Marea,
Where were you?? Betoracle and I tried to track you down on Sat night. Went to your favorite spot.
Directory assistence corrected my mistake of 3 mile creek. The bartender of course knew exactly who we we're looking for. Nice guy. We waited and had a cocktail in your honer. For those of you who don't know Mareas presence on Ask a New Yorker has been a wonderful gift to all of us. We wish you well on your new adventure and plaese come back and visit both the city and Ask a New Yorker.

The best to you Marea. Sorry you will already be gone when I arrive next month. I know you will be on this site often, and I look forward to your future postings. I wish you and your husband the best in your trip home, and your future travels.

I'm sorrry you missed me on Saturday KM and Betty, we had our last visit to Eight Mile Creek on the Sunday before that. We only ever went there every 4 to 5 weeks to catch up on news from home and watch the occasional football or cricket game. We mostly preferred to stay close to our apartment in Chelsea, we didn't go to New York to hangout with Aussies. We covered 6 of our local hangouts starting around 6pm and getting home after 4am so it was pretty messy by the end of the night. I'm back in Oz now, it is nearly 1pm on Tuesday, and have just finished unpacking 9 suitcases, totally exhausted but about to have a shower and head down to the beach to our local pub with a couple of our kids. We need to absorb a bit of Australian culture.

Glad you got home safely Marea. It must be lovely to be back with your family again even though you've enjoyed NY..there's nothing quite like home. I live right on the NE coast with a beach, but it's always so blooming cold, and the water is frrreeezzzing all year round that visits are rare...enjoy yourself! We'll still see you on here right ?

Though my husband teases me about being a party girl, I think you must be the queen of us all Marea. Till 4:00 a.m., don't know if I could keep up, but would be fun trying. Cheers to the family, I know the kids are happy to have you home for a bit.

The weather is so mild here that some people swim all year round. I find it too cold for that but the beach is very swimmable for most people from late August to late April and this year it has been really warm well into May, in fact it is warmer here than it was when I left New York and winter starts in one week. It is lovely to be back, we have already had many visitors and tonight we will have a special dinner for my third son, Garth's, birthday.

I already miss New York and I must admit we both shed a tear or two while in the taxi on the way to JFK. I also shed one or two as we flew back into Sydney, expecially when I looked out the window of the plane and saw the harbour, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Clovelly Beach where we live and knew my house was right there. I always love flying into Sydney, it's very beautiful.

We will definitely be back in NY, maybe even later in the year for a week or two.