No time for caution - follow me

First things first. A check on the weather to see if Manly was a goer. Sadly no. Too big a swell and most ferries appeared to be cancelled with a replacement bus service. Like the old Enterprise train. Mrs Verno is prone to sea sickness so even if they had been on it would have been cruel to have subjected her to anything other than a mill pond. Just for your information, this morning was the first morning that we did not waken up at some ungodly hour. You will recall the melatonin issue. We had forgotten to take any but things have not been too bad sleep wise.

Second things second. Breakfast or more accurately brunch was sought and we ventured to Tumbalong Park near the hotel to Cafe Alma. Mrs Verno had clearly had enough acai and settled for a well proportioned salmon and scrambled eggs plate while I made do with a modest egg and bacon roll which seems to be a big thing here. Both were polished off in proper starvo fashion. Mrs Verno very kindly offered me the remnants of two lettuce leaves if I wanted them. They say that body accounts for 55% of communication. I think I surpassed that in my response. While we ate we were accompanied by what the Australians call the bin chicken - Australian white ibis. This rather ungainly and frankly prehistoric creature quietly bides its time and then leisurely hoovers up any scraps we humans leave behind. Best of luck with Mrs Verno mate. Fill your boots with the lettuce.

I spotted a new restaurant opening and once again could not resist the photo.

We then headed on foot to the new Sydney Fish Market. Mr Google led us a merry dance via some dodgy looking walkways along a busy highway that required that we went old school and asked a local for confirmatory directions. This local turned out to be French but inspired sufficient confidence that we persevered on our chosen route. We very soon had a Chinese couple in tow as they needed looked lost and doubting of what Mr Google was saying. Thank goodness I had yet to purchase a hat like the one I have modelled previously that is the giveaway for the Chinese secret police. So off we trundled, hopefully in the right direction. You will be pleased to know that we made it. And what a place. If you like sushi, lobster, abalone, tuna or anything that came out of the sea then this would be heaven. I was sorry I was full up as the sashimi platters looked very appetizing.

The view of the Anzac Bridge from here was excellent and accompanied by a clatter of Ibis.

While taking on some water we met a lovely young couple from Portsmouth who had moved to Australia four years previously. The ice was broken as I applied sun treat to my alabaster skin. The young fellow commented that it was warm. I replied that unlike him I did not go brown. His wife pointed to her red hair and sympathised with me. When I displayed my previously ginger locks she understood the shared pain we have when the sun is out. A nice moment. They lamented the price of housing in Sydney but hoped to move to the Gold Coast soon where things were much more affordable.

We headed back to the CBD, this time by light rail and found ourselves back in Tumbalong Park where a Korean culture event was in full swing. The place was bunged. But we had our sights on cold drinks and settled in a cafe close by. Suitably sated I ventured back into the festival area and was hugely impressed by the groups that were performing. Traditional Korean drums and such but the best was a modest 18 member group who danced and sang. Their first number was Circle of Life and then things got better. Dancing Queen by ABBA performed with great gusto and no shortage of K-Pop choreography. Mrs Verno was summoned and quickly arrived to share this bizarre but most enjoyable moment.

We headed back to base camp and Mrs Verno looked ready for a wee doze. I left her in the comforting embrace of the air conditioner and camera in hand headed out into the brutal sunlight again. A walk around Darling Harbour taking photos passed a couple of hours nicely.

That was it except we headed out to a Chinese restaurant later on. Service was a bit off but the fried rice was to die for. No tip but a swollen belly for it was lovely. Even Mrs Verno filled her tiny boots. We were given two fortune cookies and holy Jesus mine had to be the worst ever.

We checked in for our flight to New Zealand the next day and then forced Mrs Verno to have a bedtime cocktail. We checked out at 11am and will have five and a half hours to kill in Sydney, Australia. Life just gets tougher.