Down Under

My first post for a couple of months, good reason though as I've been in Australia since the 16th June. Over the next few days I'll update with selected posts about my trip, with of course, the emphasis on Birds & Beer !
I left Heathrow as I say on the 16th June and arrived in Sydney on the 18th to a lovely sunny day but with the temperature around 18 degrees as its winter there at the moment. After meeting up with my cousin Barbara,with whom I was staying, we got a cab to Randwick where she lives just a 10 minute walk from Coogee Bay, a smaller and less crowded version of Bondi.
A quick shower and a change of clothes and we walked to the beach and a walk along the coast. I was already noticing all the different avifauna with Common Mynahs being very noticeable and Pied Currawongs giving their distinctive calls.

The coast walk at Coogee Bay

This was a lovely walk along a very picturesque section of coastline and I was already starting to see new and exotic species of birds as we walked along.

Male Superb Fairy Wren

As well as male and female Superb Fairy Wrens I also added Silver Gull,New Holland Honeyeater,Australian Magpie,Willie Wagtail,Red Collared Dove and Nankeen Kestral.
After a stop for a coffee on the way back we then got the bus into the city. We stopped at the Botanical Gardens and wandered about with me stopping every few minutes to tick off yet another new species. Barbara would soon get used to walking on her own talking to me as I stopped to peer into a tree or bush and got left behind. The Gardens are a great place to birdwatch.

Australian White Ibis

Masked Lapwing (Spur Winged Plover)

Sulpher Crested Cockatoo

We then headed off into the city and did the tourist stuff with pictures of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, It's amazing how many pictures you take of these iconic landmarks,from every conceivable viewpoint.

Such a tourist !

We now were feeling hungry so headed to the Rocks, the oldest part of the city to search out a pub I'd read about and wanted very much to visit.

No not this one !

We passed quite a few pubs that claim to be Sydney's oldest but I was heading for The Lord Nelson !

This One !

This is a great brew pub with a good selection of ales, although all served at sub zero temperatures as is the local custom. I went first for a Nelson's Blood, a great porter at 5%.

And then had an Trafalgar Pale Ale at 4.2%., As you can imagine after a 20 plus hour flight, a walk and two pints of ale I was starting to wilt a bit, so we headed back to Barbara's flat with me nodding off on the bus.

To be continued...........