“On holiday” it’s a phrase that has a meaning that most Americans don’t really understand- but after 6 days in Sydney with my half-brother and his family- I’ve got a pretty good read on things.  “On Holiday” is about eating, lounging, doing all the fun things we don’t usually let ourselves go at and most importantly, not doing anything in particular at all.

On the other side of the Pacific.

Given my stop in Hawaii, I had almost zero trouble with jetlag, even though I left on Monday morning and showed up 10 hours later on Tuesday night.  Sydney is one of the great cities of the world, and even rolling home from the airport I was eager for a detour through the city streets.  Wednesday we hopped a ferry across the harbor, under the harbor bridge, and into the heart of things.  Photos to tell-

These guys are worth travelling 8,000 miles for- oh yeah, the background is nice too.

Top down view of the harbor from Sydney Tower.

Getting a feel for old town in The Rocks district.

We’ve had a solid day on/day off pattern, with plenty of lounging around home.  The Cricket thing is big here, so my nephews made sure I had a complete experience.

Fully kitted up.

In American baseball you “pitch,” in cricket- you “bowl”- the difference is signficant.

Most importantly though, it’s been over a year since I swam in the ocean, and Sydney beaches are truly world class.  Friday in Kilkare was nothing short of perfect.

Salt water.

Family beach day.

Solar powered hot tub.

My brother’s house is on the north side of Sydney, and perched close to Ku Ring Gai National Park, which means I’ve had a great opportunity to meet some of the locals.

They said hello first (literally).

Backyard entertainment.

Questionable choice of flip flops for a hike.

Names here are hilarious.

Say it as fast as possible.

Really? Bong bong?

I’ve spent the last day catching up on some professional commitments before I leave my computer and head out climbing, but this first week with the family has been worth the whole trip.  Even though he is my brother, we’ve (obviously) not spent much time together, and I’m looking forward to having some more time with him and his family after their vacation and some of my other adventures.

My nephew Morgan on the left, my brother Bob on the right- Sydney Harbor, January 2013.