9/29-10/11/2022 A trip to Austalia, one that has been planned for some time. I actually wanted to go last fall, but they still weren't letting tourists in back then. Never been to the continent, and this will make country number 27 for me. I have a feeling this will be a long post....

A bit of a back story - many years ago I donated my first design, the dp1, and all the CAD and tooling that went with it, to Auschwabenon highschool in Wisconsin. Jeremie Meyer, the shop teacher there, adapted it to be built by the students during the year from scratch, concluding with a complete drivable car at the end of the term. Modifications were made to make it suitable for the task, including conversion to Briggs&Stratton engine of about 50hp. Over the years Jeremie shared the design with several other schools in the US, and eventually one in Australia.

There, Greig Frankham has built a full fledged educational program around the design, with many schools participating. The students all bring their cars to the end-of-year competition in Brisbane, taking place first week in October. And so I'm going there to see the cars and witness the event. With a few random stops along the way, of course.

A few pix that Greig and another teacher, Stuart Borrows, had emailed me from past events are below.

I booked the tickets with miles several months ago. As with other travels, I'll be renting a car and camping at least some of the time. Bringing the camping gear that I now have reduced down to a single backpack. A second backpack carries 80 Zone bars, Merino wool clothing, an outer rain shell, and a laptop. For a bit, considered bringing the kayak too. Looking at the map there will definitely be countless paddling spots along the way. But honestly, I'm kind of paddled out for the season and if need be/mood strikes, I can always rent there.

Oh, and with all the traveling I decided it was time to get a noise-canceling headphone set. So I bought the Bose over-the-ear one, and tested it on the day trip to Los Angeles yesterday. Definitely makes the travel experience more serene and I get to listen to high quality music when I choose to. Or just silence. The headphones even shut out a screaming baby in the row directly behind me. Nice. Or 'noice', as I should practice saying.

And, as always some nice views out the window.

Decided to check in for the flight as early as possible (I get upgrades 24 hours prior to departure). As I attempt to do so, it says I need a visa. Really? Guess should have checked. A few moments of not really stress but active concern. I research what this task entails. Turns out there is an online process for certain visa types (for which I thankfully qualify), using an app that scans the passport, reads the passport chip, scans my face, and verifies that I'm outside of Australia while applying. All that takes about 20 minutes, then $20 on my credit card and application is submitted. It says they'll let me know in 12 hours. Glad I started the process early. Then, confirmation email arrives in a few minutes saying that the visa has been granted. Noice. I complete check-in and get moved up to premium economy with more legroom, for both flights. I'll take it - especially on the 15 hour SFO-SYD leg. First would have been cool of course, but I wasn't expecing it with my silver status and wasn't willing to spring $4K for a purchased upgrade.

The flight to San Francisco departs Portland at 7 PM, so I spent the day at the shop taking care of multiple work items. Then an hour before heading for the airport I thought it might be useful to check the weather, as I hadn't done that yet. Not too bad, 50-60F in Sydney with intermittent showers, 50-70F in Brisbane. Won't have to buy any clothing on arrival, looks like. But always an option. While at it booked my first campground - one of just six sites at Frazer campground, about two hours north of Sydney, was available. Had to book two nights even though only staying one, but it's inexpensive and looks like will be well worth it. I land at 7am and plan to spend the day around town, then head north in late afternoon.

Now with a 2 hour layover, taking the time to start the blog. Departure got me a good view of downtown Portland, and a side-by-side approach into SFO with an Alaska flight was kinda cool.

Soo.... about the next flight. Turns out my celebration of economy plus seating was premature. I'm in row 30, which is a bulkhead row, but in a middle seat. Means lots of legroom but people could be on either or both sides of me. Once I see the people, I realize it's going to be uncomfortable. Both tall men, over 6'3" at least, broad shoulders. I feel like a kid next to them. This is the most cramped I've been on a flight, ever. Not just occasionally touching elbows - we are talking hard shoulder-to-shoulder full contact, for 14+ hours. At least the legroom allowed me to put feet up, down, and any which way except to either side. Somehow I still managed some sleep, which I only know because I remember the dreams.

The Bose headphones are to thank for making this experience bearable. I've actually had them on since before takeoff from Portland, nonstop, and mostly blasting angry metal. Because... well, because. I can smile serenely at fellow passengers while internalizing glorification of violent death and general mayhem, them none the wiser. The battery only expired about 1 hour before landing in Sydney, and even then a 10-minute top up got me the rest of the way. So 20+ hours solid, including the layover in SFO (yes they make the airport experience better too).

In all, still beats a multi-month uncertain voyage on a wind-powered ship just a couple centuries ago. Thankful for progress. I'll take modern day problems, with gratitude. Main lesson here is that a window seat in regular economy is likely to be better than middle seat in economy plus. Secondary lesson is that I need to earn more miles so that I can book biz or first on these long trips.

Landing in Sydney and not having any checked luggage, I pretty much just walk out with no delay. The Europcar counter at interntational terminal is unmanned at 7:30 in the morning, and there are instructions to take a bus to the domestic terminal. Easy, though takes a while. I've driven on the other side before, in New Zealand eighteen years ago. What I remember is all the car being on the wrong side, and the turn signal/windshield wiper being flipped. Yep, it is as I remember. Except back then it was manual transmission and paper maps. Now with auto and GPS it's much easier.

The car is a Toyota hybrid of some kind, it's hard to tell what the model name is - nor does it matter. It's an appliance. When you push the start button it doesn't start the engine but rather the bootup process. The engine operation is only vaguely related to the goings on, and I quickly resign to ignoring it. Brakes are over-sensitive too. It reads the speed limit signs, like many modern cars do, and dutifully reminds you to 'please obey all traffic regulations' when you exceed the limit. Every. Single. Time. It's an appliance. But maybe just as well - there are cameras everywhere, with Google voicing the warnings in case the road signs weren't enough, and posted reminders that the fines are heavy. Who needs human traveling companions when there are so many things talking at you constantly.

On the plus side, the roads are extremely well maintained. Services for servitude. Fair trade.

I google 'Sydney Harbor parking' and let it guide me there. It's a somewhat dystopian looking parking garage with extremely tight internal passageways and cramped spaces. Accessed via an industrial looking alleyway.

To add to the surreal feel of it all, a poster in a random door:

After successfully parking without scraping the car on anything, despite countless opportunities to do so, I walk in the general direction of where google says the water is.

So far, looks really cool actually. The city is clean and beautiful. There appears to be a maritime museum (mu-sea-um) and several cool ships parked near it.

I don't do museums often, though I have enjoyed many over the years. After some internal debate I decide to go for it. A museum ticket gets you access to the exhibit, and five ships outside - HMAS Vampire (a destroyer launched in 1956), HMAS Onslow (a submarine commissioned in 1969), HMB Endeavour (recent replica of captain Cook's ship from the 1700s), Duyfken (replica of a 1606 merchant vessel), and the iron-hulled tall ship James Craig (constructed in 1874 and since restored, but it is the original and not a replica). The latter three all sail regularly with a mix of volunteer and paying crew. Descriptions would take too long so I'm just posting the pix - info is online for those who care to research.

While paying for the museum ticket it strikes me how colorful the money is.

The museum itself has a lot of cool exhibits, but the ships are the main draw. Some exhibit pix first though.

I do want to mention the submarine in the context of my ongoing essentialist discovery quest - it is set up for 68 men to live in a confined space for up to ten weeks on just the food, water and fuel that they took on at last port call. And, it's battery powered. The diesels are just battery chargers.

The destroyer is much less confined. Easier to picture living onboard.

The Endeavour replica is cool. This is the first time I've seen a functional tall ship upclose. It's a lot of rigging, much to operate and maintain.

The Duyfken is less complex but still fairly involved. To think that this was all done 300 years ago, and traversed oceans successfully... As an engineer I can't help but admire it.

The James Craig is basically the end of the tall ship era, a transition to iron hulls but not yet steam power.

After touring the museum and the ships, I walk around some more and take two 1-hour harbor cruises on a heritage vessel. Random pix below.

By now it's around 3 pm and it's time to head north. I had booked my first campground with NSW National Parks back when I was still in Oregon. It's a couple hours drive which will allow me to set up while there is still daylight left. I see rain on the way but it's dry when I arrive. Getting a bit more used to the driving, though it still requires paying extra attention.

Finding the campsite I set up the tent and go walking about. Even when camping, it seems I'm still the minimalist.

It is chilly and windy, requiring an extra base layer and a fully zipped outer shell. With that, I'm good to wonder about till well past sunset. Interestingly there is very little marine life on the beach - there are no crabs or other creatures in the tidepools. Lots of Man O' War on the beach though.

There is also an odd turkey-like bird that is totally comfortable with humans and is not shy about scavenging what it can from the campsites.

Darkness falls, and after a final (windy and cold) walk, I crawl into the tent to sleep.

It rains overnight, which wakes me up, but the tent does just fine. It's clear in the morning. As the sun comes up, so the clouds move in. It's a race, but it stays chilly till about 10 am when the sun finally wins.

There are numerous birds of various kinds, but I haven't seen any mammal wildlife so far.

The roads leading into the park are cool as well. I take a couple pix on the way out.

Next destination is Port Macquarie, a few hours up the coast, chosen somewhat randomly. I'll figure out where to stay when I get there.

One way is just taking the A1 freeway, which I do for a while. But when the sign says 'tourist drive' I figure, being a tourist, I should try it. Glad I did. Several great spots along the way. Had I brought the kayak, I could spend days on the water here. There are so many cool spots. Maybe on another trip.

The truck below is very common here - a Toyota Hilux with a snorkel. Guess roads get flooded (and I saw several signs to that effect).

Stopped by a few beaches along the way, and took a swim at one. Chilly water but refreshing, and closest to a shower I've had in a while. If I camp tonight, guess I'll be salty. But less stinky.

I normally tend to take photos with people excluded. In the one below, they are included deliberately. It is a picture of parents taking photos of their kids jumping off a cliff into the incoming waves pictured above. Doubt I'd see that at home.

Some cool random vegetation as I walk about.

Arriving at Port Macquarie, it is now almost 5 PM and I still have no clue where to stay. Also my laptop battery is dead. I find a shopping mall and look for an outlet to plug into. Outside Woolworths is only one I find, and they have free wifi also. Good enough.

Bad news is that all the national park campgrounds require prior booking, and none are available on such short notice. There is literally nothing along the coast that I could book for tonight. I do find a private campground inland, with one available site. I request a booking through the associated app, and it submits - then tells me someone else just grabbed it. Oh well, time for plan B - expedia.

I find a hotel nearby and book the one available room. It's a nice one. Just as well, as I need to recharge all the devices and I haven't had a shower since Oregon.

Once in the room I get a message from the campground confirming my booking - I guess the one that grabbed it was me? Well, it is what it is now. Hopefully they won't charge me but even if they do it's not a lot. I shower, try the hot tub and sauna (both need to be hotter), then open a bottle of wine I picked up at one of the stops along the way, and do this update. All good. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

I'm typing this up in a moonlit campground by the ocean, thanks to having recharged the laptop at the hotel last night. There are so many new experiences, if I don't write them down now I will forget. So here goes...

Waking up at 6 AM I make a slow start to the morning, catch up on emails and some work stuff, then go for a walk. Just outside the hotel is a paved and well maintained ocean walk that runs south for over ten kilometers. I don' have quite that much time or energy, but I check out some of it.

There are many cool views and some relatively secluded coves one can climb down to. I do for one, and discover the first evidence of coastal marine life - a bunch of sea shells. I pick one to take home.

Back at the hotel to figure out what I'm going to do today. First order of business, book tonight's campground. I pick Black Rocks campground quite a ways up the coast, find an available spot, pay the fees, and I'm all set. Availability has been complicated by school holidays and the fact that today is Australian Labor Day, a long weekend monday. It looks like I got charged for the campground that I supposedly didn't get, but it's too much hassle to try and sort it out so i'll just write it off to experience. Too much new stuff to do. On the way out, I take the stairway instead of elevator and it looks cool somehow. Just a random mental snapshot, that is now an actual snapshot.

So far, I've seen plenty of cool birds but no indigenous ground life. So first thing I did was a touristy visit to Koala Hospital and Billabong Zoo. The first is a full animal rescue operation, the second is part rescue part touristy zoo thing. Still, it was cool to see. Koalas don't move much and when they sleep you can't even see them breathing. Not a thrilling sight but cute nevertheless. The zoo has a breeding program and there are a couple females with babies. Doubly cute.

I also get to see both Kangaroos and Wallabys, so I can tell which is which later. Still haven't seen one in the wild.

The Cassowary is a cool bird, endangered now and therefore rare to see in the wild. It's too bad the setup doesn't allow any shots without the cage in them, but I suppose that's symbolic too.

Today seems like a good day for a paddle so I search for kayak rentals along the way. There aren't many, and the first one that google tells me about is actually no longer there. But the second one is there and is cool. I end up spending two hours on the water pushing pretty hard. Good exercise. As bonus, I saw a couple cool lizards and watched cows cross the river. Didn't realize cows can swim. Makes sense they would, just never thought about it really. These make the crossing every day, like clockwork. It's their daily commute.

Paddling done by 4:30 I punch the camground into the GPS and realise it's over two hours away still. So the sun will be setting when I get there. The A1 coastal highway is the downunder equivalent of the US 101/PCH that runs up the Pacific coast. Along the way I figure out some of the car's functions like radar cruise control and lane assist steering. Makes it easy to snack on biltong as I motor along. Picked some up at a convenience store along the way, and learned I prefer it over jerky. Will have to find a source back home.

Speaking of motoring, I note that the long haul trucks here are different - they have a lot more wheels. Back home, 18-wheel configuration is common. Here, there are single-trailer 22-wheel setups, and double-trailer 34-wheel ones. Yep, that's a lot of wheels but I suppose helps keep the roads in better shape by distributing the loads.

Then the fuel light comes on. I haven't seen a gas station in a while, and no idea when the next one is. It's over 90 Km to destination and I'm pretty sure I won't make it that far, plus it's likely to be isolated. Not particularly concerned but deliberately looking for signs of fuel. Finally, an exit sign saying fuel this way - with gauge needle past the final mark. Cool. I find the gas station and figure out how to pay. There is a pay terminal (similar to how it's set up in Norway), but it says pump off line. Turns out you fill your tank and then pay inside. $70 AUD to fill up, about $50 US give or take. Not bad.

I get back on the motorway and eventually exit for the final two dozen kilometers to destination. Finally see live kangaroos in the wild! Should have stopped to take pictures, but didn't. These critters are not small. Fortuantely they stayed off the road. There was a wallaby roadkill that I saw earlier but those are smaller.

The road suddenly turns to gravel and essentially one lane, which I didn't expect. I double check that I'm still on the right path - yep. Another roo by the side of the road, just glanced at me over the shoulder. The sun has set and it's starting to get dark. 17 Km to go.

Then I see something in the road. A hitchiker, it turns out. A hippie dude with a guitar walking barefoot through the woods at dusk. I pick him up, he's going to the same campground, His car ran out of fuel and he thought he'd walk the rest of the way. 14 Km left. In the woods. Barefoot. And fading daylight. We chat a bit along the way, then get to the campground and I drop him off at his site. Then find mine.

By now it's dark but the moon is at 50% so I set up by moonlight then walk over to the beach to finish off the bottle of wine I started last night. Drinking from a mug I bought at a convenience store, it was same price as a stack of 25 plastic cups but this one I'll use for a long time and less harmful if/when disposed of.

The campground is separated from the beach by a large forest-covered sand dune which blocks nearly all the wind and some of the sound. Access is through a couple pathways cut in the dense vegetation. Camera's night mode does a lot better than I expected - the pictures are actually brighter than real life, by quite a bit.

Moonlight drink on the beach concluded, I sit down to type up the day's experiences. And now it's time to catch some sleep. We'll see what tomorrow brings. No planning has been done in that regard yet, other than 'head north'.

Waking up at 4:50 AM, it is still pitch dark. It rained overnight (tent still performing perfectly) but it's clear skies now with milky way fully visible. I find my way towards the beach without a flashlight, and experiment with pro mode on the phone and 30-second exposures. A bit more successful at it now.

Then back to the tent for a Zone bar snack. As the sun starts to come up I walk to the beach again. The 'black rocks' are not actual rocks, and not even sandstone. They seem to be just sand compressed and held together with a black substance that is tar-like, but is not tar. You can dig into it with bare hands. It stains the hands (and clothes, if you sit on the 'rocks'), but the stain is easily washed off with water without soap.

There is something living under the sand that makes these holes, the sand is clearly ejected outwards and with some apparent vigor. Probably clams. I try digging one out and get elbow deep, but it's likely a much better digger than I and it eludes me. I give up not really being motivated to disturb its life, just casually curious to see it. EDIT: I'm told these are tiny crabs that dig down into the sand, not clams spitting sand up. Learn something every day.

There are 'fruit' on the beach - more coconut-like than fruit, which came off the tree above the cliff. I try smashing one but the 'rocks' are too soft. Doesn't look edible anyway.

Another interesting feature of the sand formations is the numerous holes. Waves roll pebbles around and they end up trapped in the holes. Like before, there is little evidence of marine life and tidepools are devoid of it.

Below is anoher neat formation, most likely a denser area of whatever substance is holding the sand together.

Climbing on top of the dune, one can see all the vegetation on the other side.

The neighboring sites have a variety of interesting camping rig setups.

And then there's mine. I prefer it, honestly.

These birds are ever-present. I later learn they are bush turkeys. They seem indifferent to humans and are more interested in whatever scraps of food we may have left than in us. Kind of like free range chickens.

The sun is now up and about, so time to move on. One last beach walk before I go.

People seem to fish here, but I haven't seen anyone catch anything. Hard for me to imagine how fish would see the bait in the boiling surf, but maybe they do.

On the drive out, I see the kangaroos again and this time stop the car and take pictures without getting out. The roo was clearly curious about my motives, then decided to hop along.

Next destination is Byron Bay, with a few beach stops along the way.

Byron Bay itself is a quaint resort town that used to be hippie but is all tourist now. Reminds me somewhat of Laguna Beach in southern California. I don't spend much time here and move on to Brisbane.

Crossing from New South Wales into Queensland, the look and feel of the environment changes and is now very similar to various portions of US west coast. The approach to the city is just like I5 north heading into Seattle, when you catch first glimpse of downtown.

I stop at South Bank, a park-like city space with flower-decorated walkways, lots of restaurants, public swimming pools with beaches, and so on. Nice area but, to me, lacks the character that Sydney harbor has.

All the restaurants and bars seem tourist-oriented and superficial in a way. I do sit down at one for some chicken tenders with a glass of wine. The food is ok in general, but given my current minimalist focus it's not my thing. I peel off most of the breading and try to soak up the grease with the napkin. Tastes like chicken. Which is good in this case. And another good data point for my essentialist quest. There is a variety of birds fluttering around, picking on whatever humans have dropped.

I actually spend a bit of time processing why I feel as I do about the two cities, and my conclusion is that Sydney was a working harbor, and while gentrified now, it retains the tall ships which actually still sail. This lends history and authenticity to the scene that is not apparent in Brisbane. At least that's my take on it.

Late afternoon I arrive at Greig's house and we spend some time chatting over some wine. This is where the car-related part of the trip starts, and there is an educational agenda to it as well.

Greig's house is in Sunshine Coast area, about an hour north of Brisbane. His back yard is adjacent to a golf course. He says it is an 'extended lawn I don't have to mow'. There are roos and other critters roaming there which is cool to see.

In the morning we drive out to Greig's workshop, stopping by a local beach on the way. The beach has a different feel than the ones I've seen so far.

Then on to his workshop, and what got me to plan this trip in the first place. Greig created and runs Formula Student, a Registered Training Organization (RTO). The purpose is to provide highschool students with competency-based training in real world skills, using the cars as a learning tool. The program is provided to the schools as a complete educational service, including the car kit and the software package to run the course.

The car is a combination of pre-fabricated components and detailed instructions for students to make their own parts. It is set up to duplicate exactly how a production shop would run, with the educational level built in, consisting of competency achievement and certification. Each school provides shop facilities and a teacher, and the government pays Formula Student to provide the course materials to each school on a per-student basis. The program is currently set up for Queensland but can be adopted to many other school systems/regulations. The key pieces are the car kit and the software to run the courses.

Fixtures for the parts to be fabricated are provided with the kit.

The software component has different access levels for students, teachers and administrators. It is similar conceptually to Moodle, but is written from scratch to meet the goals of the course including verifying on-site attendance by the students, tracking hours and competencies achieved, etc.

This makes the teachers' job much easier while ensuring that the course goals are achieved and properly documented. It was developed inhouse and can be used to run an actual shop, with or without the educational component.

I'm impressed with how much work has gone into all this, and the pragmatic thoroughness of the approach. There is a good balance of make vs buy, with the more complex components/systems supplied, and achievable fabrication required from the students, with the goal of teaching the relevant skills. There is no design by the students - that's left to college-level FSAE programs later on. This program lays the foundation on which interested students can build to go into engineering or trades.

The cars are bult during the shool year, culminating in the annual competition that will take place over the next two days. After that, the student-fabricated components (chassis/suspension/etc) are cut up and recycled, while major supplied parts like bodywork, engines, wheels/tires, and so on, are reused by the following year classes. For the bodywork Jeremie had arranged the transfer of the pattern which I donated to his school, and with some minor mods Greig then made his own molds from that.

Greig also showed me his drop-down trailer design. It's a clever approach, using a winch (not in the picture) to raise the bed which is then locked in place with pins.

Tomorrow is teachers' day at the track, and Friday is the student competition. Looking forward to it.

I spend the rest of the day updating the blog, catching up on email, and working on some new patent apps. A welcome break from the fairly intense experience-gathering of the last few days.

Today is teachers' day at the track - Lakeside Park Raceway near Brisbane. The teams arrive, unload their cars, and the teachers have a chance to drive the cars on the track both to experience them and to shake out any last-minute bugs or issues. There are some.

It's awesome to see so many cars based on my design. This year there are 34 cars and exactly 300 students, from 20 schools across Queensland.

I get to drive one of the cars for a few laps. The cars are not fast, because that isn't the point (the engines are restricted even from their stock output). The goal is to let the students experience the product of their year-long labors firsthand, and pretty much all of the 300 students present will get to drive tomorrow. Driver training not being an objective of the course, the cars must be configured accordingly.

That said, it was an awesome experience for me to be on track with so many of 'my' cars. I waved a couple by just so I could watch them as I drive.

What has really impressed me, the more I learn about what Greig and his team have done with the program, is the pragmatic consistency of optimizing everything for the task at hand, which is education. The cars are tools for that task.

Tomorrow is the main event for the students. Looking forward to it.

As for my trip, I've been contemplating changes. One was to return the car here and fly to Sydney. The flight is cheap enough - only $80 US so I book it. Then I call the rental car agency to see what the one-way fee would be, expecting $100 or so. Should have done that first. The actual fee is $2,600. The agent on the phone had me on hold for a while, then said that she ran it three times to make sure but yes that is the price. I could pay it, but eh. The $80 flight is nonrefundable but the lesser loss by far. Experience gained either way, just a choice as to what it's worth to me.

So tomorrow I'll head south from the track after the event, staying at Coffs Harbor, then on to Sydney. This breaks the drive into two manageable 5-hour chunks and gives me a day and a half in Sydney to roam about. Since I'll be arriving at my next stop after 9 pm I opt for a cheap hotel over camping, especially in light of the forecast rain. The Sydney hotel is near the harbor so should be convenient. Will likely return the car early and take train from/to the airport. Pragmatic choices.

Race day! In the morning, the students attend a drivers' briefing (in four parallel groups due to the sheer number of people present), then line up for the start.

The event is set up as a six-hour endurance race, with the car that completes the most laps getting a trophy. But the goal is not speed - it is to make sure that every student who contributed to the build of their team's car gets to drive it on track.

As with any endurance event, there are challenges - breakdowns, crashes (which are relatively noneventful due to the deliberately limited speeds, but they still require bodywork and chassis repairs). It is real enough to be a valuable and fun learning experience, controlled enough to be safe.

So far the weather has cooperated beautifully, far exceeding any expectations. It has rained, but only when it wasn't inconvenient. Some sun, but not too much. Clouds and wind, but also in moderation. The forecast along my path back south is heavy rain, so I get a somewhat earlier start, taking off before the event is completed. Also to beat the Friday afternoon traffic.

Along the coast there are many spots I haven't seen on the way up, and the weather continues to be kind to me so I stop at a few places. In particular, Tweed Coast area is cool. The beaches are long and open (and mostly deserted right now).

For a while the road runs along a forested sand bar between the ocean shore and a river, with many pullouts along the way. So one could go to the beach, cross the road, and go paddling on the river. Perhaps another trip.

I look for a 'bottle shop' to stock up on wine for the next couple evenings, and see a sushi place that looks cool. So I sit down to get a break from the Zone bar routine. It's cool but as a data point, this adds 1.5 hours to the trip and $50 to the cost. Today it so happens I can afford both and so it's a nice diversion, but also highlights the efficiency of the Zone stuff for travel. That's time and resource I could have instead spent exploring, had I chosen to do that. Though of course this is a form of exploring too. Would get less so if multiplied by three meals a day for ten days.

The hotel I booked for tonight is The Pier Hotel in Coff's Harbour. It's a boutique place that is very reasonable - only $60 for a single room with shared bathroom. The room is surprisingly nice, and even has its own sink. The bathroom is on par with the better truck stop/campground setups - sufficient. So it's another possible level of lodging accommodation, and I find it in some ways more appropriate than the $250/night hotel on the way up. The ceiling is tall, something like 12', and that makes the tiny room feel spacious. All good things to learn.

The hotel has a bar with live music downstairs that goes on until 10:30 pm. The music is not bad and I generally don't mind it, but it's a good opportunity to further test the headphones. They work like magic - put them on, push the button, and the ambient noise disappears. Of course I then add metal (Skold is the current fav), which is 'noise' to some, but it is of my choosing and on my time. So another element in dealing with the world on my terms, which is my stated goal in life.

Another great day, and there will be developments from all this that I may write about some time later. Wheels have been set in motion. All milestones in the quest.

In the morning I take a brief walk down to the harbor. It's a neat resort town.

Sydney is about five hours away. I could theoretically make some stops along the way, but at this point I feel I have a fair idea of what the coast is like. So I opt for a straight-through drive. I will be returning the car two days early and taking the train into town.

Google occasionally malfunctions and has me driving around in circles a few times until I decide to just look at the map and go where I need to. Eventually, the car is successfully returned and me with my two rather weighty backpacks are at the airport. From here, the easiest would be a taxi or rideshare. Second easiest would be to call the hotel shuttle. I opt for the least easiest - but still reasonable. The train. It's a bit of walking to the platform, getting a $20 ticket, figuring out which train to get on (I half do half guess, it works out). Had I brought the kayak this would have been super hard. As it is, it's a bit of an exercise but doable. Many stairs. There is a change of trains at Central, with a walk to another platform.

It's about 5 pm and it's raining. From the Museum train station the hotel is only a ten minute walk, but the bags and the rain add a bit of challenge to it. Nothing insurmountable.

The hotel itself, Meriton Suites on Sussex Street, is the fanciest I've stayed on this trip so far. I'm here tomorrow night as well. It's only a short walk from the harbor.

I stop by the pool/spa area to check it out. Not sure I want to get into water when I'm already soaked to the core.

After dying off a bit, I head out into the rain again.

Similar to Portland, Sydney has a lot of awnings and overhangs so one can try to sneak from one rain shelter to the next. But the sheer futility of that becomes apparent in the first two blocks, so I just walk and let the rain fall on me as it may.

The cathedral is an ineteresting place, with the gothic towers juxtaposed with modern highrises. Paralleling that, there is a group of Muslim men having a prayer, trying to figure out which way to face towards Mecca on one side. On the other side, there is a concert/protest about the Hijab killing in Iran and demanding overthrow of the mullahs. Not like Australia has anything to do with either, but it's a free country which is really the takeaway here. Speed limits notwithstanding, but I'm told the Northern Territories don't have those on some roads. Another trip.

This one, I want to see what's there is to see in Sydney before I go home. The harbor is a happening place, many bars/restaurants teeming with people who put some effort into dressing up for the occasion. It's a big party. And as with all parties, I'm an observer. This one outside, in the rain and in the dark. Not a complaint by any stretch - that's just how I do, and it's all the more fun to me :) Most won't understand and I'm good with that.

The outer shell is supposed to be rainproof. It isn't. I'm soaked to the last thread. Fortunately the inner layer of the threads is Merino wool and it's really like magic. My feet are not cold - it's more like a wetsuit with the socks. I am aware of the moisture everywhere, but the skin feels 'dry'.

Time to get back to the hotel and process all that I've experienced today. And write it down. And dry off. Tomorrow is my last full day here, and it might not rain quite as hard then. We shall see.

Today is my last full day here. There is no plan whatsoever, just to see what I can see. Waking up at 6 am, I check my clothes and realize my pants and shoes are still wet from last night. There is a door by the entrance, and on the off chance I check it - yep, laundry. This is a full on apartment, not just a hotel room. Sweet.

While clothes are drying I try to figure out what to do. Last night was heavy rain, but today is supposed to be clear if a bit windy and chilly. I now know exactly how to layer for this.

Having now seen a tall ship upclose and having been oboard a couple docked, what about sailing? So I google 'tall ship sailing sydney'. Yep, it's a thing. I book a 3:45 cruise. They have options for driks (check) and to climb the mast (check!). I suspect there will be an order in which they'll want that done, and that's fine.

But first I have to make an attempt at getting some kind of comfort on the long flight out. At silver status, I only get upgrades 24 hours in advance, at check in. That will be 11:20 am. So I set an alarm and go walkabout. Grabbing a table at a harborside restaurant, I order two eggs sunnyside and wait. And people watch.

Since I'm running low on Zone bars, today I will be doing several food stops. As an engineering exercise I will count the time and the dollar cost, just to have reference data vs Zone bars. This one, 45 minutes and $20.

The alarm goes off and I check in on my phone. There is a window economy+ seat available and I grab it. Would have cost me $290 a minute ago. Still not willing to spring $4K for first. Now, what next? I have a few hours before the tall ship sail. I walk down the harbor walk. There is a ferry terminal. Guess I should take one. Where? Randomly I pick Cockatoo Island. Not entirely sure what drove that decision - island, short trip, ferry departing in 10 minutes? I know nothing about it. I just buy a ticket.

The ferries are efficient, cool, fast, and run on time. Just like the trains. I'm liking Sydney. It's an 8-minute, $7.70 ride.

Getting off the ferry I try to figure out what I just got into. The place is pretty deserted and looks post-apocalyptic in a way.

There is an actual cockatoo to greet me, loudly. The only one I see during the visit.

The signs say it used to be a prison, then a shipyard. Now? - not sure. It's way cool though. I'll let pix do the talking.

I grab a coffee at a local caffee. They don't have any food I'd want to eat. $10 and 20 minutes for the coffee. Just data.

The tall ship sail departs from Circular Quay, and there is a ferry that goes there. I walk up to the dock 3 minutes prior to departure. Perfect.

At this point I have a couple hours before the sail so I go walking about.

Having the time to spare I sit down at a harborside restaurant and order some fish. It's pricey, but whatever. Half hour goes by. I see a neighboring table get one plate of fish more than they appear to need. I wonder if it's mine. Another 15 minutes. I ask when my order will be ready, as I have only 15 minutes left. Some confusion and something to the effect of 'computer glitch, we'll make it again'. Hmm... They retrieve the extra plate from table next door. Wonder if I'll get warmed-up old plate. Two minutes before I need to get up and walk to the dock, the fish does show up with many apologies. It is good and as near as I can tell it's not rewarmed. I eat it fast. Burn my tongue a bit. Would have been better with extra few minutes to enjoy it. One hour, $60. Data.

I walk briskly to the other side of the Quay and arrive in time for boarding. The ship is cool.

We board, sit through the safety briefing, and cast off. The ship is about 100 years old, built in Denmark. It does have an engine which is used to get out of the harbor and upwind. Then it's shut off and sails take us back in.

Unsurprisingly, it is clarified that the mast climbing has to happen before I get any drinks. Fair. I have to sign a lengthy disclaimer saying that anything that happens is all my fault. Then I'm given a harness, strapped onto a line, and up I go. They wouldn't let me take the phone up because of the risk of me dropping it on someone. Too bad, the view up there is awesome. You'll just have to imagine it, or better yet come here and do it yourself :)

Once back down, I take full advantage of unlimited wine and watch the proceeings. It is cool to see what it takes to operate a ship like this.

I can only imagine what it would be like to cross an ocean on one of these. Given that this one was built in Europe, she has done just that.

It takes a bit longer than the scheduled 1.5 hours, and it's an experience that will stay with me for as long as memory serves.

Back at the harbor it looks like the massive cruise ship is about to sail, so I get a table at another restaurant to wait, grab a snack, and see the departure. I get a burger my style, no bun or fuss. Even with ordering immediately upon seating (I read the menu by the sidewalk), it takes 50 minutes and $58. Another data point. Yes, Zone bars would have been zero time, $2 for two of them, and likely better nutrition-wise.

The cruise ship departure is cool to observe.

I walk back to the hotel through the city, just to see what's there. It's very cool. One of the places I could live and that's not something I say lightly. Will at least visit again, at some point.

I had spotted a bottle shop near the hotel earlier so I visit it to grab a bottle of prosecco. For tomorrow I booked a shuttle from the hotel, having duly experienced the train commute and choosing an easier way out. Barring any noteworthy developments on the way back, this is probably my last entry for the trip. Quite a bit to pack into ten days. It's how I do. Cheers.

A quick post-trip update for completeness. On the way back to the airport I booked a shuttle, with the been-there-done-that situation on the public transport trip. Waiting for it to show up, the hotel lobby is kinda cool, in an overdone and unnecessary kind of way.

The shuttle ride is stress free, taking 45 minutes lobby to security line, and another 45 minutes through the line.

Once boarded I'm pleasantly surprized that I get the whole exit row to myself. Nice contrast to the inbound situation. Too bad the armrests don't fold, but I still get two solid four hour chunks of sleep in my own private Idaho.

Note the pillow I stuffed under the forward edge of the seat cushion, in the last pic above. And the resulting cushion angle compared to the adjacent seat. Makes a huge difference.

On early morning approach to SFO, some cool views.

Having driven 2,380 kilometers on the other side of the road, getting back to 'normal' car is an adjustment. The main thing is that when I go to signal a lane change, I occasionally turn on the windshield wiper instead.

Two weeks to recuperate before the Iceland trip. And tons of work to do. There is likely to be another LA trip before then, and the weather is unseasonably nice so better do another track day. Booked.