On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!
Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
Today, pictures from valued commenter Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes.
Flush with miles and some earned perks, we decided to burn them up and celebrate our anniversary and New Years Eve in Sydney. It was a whirlwind for me – we left 12/28 and I was back on 1/2. Wife stayed on as our youngest daughter met her there shortly after I left and they spent a week in Tasmania (her plane literally crossed mine).
We do “blitz” travel well. Happily, I’d been before so I knew what Inwanted to do.
Taken on 2018-12-30 00:00:00
Hyde Park
We actually arrived on the morning of our anniversary, and most of the day, took no photos. We ate at a delightful high end Vietnamese restaurant that evening and chose to walk back to our first hotel through Hyde Park.
We saw this little dude along the way. I’m given to understand that this is sort of a special sighting.
Taken on 2018-12-31 00:00:00
Viewing Circular Quay from the Manley Ferry
We actually managed to go to the beach every day we were there. In Sydney, the ferries are a vital part of the transport network, and you use one card for everything – trains, subways, buses and ferries. They’re cheap and quick. This was a view toward the Quay at the center of the city (most of which is built out in filled-in land).
Taken on 2018-12-31 00:00:00
Manley Beach
The water was, in my vernacular, rough as shit. Stayed that way the entire time I was there. Generally speaking, the lifeguards spent all of their time yelling at people who were trying to drown by swimming outside whatever temporary swimming areas they deemed less deadly in a narrow band.
Literally, we’d go there for three hours, and there would be 3-4 rescues. I stepped in to my knees in a “safe” area, said “I’m going to die, and then ran in.
Anyway, water safety is really big for the people of Sydney. We saw countless water safety classes full of kids of about 8-10 learning lifesaving and swimming skills in rough water as they hauled body boards with them – I thought it a brilliant concept.
Taken on 2018-12-31 00:00:00
Hickson Road Reserve, Sydney
This was our site for watching the fireworks – patch of green space located between the Four Seasons and the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Taken on 2018-12-31 00:00:00
Hickson Road Reserve
So a bit of misidentification on the previous photo – the green space was between the Park Hyatt and the bridge.
Anyhow, at about 6:30 pm or so, a monsoon opened up. This was the wettest I’ve ever been…
Thank you so much Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
Elizabelle
What a great trip. Thanks, Comte. What’s the mystery animal?
Good to hear about the kids’ water safety and rescue classes. WTG, Aussies.
eclare
Yes, who is that little guy?
OzarkHillbilly
I’ll venture a guess: A type of bettong?
OzarkHillbilly
On 2nd thought a Phalangeridae?
eta Phalangeridae being the family name, this one possibly being a common brushtail possum?
Another Scott
@OzarkHillbilly: I immediately thought it was a young wallaby, but I’m no expert.
Cheers,
Scott.
JPL
The animal is a cutie and I’m just going to call him Sam.
arrieve
I have no idea what Sam might be but he’s awfully cute. And unlike many of the critters in Australia, he doesn’t look particularly dangerous. Great pictures.
TomatoQueen
Great pics, Sam is a lovely little erm matey. I bet he has something weird and toxic going on in his saliva or his claws, aussie animals are like that.
rikyrah
Pictures are beautiful.