Oldguy Set Free

We had a wonderful time in Cairns doing wonderful things but the Esplanade was so delightful we spent two half days of our vacation just enjoying  being in the park with the locals.

This is the tropics, mangoes grow in a tree. And there are places to get a drink or water your dog.

Can you Imagine a half pipe like this in your community that kids can use for free! Imagine space enough and time enough for the little kids to learn, safely. We saw little boys on skateboards, little boys on scooters, little boys on bikes. And of course the girls can do anything the boys can do! Just watch 'em!

Bigger kids coaching younger kids!

This Volley ball court was empty during the heat of the day, but the night before it was full of teens and adults playing pick-up beach Volleyball! All for free.

The water features for big kids and little kids were so much fun! One little rapscallion  soaked Mary by shooting a stream  in her direction! The toilets (that is what they are called here in Australia. Don't waste your time asking for a "restroom") were clean and readily available.   No admission fees to any of this!

There were wonderful playgrounds for little children and their parents to play in, and big kids were kept separate from little kids by natural attraction. Even though these pics were taken on a very beautiful and busy Saturday spring morning, there were enough spaces for it not to feel crowed. And did I mention, NO ADMISSION FEES. All of this is a community providing space for their families to have fun together, rich and poor and everyone in between.

We got off just after 9:00 am, took the train from Penshurst to Town Hall, then the bus north to the south end of the Spit bridge. This ten Kilometer walk is said to be one of the better walks. We certainly enjoyed it, and came home happy and exhausted.

This map shows our route, beginning at the Spit bridge and ending in Manly. We walked the Corso over to the beach, then back to the ferry Wharf for the ride home.

The bus drops you off on the south end of the Spit Bridge. After crossing you start the hike walking along the edge of Fisher Bay. It was a perfect day for a walk, cool, with just a mist of rain at the start, but becoming comfortably overcast and then sunny.

The walk follows the water in some places, goes inland through the bush in other places, and everywhere we went there were stairs....

And more stairs!

There are so many unusual things to see. The sandstone everywhere is wind and water carved into the most amazing shapes. We find new wonders at every turn.

There are some good examples of aboriginal rock carvings in the rocks in Sydney Harbour National Park. They are very accessible and are protected.

 Time to grow Spiritually, and whatever you do stay on the right track!

We picnicked on the water, sitting on some nice rocks at the edge of North Harbour.

Our long day's walk ended at Manly. We walked the Corso to the beach, and Glenn gets his feet in the water.