One Year

One Year.

Blimey!  Us kids are just so grown up...well when we want to be. :)

Phil and I decided to take a weekend off and head out of town to celebrate one year together.  Can you believe it?- He's still around!  Love you Phil.

We searched for the perfect place, and we found it!  We decided to book into the Q Station Hotel.  It's actually the old Quarantine Station here in Sydney.  It's right on the harbor it Sydney Harbour Nationtla Park.  It was old fashioned and quaint (what I love) so we gave it a go.

We booked a package that gave us an overnight stay, valet parking, a 2 course dinner for two, a ghost tour (yesir!) and then buffet breakfast.  It was perfect for us. 

Here is our beloved staircase.  We went up and down this beast once and that was enough.  We learned to take the shuttle the next time.  It had like 130 steps.  I'm out of shape, I know.  Judge me. 

This is the restaurant where we had dinner and the lovely stairs in the background.  

Our dinner was fancy shmancy!...no pics though, cuz please- who takes photos of their food in a nice restaurant?  Ha, certainly not me.

 

Remember when I said right on the harbor?  I meant it!  This little gem had it's own beach and all.  I think a total of 10 people were ever down there at once.  Paradise!

...ah...

It was such a cool place.  So historical. (I know I'm a nerd. Get over it)

These were engravings from ships that were quarantined here.  Some are from the 1800's.

After dinner it was the ghost tour.  It was...different, but actually really interesting.  We went in buildings that have been literally untouched since the place closed down.

This is the shower building, with showers to the left and right all the way down this hallway.  

Quarantined passengers had to take acid/water showers here because back in the old days they thought if people shed their skin, then the disease would leave too...lovely.  Sure glad we live with modern medicine these days.  This was definitely an eerie building, specially with just our lanterns. 

Here's the old luggage de-contaminators...(ha is that even a word?)

The hospital...sit on an old creepy bed guys.  Yup, that's what we did!

Not such a fan...maybe it's cuz it was a million billion degrees outside and even hotter in the building...

Ok ok- maybe I'm a little spooked.  maybe.

Check out this ghost we caught on camera.  It's legit.  As legit as Phil and a reflection.  Ooooo! :)

It sounds all dark and dreary but trust me- it was really interesting.  I just loved touring the site.  What better way to explore old abandoned buildings than by lantern light?  Oh boy.

 Really though, it was cool.  I'm not lying.  For real.

But there was nothing cool about the weather.  

Hottest day in Sydney in 5 years?  Check!

No air conditioning because of the historic buildings?  Check!

Cold shower at 5am?  Check!

Soooo not the best night's sleep ever, but really, with the temps being at a steady 43° (105° F) for the previous week and getting down to only 35° (95° F) most nights plus the scorcher on Saturday, we had to cut the hotel a break.  Even if we literally fried in bed.

But don't worry.  A shower at 5am = watching the sunrise over the harbor from our veranda.  I wouldn't have missed this even if it meant more sleep.

*Note to self: future home will have a classic Australian veranda

Our blissful sunrise morning was followed by a quiet and serene buffet breakfast with the kookaburras and the best food ever. Really.  Anything you could want.  In a beautiful National Park.  Yes please! 

On the way home we stopped off to take in the view from North Head.  Straight ahead is the city, Sydney. 

To the left of this photo is the entrance to Sydney Harbor, and Q Station just to the right.  Thus passing by quarantine on the way in to Sydney was just right on the way for ships.  Smart.

It was sublime.  We went home sleep deprived (thank you heat) and sweaty but we loved it.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  I'll just bring our fan this time and not have my anniversary fall on the hottest week ever.

Done.

xoxo