Today started with 8 am breakfast where we tried Vegemite, an Australian spread, that tastes a lot like salty, concentrated gravy. Not many of us enjoyed it, but everyone in Australia raves about it. After breakfast we walked the short distance across the street to learn the game of netball. We were taught by Goldie and Patrick who found us very entertaining and even invited us to play in a "comp" Tuesday night. I guess our skills were just that impressive.
To describe netball would be very difficult. It's basketball without dribbling or running with the ball. Once you catch the ball, one foot must stay planted and you can pivot. Defense is practically non-existent compared to basketball as you must be three feet away from the ball holder. Scoring points is significantly more challenging than basketball because there is no back board. It's a very fast paced game that provided us with cardio, entertainment, and a lot of fun.
After netball we had a couple of hours free to explore Sydney. A group of us took the ferry to Manly Beach to see the surfers and do some shopping. Trayla threw her first boomerang, but lost her sunglasses doing so. Another group explored downtown Sydney and the opera house. Both groups were able to get there pictures taken with the digeridoo players a couple of times, he recognized us every time we passed.
Finally we concluded the day with a rugby match where we watched the South Sydney Rabbitohs v. the West Sydney Tigers. It was a very one sided match with the Rabbitohs domminating 50 to 10. Although we did not understand much of the game's rules, we enjoyed the action and the experience.
Tomorrow morning we are off to the Blue Mountains for the weekend. It should be a beautiful view with a lot of hikng. We are all really excited!
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