I Heart CP. :snap:

Matt is right about the Bridgeclimb. It is one of those things that is more for the sake of 'see what I did' rather than 'OMG what a view'

Having said that, you need to hear this Mr Liner.

Is there ANY reason that you cannot spend just one more day in the merry old land of OZ?

The reason being:
Jenolan Caves
The Blue Mountains/3 Sisters/Scenic Railway
Forster (3 hours north of Sydney, a gorgeous seaside resort town, and where we now reside)

If you can squeeze just another (non-Disney) day into your agenda, you won't regret it. The Jenolan Caves system has some of the most richly decorated caves in the world. Particularly the Orient Cave. Check it out. We are ALWAYS up for a visit there when OS guests come to see us. The Three Sisters and the Jameson valley is/are also breathtaking.

If you can get an extra day, I would suggest as an itinerary:

Friday - arrive in Sydney Friday AM - Drive to Jenolan via Katoomba on Fri. Overnight at Caves House, with tour of Orient Cave in evening.

Saturday - Drive to Sydney - spend the day with a daytripper pass seeing all the sights of Sydney with two experienced guides at your disposal. Plenty of biological breaks and beer. Dinner on top of Sydney at the Sydney Tower Revolving Restaurant. Overnight in some hotel in the CBD.

Sunday - Drive to Forster. Plenty to see on the way up, including a stopoff in Ayres Rock (really... although its only a scale model). Arrive in Forster in the afternoon. Forster has amazing beaches, and the Wallis Lake Oysters (Wallis Lake is the body of water at the bottom of our garden) are the best in the world. We can treat you to a real Aussie BBQ complete with Prawns (not shrimps) on the barbie, Kangaroo Steaks, Kanga Bangers (Roo Sausage) and a Pavlova for dessert. All this and 3D Gold Class movies too. How could you NOT do it ??

Monday - Forster touring and get chauffeur-driven to Newcastle Airport where you can fly to Cairns (we may or may not be able to come with you depending on finances)

Tuesday - Snorkel/Dive the great barrier reef

Wednesday = Eclipse and fly home Wednesday PM.

Win-Win.

Believe me, my first choice is not to travel all the way to Australia for three and a half days. There is no shortage of reasons to visit for weeks if not months on end.

The goal here is to see the Eclipse. Getting to experience even a small taste of Australia is a huge bonus.

Good, then we shall expect you on Friday 8th November then?

How about a nice Sunday brunch in Sydney on Nov 11th? Should I book for three?

I've been obsessively checking airfares for the last few days trying to get just the right flights. Suddenly this morning in between refreshing search results on Kayak.com the total price dropped over $1,000.00!!! Woop! That sucker is now booked!

I'll be in Sydney Sunday morning Nov 9th (8am'ish) until Monday evening when I head for Cairns. I have a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef set for Tuesday, the Eclipse Wednesday at sunrise and a noon flight back to home via Auckland.

To quote Mr. Disney:

"It's kind of fun to do something bat sht crazy every now and then"

Or words to that effect....

Eclipse, Oz, LashPair, Diving at the Great Barrier Reef. I WANNA GOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - you win. We will book a hotel on Sunday night in Darling Harbour - that is central to everything Sydney has to offer. We are trying to get a timeshare exchange for the three of us here. I have to wait till Monday until I can speak to the RCI call centre. We'll keep you updated.

Oh, and go ahead with the luncheon for 3 at Sydney Tower buffet - it's a real treat and the views are unforgettable.

ETA: BTD - Sure, come on down !!!

HOORAY!!! I did it! I'm taking full credit for getting you guys to meet. I'm so happy it's as if I drank from a cup without a lid. *happy dance*

Now I only WISH I COULD BE THERE. I'm wishing REALLY HARD.

Excellent, double plus good! What time should I make ressies for?

Let's talk before you book the room.

Id make the reservation for midday - Customs can take a while....

Looking for you on Skype. Will chat soon.

PS: CP, bring BTD with you. Oh, and Theo, so he can hug a Koala.

Opps, I think my Skype settings were set to block you foreign devils. I was tired of having to tell Natasha and Ingrid I was not interested in them....

Can you see me now?