This was undoubtedly the happiest holiday we could have wished for as an adult family from all over the world.

Despite a few Covid-19 restrictions, and the fact that Kate and Bret’s home was a serious construction zone, we maximized every moment with whomever was free to join in and the memory of what we shared still brings tears to my eyes. I am unbelievably grateful for the gift of my four adult children. Individually, and as a unit, I'm sure I must be the proudest mother alive. 

The four of us, Ken, the girls and I, had cleverly synchronized our flights so that Kate only had one trip to the airport to meet us all. Adam had arrived very early in the morning so he and Kate had a wonderful catch up on their own which must have been great after so long. They did a massive grocery shop and unpacked it all in the apartment we’d booked nearby so that we could have our meals there as Kate’s kitchen was out of use (as was most of the rest of the house). With Tyla now flatting, her room was, however, available and Ken took that up. The rest of us fitted beautifully into our lovely accommodation, overlooking the ocean and (unfortunately) a construction zone which will block its view in due course but with the advantage that it was only a stone’s throw from their house. 

We'd kept in close touch with Bret on our way from the airport and he cleverly timed his arrival with fish and chips for everyone as we had decided that planning a home-cooked meal on the first night would be just too hard.

And after a day of work while Kate and Adam caught up, it was great that Bret and Adam could catch up too with all their news.

After literally weeks of non-stop rain in NSW, Sydney was kind to us for the whole of our holiday and the sun shone every day, albeit it with a keen wind. 

Bret and Tyla had to work the next day, Kate was (as usual) buried in builders (and rubble) so she lent us her car and the five visitors set off to spend the day in the Blue Mountains. Suzi had been before but not to the same part so it was a novel experience for all of us. 

It was wonderful fun. The Blue Mountains is a vast region stretching out over 11,400 kms of mountain tops, sandstone cliffs, and lush forest filled valleys. It is the second largest canyon in the world, not quite as deep as North America's Grand Canyon but it is one km wider and every bit as majestic. Having now visited both Canyons I think the vegetation in the Blue Mountains makes it even more spectacular than the Grand Canyon. 

We went on every ride we could, the Scenic Skyway and the Scenic Cableway, with cameras poised. Unfortunately, the Scenic Walkway had been closed during Covid-19 and wasn’t due to be reopened for another couple of weeks. That was sad as we had hoped to get out and walk on the other side of the valley. This would have allowed us to stroll along the 2.4 km stretch of track and get up close and personal with some of the region’s most beloved plants and animals. As it was. we travelled there and back on this cableway, over vast chasms below us. Fortunately, the health and safety was second to none and great care was taken to make sure no risks were taken. We learnt that the rocks that make up the basement of the mountains consist of high grade metamorphic rocks, metamorphic volcanic rocks, sedimentary rocks, and igneous rocks which are thought to be greater than 145 million years old.

The views were absolutely spectacular and it was clear to see why the area is called The Blue Mountains with the blue haze visible everywhere. We were told that Eucalyptus oil droplets emitted from the forests combine with dust particles and water vapour, scattering short wavelength rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour.

The slopes were generally precipitous with some small trees and shrubs appearing to grow vertically out of the rock fissures. 

Waterfalls cascaded from a great height.

We left the Scenic Railway ride to last and were thrilled as we dropped down a 128% incline in open terrain, riding the steepest passenger railway in the world. It weaves down sandstone cliffs, dipping into a rock tunnel next to the famous Orphan Rock landmark, and then re-emerges to incredible views of the surroundings. The original railway was built in the late 19th century to serve the Katoomba coal mine. It was acquired by the Hammon family in 1945, and has operated for tourists for over 70 years thrilling 25 million passengers. It certainly thrilled us. It actually thrilled Suzi so much that she had to ride it twice!

In 2013, the railway underwent an award-winning redevelopment, with glass-roofed carriages for more expansive views of the rainforest and the Jamison Valley below. The current version of the Railway is the fifth-generation train.

Passengers can choose their adventure. The custom-designed carriages gave us the chance to adjust our seating position up to 20 degrees and choose an adrenalin-pumping “Cliffhanger” option that ascends the mountain at a breath-taking 64-degree angle. I’m sure that’s what Suzi chose the second time. Personally, I was after a more relaxing experience, and opted for the “Laidback” option or the “Original” adventure which runs at a 52-degree angle.

At any one time, the Scenic Railway can carry 84 passengers, and departs every ten minutes. 

When we went down the first time, Adam and the girls turned left at the bottom and walked the longer Scenic Walkway, which took them around a 2.4-kilometre walk through Jurassic rainforest.

Ken and I turned right and passed the old coal mine workings. Coal mining began in 1878. There were about 40 mines covering 100 kms of tunnels in the cliffs where we were standing. The railway was used to haul the coal up the cliff where it was then transported to Katoomba. The last mine closed in the late 1930s.

Ken and I came across this sculpture of a small Welsh / Australian Miner and his pit pony, cast in bronze. It made it easy to imagine what it had all been like, not so very long ago. The privations and the enormous heights to which the coal had to be taken were mind-boggling.

Despite the lovely warm sunshine, the temperature was dropping so we set off for home and a lovely evening in our apartment with Kate, Bret and Bailey.

And Suzi took full advantage of Julie’s massage skills with some work on a sore calf muscle she had injured earlier in the week and which would come under pressure with all the walking we'd already done but also what was planned for the next few days.

Saturday was a very special day for all of us because it was The Day of the Party to celebrate Kate’s 50th (even though Covid-19 had interfered with the real date back in February). The party was in the evening but Kate had asked me to keep the morning free so that she and I could do something special together – leaving the others to do their own thing, which they did. 

And it was special. She had organized my advance 80th birthday present and took me to the nearby Langham Hotel where we both had a 90-minute massage followed by a sauna and spa. I took some photos but they seem to have disappeared so suffice it to say that I don’t need the visual memory to hold that lovely morning with Kate in my heart.

And the lack of photos also applies to that evening. The family all made their way down to a private room at Ventuno Restaurant on the waterfront. Bret and I had conspired to organise the party in February as a surprise for Kate but when it had to be postponed, we’d had to let the cat out of the bag. But I’m not entirely sure that Kate knew which, or how many, of her friends would turn up and it was lovely to see her face as more and more people arrived and we all had a great evening.

What a very special day in so many ways.

Both Bret and Kate took the day off on Sunday and had suggested a walk past the Botanical Gardens and the Opera House to Mrs. Macquarie’s chair (also known as Lady Macquarie’s chair). They estimated that it was a return trip of about 8km and I had to admit that this would be too far for me and I would just hold everyone up.

To my delight, Kate had hired a mobility scooter for 3 days and Adam walked to collect it and bring it back to our apartment. To be honest, I felt a bit of a fraud but I decided not to let my pride get the better of me and set off as if I'd been riding one all my life! 

It was love at first sight! She’d even thought to provide a lovely warm rug to put round my knees for when I gathered speed and the wind-chill factor kicked in. And so, the seven of us set off. We walked along beside the Botanical Gardens which covered the hill overlooking the Sydney Opera House. 

Unfortunately I had both hands occupied driving my little scooter so I didn’t take many photos, but it was a really wonderful outing and, for me, the best part was arriving home as fresh as a daisy instead of being totally worn out by the long walk. 

Adam was the first to arrive at the final destination, which was Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.

Her Chair is exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench. It was hand-carved by convicts in 1810, for Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales. Folklore has it that she used to sit on the rock, enjoying the panoramic views of the harbour and watching for ships arriving from Great Britain. Adam was soon joined by his siblings.

Above the chair is a stone inscription referring to Mrs. Macquarie's Road, built between 1813 and 1818, which ran from the original Government House (now the Museum of Sydney) to Mrs. Macquarie's Point. It was built on the instructions of Governor Macquarie for the benefit of his wife. There is no remaining evidence of the original road, other than a culvert over which the road ran.

The stone inscription reads as follows.

Be it thus Recorded that the Road
Round the inside of the Government Domain Called
Mrs. Macquarie's road
So named by the Governor on account of her having Originally
Planned it Measuring 3 Miles, and 377 Yards
Was finally Completed on the 13th Day of June 1816

I abandoned my scooter for long enough to take this photo of the locals. 

Back at the apartment, there was still plenty of the day left. Both Julie and Suzi wanted to go to Ikea (it should come to Auckland soon) so we girls went off and left the boys to their own devices. With the help of 'interior designer extraordinaire", Kate, they both managed to pick up curtains and cushions for their respective homes and we all hoped that everything would fit into their luggage.

Before we went out to dinner, we were lucky enough to catch a gorgeous sunset from the apartment, albeit somewhat spoilt by the construction happening in the foreground. 

Not wanting to cook every evening, we'd decided to go out to another local restaurant on the waterfront called Jounieh, that specializes in upmarket traditional and modern Lebanese dishes. Kate, Bret, and I have been there together before and we ordered an 11-hour slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder to share with delicious additions and it was rather like having dinner at home as we passed round all the platters. Once again, I forgot to take photos!

We didn’t have much planned for Monday so Kate, somewhat concerned at my lack of mobility, insisted on taking me to see her Sports Physiotherapist, Tom. Considering that he had put her back on the hockey pitch after knee surgery and having watched her flying down the wing when I sat on the sideline in Newcastle in March, I was happy to comply. She had told me that muscle mass decreases about 3-4% every decade in adults over the age of 30-40 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60! This involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function is a fundamental cause of, and contributor, to disability in older people.

Tom confirmed what she said and after a useful check-up on my strength and balance, he said he would send me a programme of strength-training exercises to do. And sure enough, when I got home, there was the programme on my pc and, with Kate’s encouragement, I am now completing all the recommended exercises two days out of three – and have even asked for more. It’s fair to say that I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my balance and stamina so that can only be good.

We joined the others and decided to go off to a mall, Adam to find some sunglasses (although, of course, everyone else tried some on too) and to browse generally. Having said that, I found a rather nice handbag and Julie insisted that it would be an advance Christmas present (apparently, I’m hard to buy for).

We were having such a good time that we were nearly late home for a quick bite before we went out to a rather weird drama at the Sydney Theatre Company. Kate and Bret live so close to many amenities that it was possible to walk almost everywhere.

Tuesday was our last full day. Bret had to work and Kate had to stay with the builders but we four caught a ferry from Circular Quay and set off to Taronga Zoo in the suburb of Mosman on the shores of Sydney Harbour. It’s a 28-hectare zoo and was first opened in 1916. It’s home to more than 2,600 animals with approximately 250 different species. 

We took the bus that was waiting by where the Ferry docked because it appeared to be a very steep hill up to the entrance. But at the end of the day we walked back down because it had been a little difficult to get the scooter onto the bus – although we had no trouble with the Ferry. We soon arrived at the entrance.

And then we sort of separated although, of course, we kept bumping into each other. Adam kindly stayed with me just in case I got into difficulties with my scooter which made everything so easy for me as it’s quite a hilly site. Once more, I had my hands full with the handlebars but I did get this photo of some cute koalas 

Julie and Suzi both wanted to do some more walking and exploring so we caught different ferries home and then caught up with those who hadn't been able to join us, especially Kate who was cooking up a wonderful chicken and prunes dish for our last evening together. We’d hit on the idea of seeing if we could catch up with Lucy Winter (who lives in Sydney) and sure enough, she came round to join us. Lucy and Adam were contemporaries at college, Kate a contemporary of her elder sister, Emma, and both our families have been friends since we first met in the 1980s. I often visit Lucy and Emma’s parents in the Wairarapa.

We had a riotous evening with so much news to catch up on and it was a bit of a downer really when she had to go home and we had to pack. Only Suzi was staying on for another day while the rest of us were going our separate ways, Julie and I to Wellington, Adam to Singapore and Ken to India for five months (via Singapore for a few days).

What a truly amazing holiday and one that we all enjoyed in our own special way.