FINALLY I am staying in a place with unlimited internet that is fast and that they don't charge $6 for 1/2 hour. Here at the Marco Polo Motor Inn, here it is unlimited internet, I really looked hard for this place.
You want to know something crazy, they even charge for internet at the airport here. I really can't believe it. I am not impressed with Virgin Australia either, I hope I don't fly with them again, although I brought on so many bags as hand luggage on this last trip (roller bag, shopping bag with binocs and camera AND a purse over my shoulder). I think I could have gotten on with an elephant on my back too. Virgin charges $40 per bag checked which I had to pay to leave Cairns but did not pay on the way to Cairns, so don't know what is going on here, but from the exorbitant internet fees, if they do indeed offer internet to nickle and diming for even use of the room safe, Australia is not offshore tourist oriented. I have told hotel staff everytime when they say there is no internet or it is 6 or 10 dollars for 1/2 hour that the only place I have had to pay for internet is Las Vegas and a Cruise ship. It is just ridiculous. So much for that but I have stayed in 8 places since I arrived and this is the first place where internet is fast and free and available in the room. So much for venting, I am done!!
But to make up for my petty complaints here, I have found Australians and visitors both great. One can smile at people here and they smile back which is very unusual. Everyone has been great to me.
Also having a mobile phone Australia number is absolutely necessary, I have had to phone places several times to get information or whatever and it is just so much easier.
I arrived in Sydney at 5:00 pm today and I picked up our rental car for the week at the airport. The motel is about a 12 minute drive on a Sunday evening from the airport. I have already been to the market street (IGA and restaurants, and everything - our suburbs should be planned this way). AND there are no big box stores except for IKEA (saw it from the air) and no Wall Mart either. It is like Australia is still in the fifities. The towns I have been through all have owner owned stores and not chains except for Kmart which I saw somewhere and the store signs are not neon lights, it all looks very fifties. I am sure Sydney will change my mind, although I like the market street in Summer Hill, Sidney as it has everthing for everyday life including th butcher shop!
Uluru was around 36 degrees today and it was stifling. I was out birding at 6:00 am for an hour to see if I could find the Galahs and did not. My friend that I met here was also travelling alone and she was from Virginia had photos of them and she is not a birder. I went right out to find them after she called me and they were gone already. She showed me her photos of the group of Galahs just grazing in the grass. So I searched today and no luck. Maybe I will find them somewhere else.
The flight was good and Sydney was refreshing at 21 degrees and a big cooling wind. It was a bumpy flight arriving in Sydney because of the wind.
I am settled into the motel, it even has dishes and one always get tea and coffee fixings and milk available like most NA motels. I have gone to the market street and picked up a BBQ chicken and salad and some breakfast stuff for the next couple of days.
I am going birding with birding pal Allan tomorrow am and I am not sure where we are birding. On Tuesday, I am meet Allan downtown which should be fine as the train/subway is just up the block.
So I am quite settled in here until Colleen arrives on Wednesday. This is realy the first night that I don't have someone to have supper with etc and chum around with afterwards. I am glad I was so fortunate to meet the birders I did along the way. And yes there were birds in Uluru and I id some of them myself. I bumped into a birder at Uluru who invited me to bird with her, but alas I was heading to the swimming pool to cool down my boiling brain after an outing, so could not bird with her. She confirmed my id, so felt lucky for that.
Looking forward to birding in Sydney!
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