Bye, Bye Sydney

Today we are leaving Sydney with our rental cars - I am quickly getting used to driving on the left side of the road, but the turn signal being on the other side drives me crazy. Every time I make a turn, I end up turning on the windshield wipers... We first drive for what feels like an hour out of Sydney, as this city is so large. Then we head towards Newcastle, a small town adjacent to the Hunter Valley - one of the most important wine regions in Australia. The others are participating in a wine tasting there - I’m not, because someone has to drive, and I seem to be nice and abstain. The second driver doesn’t really like wine anyway. In Newcastle, we settle into our accommodation, and I get to sleep alone tonight, with the option of choosing from three beds in the room. We then set out for a stroll along the promenade. My accumulated karma points come back to me in the form of a dolphin sighting. Plus, I am one of the lucky ones who doesn’t get caught by the huge splash wave, and my clothes stay dry. Hooray! In our restaurant for dinner, there are 21 types of beer, board games on the table, and the best fries I’ve had so far.