our hotel is right down on the harbour front, literally. The famous bridge and even more famous Opera House are right next door.

Most of the Canadian group (16 couples) have arrived as the official program starts tomorrow. We linked up with a few familiar faces and walked down to the waterfront for dinner. It was absolutely hopping with music and young people. Couldn’t help but have thoughts of how mundane the Toronto waterfront is in comparison.

Night fell and the lights came on.

Very idyllic and sufficiently cool to warrant a sweater. What a difference from the morning. Tomorrow is the bridge climb in the morning and a red jacket reception late afternoon. Two very different environments.

Editor’s Note: tap on the thumbnail pictures to see the full shot.

Our lucky weather charm continued today as not only didn’t it rain, the seas were calm as well. In the past three weeks either heavy rain or rough seas were the order of the day so another bullet dodged.

The marina is a 15 minute walk away so we out of the hotel just after 7:00. The humidity had dropped overnight and merely registered seriously uggghhhh!

We had chosen Ocean Freedom GBR Tours because it offered snorkeling (yes) and scuba diving (not for us this time) on a midsize boat and its appointed anchorage was straight off the coast from Cairns.

Along with 48 other holidayers and 10 crew, we headed out to sea for the one hour trip to the dive site. Cue the Gilligan’s Island theme song although our tour was scheduled for eight hours in total.

The sun was already beating down so we quickly secured space on the top deck to maximize the effect of the wind. Oh, and you can never apply too much sunscreen when traveling this close to the equator!

The portion of the reef we went to is 16 Kms (10 miles) offshore and is probably amongst the closest to Cairns. As noted previously, the reef is massive. It’s composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).

Safety lecture done it was into anti jellyfish suits and geared up with the necessary snorkeling equipment. Our first swim lasted about an hour and is difficult to describe without pictures (we didn’t bring the underwater go pro). Image a densely packed forest with all manner of trees, plants, scrub, bushes, rocks, etc. Thats the reef except it’s all coral. Different shapes, colours, sizes, and like a forest with animals, home to hundreds of different species of fish. It was spectacular.

Recent storms had stirred up the ocean but it was still clear enough to see everything. Occasionally schools of fish would join you just below the surface while others buzzed about in the coral. Literally a colourful aquarium just beneath you.

Some down time on the boat, a buffet lunch and then more snorkeling over a different section of the reef. Again, special.

Back on board we had to figure out how to get out of the suits that were now plastered to our bodies.

Our trip back to Cairns was interrupted by the crew doing a mock man overboard drill – successfully thank goodness.

We traipsed back to our hotel and just beat a massive cloudburst that lasted 10 minutes. Our weather fairy is on the job! Then it was back out to enjoy more of the local cuisine – Mexican, of course.

Tomorrow we fly to Sydney where it’s hot but dry. Fingers crossed our good weather luck travels with us as we’re about to tackle climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Stay tuned.

Editor’s note – tap on the thumbnail photos for a full picture.

After arriving in the rain yesterday afternoon, doing a bit of a walk around the harbour front before enjoying the local cuisine (Vietnamese of course) we slept for 10 hours and hopefully are back on ‘normal’

This morning we awoke to brilliant sunshine and blistering heat. It was 80F before 7:30. Walking across the hotel parking lot the humidity is so thick dripping water is everywhere, including off us! On the other hand, this is the first non rain day in three weeks.

Our hotel restaurant was a bit of an eye opener as multiple cultures were present, predominantly East Indian, and many Asian countries. We were unique.

Off to the train station for the scenic ride up to Kuranda. Unfortunately the train relies on open windows for AC so waiting for departure was agonizing. This part of Queensland is under an extreme heat alert with the possibility of a 40+ degree (104F) humidex.

Once we got underway the motion of the train made the air more bearable and fortunately we were able to get window seats.

The railway is a marvel of physical perseverance as it was built by hand over a seven year period starting in 1884. Containing 15 tunnels and 55 bridges it climbs into the rainforest above Cairns along the Barron Valley Gorge.

Spectacular waterfalls and vistas everywhere

Then we entered the gorge itself and due to the incessant rains the river was an absolute boiling cauldron.

The village of Kuranda is the railway’s destination and caters to the tourist trade. The merchants were happy to see us as it turned out the rain had canceled the train for more than a week. It was straight off to the small game park/zoo for a photo op.

Then of course we had to feed the kangaroos.

And learn the difference between kangaroos (open plains, grasslands, long hops, great speeds, long distances) and wallabies (dense vegetation, quick hops, short bursts). Oh, and at 2 metres (6’ 6”), the red kangaroo is twice as big as a wallaby (and not to be messed with!).

Our return journey was on the Skyrail gondola which whisked us above the massive trees of the rainforest. Some were so tall it was not possible to see the ground below.

We crossed the Baron river at its widest and saw the results of the flooding and continued rain.

Then it was over the forest for miles of green canopy.

We stopped mid way for a boardwalk tour of facts about the forest and learned how species adapt and thrive in unique ways. Very cool (no pun intended).

Back to Cairns where we collapsed in great delight in our quite frosty cold hotel room. Later a walk along the waterfront, outdoor dining (under a giant fan) and a slow amble back to the hotel.

Tomorrow it’s off to the Great Barrier Reef.

A very long day(s) began with the flight departing from Toronto at 6:30 p.m. EST Monday and ended in Cairns on the north east coast at 3:20 p.m. local time Wednesday afternoon. That included a three hour layover in Vancouver which was actually OK as we could have a walk about and another two hours in Sydney which was merely OK.

Toronto – Vancouver 5 hours, Vancouver – Sydney 16 hours, Sydney – Cairns 3 hours, plus the layovers, plus losing a day to the international date line – whew.

However, this being a S.K.I. trip (Spend Kids Inheritance), being in business class with lie down pods certainly helped.

Going back to Economy will be tough.

We left our golf clubs in storage at the Sydney airport to avoid lugging them north given we won’t need them for a few days. Cairns is right up on the north east coast and is a different world from the giant metropolis of Sydney.

It’s got the world’s oldest rain forest next door, the Great Barrier Reef at its doorstep and sugar cane is the major agricultural crop. There are banana plantations and massive fruit farms growing huge volumes of mangoes, oranges, lemons, limes, carambola (starfruit), dragon fruit, durian, papaya, passionfruit, guava, and avocados.

Palm trees line the main streets and it truly feels like the tropics. It’s raining now and has apparently done so virtually nonstop for weeks. Annual rainfall is 6 1/2 FEET with most of it happening during the rainy season (duh) which is now (damn).

Because we are so close to the equator this part of Australia doesn’t use daylight savings time. Thus when flying due north from Sydney, it was a bit confusing to suddenly lose an hour. So in the end I think it’s midafternoon on Wednesday- oh never mind, we will sleep and eat when our bodies tell us to.

Tomorrow is the Kuranda rainforest scenic train followed by the Skytrain gondola trip. Fingers crossed the rain clouds will lift and the views look like the tourist posters.

Editors Note. Tap on the thumbnail pictures to view the full image.

The final day of our biking trip did not include any cycling as a tired body (Mo) and a heavy chest cold (Mark) were used as rationale to sleep in. More than half of the tour group obviously felt the same way so the prep area was chock full of riderless bikes.

Our decision was fortuitous as the rain arrived shortly after the troop who did ride (8) returned to the hotel, talking about a killer uphill cobblestone section.

Over the past 13 days (including a “day off” in Barcelona/Madrid), we have walked/hiked ~168,000 steps followed by 240 Kms of cycling so taking the day off is permissible.

Following lunch, of course, our bus ride of 45 minutes to Porto confirmed there are no straight, flat roads in this area of Portugal. Because the hills that frame the valley are steep and full of ravine off shoots, the roads follow the contours of the land to the full. Up, down, hairpins, edging along cliff sides on fairly narrow roads is not for the faint of heart. And why are the few retaining walls only 18” high? Very non North American.

The approach to Porto does use modern multi lane highways but once in the old town it was back to tiny cobblestone laneways that our bus handled with aplomb.

Out of the bus and goodbyes all around then we walked, of course, to our AirBnB. Rolling suitcases on cobblestone is really a pain but we managed. The riverfront is solid with bars, restaurants and booths selling all manner of trinkets.

The north side (Ribeira) where we are staying looks like a Lego game.

Unfortunately to get there meant crossing the river, taking an elevator five stories up then trudging up 50+ stairs.

If nothing else, the view down to the river and south side of the river from our AirbNb is spectacular.

Once settled we set off to explore the old town whose history goes back more than 1,000 years.

The tourist shops must know something because each storefront had umbrellas and ponchos for sale. And thus, the rain came in buckets. We responded by ducking into a bar and spent the next 90 minutes staying dry (oh and enjoying various libations).

Once the rain stopped we walked down to the river to our restaurant where we were shown to the captains table built into a stone arch overlooking the water.

A wonderful meal that effectively ends our trip as it’s up and out to the airport tomorrow morning for a flight straight to Toronto.

Thanks for following this stop on our go-go stage of retirement. Stay tuned for our Australian adventure coming up in February when we plan to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, enjoy the sights and sounds of Sydney and golf at the best of the best around Melbourne’s sand belt. Cheers.

Editors Note. Tap on the thumbnail image to see the full version.

Finally! A beautiful sunny day with negligible wind and no rain in the forecast. This is what we signed up for although the prospect of a 53 mile/85.5 km ride was a bit daunting.

Our hotel overlooks the Douro River and is built, like most buildings in the valley, into the steep slope of the hills. The angled design means a novel funicular elevator that travels on the diagonal versus vertical. Our room is on the 9th level so we get to “enjoy” the full ride.

What to wear was a concerning question given we were facing novel weather conditions. Despite the bright skies the temperature at the start was in the low 50’s (12C) which felt even cooler given the speed at which one travels. We stopped high above the river to admire the view and shed layers.

Our day was divided into two separate rides. The profile of the morning route meant we were in for a lot of hill climbing.

The first leg was a climb of 7-8% incline right out of the gate. That will make the ole ticker start thumping immediately. Fortunately there were some downhills as well.

And, of course, the f*ing cobblestones. And steep downhill to boot.

The post lunch afternoon ride had less changes in elevation but still put us to the test given the initial extended uphill section.

Our ride took us through extensive Eucalyptus forests that had suffered from the devastating forest fires that ravaged Portugal this summer. We also had to take care on some sections due to the plant debris this week’s storm had scattered across the road. Other than that it was pretty clear sailing.

Unlike previous days we were able to stop and enjoy our surroundings.

We wove our way along the hills knowing a speed wobble would have serious consequences.

The Douro hosts many cruise lines that offer wine tours at various points. We wondered if those travelers knew what sights they were missing.

Finally back to the hotel and a celebration of sorts for having completed a fairly tough test. We also said goodbye to two of our guides, Nacho and Oscar, who had to leave for other tours.

A great dinner with lots of laughs wrapped up the day.

Tomorrow we have a short ride (15 miles), weather permitting, before traveling into Porto where our tour ends. A day without any yikes!