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I went bushwalking today! Technically, although I didn't leave Sydney. It's one of the great things of this area- because the majority of the population is densely centered around a few areas like Sydney, everywhere else is just wilderness and the outback. So technically, what I did today would be called an easy hike in the states, it's technically "bushwalking" here. 
I took a bus with two boys from the program- Evan and Dan- and went outside of Sydney to the Manly Scenic Walk, which was only about a 30 minute busride away. The walk itself was 9km, so about 5.5 miles long, so we knew it would take us all afternoon. It was a well beaten path, with staircases and bridges, but the wildlife and scenery we saw along the way couldn't be beat!
I took a bus with two boys from the program- Evan and Dan- and went outside of Sydney to the Manly Scenic Walk, which was only about a 30 minute busride away. The walk itself was 9km, so about 5.5 miles long, so we knew it would take us all afternoon. It was a well beaten path, with staircases and bridges, but the wildlife and scenery we saw along the way couldn't be beat! We had onl
y been walking for about 10 minutes when Evan turned off the path towar
ds a waterway and shouted for us to come with him. The off track path led to a giant inlet that was all mud since the tide was low, but there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny blue crabs! We jumped down onto the mud and played for about 20 minutes with them, chasing the giant groups of them and corralling them together. A passerby let us know that they were called "Soldier Crabs", because of the way that they move together, change direction as a group, etc. They ranged from the size of my palm to the size of my pinky fingernail! Groups of them would scuttle away from us, making a surprisingly large amount of noise for being so quiet individually. They would bury themselves in the sand when they were too frightened, but they were so much fun to play with while they were there!
y been walking for about 10 minutes when Evan turned off the path towar
ds a waterway and shouted for us to come with him. The off track path led to a giant inlet that was all mud since the tide was low, but there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny blue crabs! We jumped down onto the mud and played for about 20 minutes with them, chasing the giant groups of them and corralling them together. A passerby let us know that they were called "Soldier Crabs", because of the way that they move together, change direction as a group, etc. They ranged from the size of my palm to the size of my pinky fingernail! Groups of them would scuttle away from us, making a surprisingly large amount of noise for being so quiet individually. They would bury themselves in the sand when they were too frightened, but they were so much fun to play with while they were there! After a while with them, we decided to move on and find more fun things to play 
with. We found a few lizards along the way, one while I was munching on some carrot sticks I had brou
ght. He was on a cliff below us, so I dropped a piece down to him, and he munched it right up!
with. We found a few lizards along the way, one while I was munching on some carrot sticks I had brou
ght. He was on a cliff below us, so I dropped a piece down to him, and he munched it right up! Besides our animal encounters, the view of the harbor and surrounding cliffsides were spectacular. The blue/green water was perfect, sparkeling and shining around the green hillsides and rugged cliff edges. The walk took us around historical Aboriginal grounds, where there were carvings of fish and kang
aroos and boomerangs in the rocks.
aroos and boomerangs in the rocks.We made it to Manly beach after about 4 hours of walking and mini-adventures such as the crabs and the lizards, and spent a bit with some smoothies at the ocean. By that time, the sun was starting to set, so we continued on up the other side of Manly 
on a different scenic drive that I had read about. I hadn't, however, found how to get there. We wandered through a suburban area until we found a "nature sanctuary", however, took a wrong turn at the entry, and somehow ended up on an abandoned army base barracks and grounds. We wandered around there for a bit, following the ocean side and setting sun, and finally came out at the cliff edge of the scenic drive that we hadn't followed. The view from the top was amazing. It was calm and quiet at the top, with a few small groups gathering to watch the setting sun. We had a perfect view of the city skyline as it turned gray against the orange of the sunset.
on a different scenic drive that I had read about. I hadn't, however, found how to get there. We wandered through a suburban area until we found a "nature sanctuary", however, took a wrong turn at the entry, and somehow ended up on an abandoned army base barracks and grounds. We wandered around there for a bit, following the ocean side and setting sun, and finally came out at the cliff edge of the scenic drive that we hadn't followed. The view from the top was amazing. It was calm and quiet at the top, with a few small groups gathering to watch the setting sun. We had a perfect view of the city skyline as it turned gray against the orange of the sunset. When it turned chilly, we decided to head back to Manly for dinner. We grabbed burgers and hopped on a ferry that took us back to Sydney Harbor, where the city skyline at night was equally as beautiful as during sunset. It was a great end to a good weekend here in Oz. Only 25 days left until I'll be in VT again, and I'm glad that I can still find something exciting and satisfying here. 
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