Back to Sydney

Our decision to spend an extra day in Sydney before flying out was well worth it. We had sunshine, warmth, and were able to hit some of the restaurants we really liked. We hope to get back to Sydney one day.

World Cup Soccer: US v. Netherlands (1-1 Draw)

Yet again, we get to see the US play Netherlands in a World Cup! Last time, in France, it was for the championship. This year we see them fighting in group play for a chance to get into the knock-out round. The Dutch fans were just as pleasant as we recalled them being in Lyon.

In what would turn out to be a low-point in USWNT soccer, the teams split a 1-1 draw. The US just weren't clicking this whole tournament. They were able to sneak out of group play, but lost the following week against Sweden. This would lead to a big shake-up for the program. 

We probably got our sunniest day in Wellington during this match though.

 

Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington is the first stop where we had gone far enough south that it actually felt winter-ish. One of our first stops was an outdoor provision shop where each of us bought something a bit warmer for the climate (the only downside to packing three-weeks worth of gear into a single piece of carry-on luggage each). 

The apartment/hotel didn't have much by way of heat, so we found ourselves bundling in our clothes and snuggling in bed to keep warm. 

The city revolved around a port, had a bustling commercial district, was the center of government for the North island, and had lots of Lord of the Rings paraphernalia for tourists who wanted to see where the movies were shot. 

Still, after the soccer match, we decided to cut our stay short by a day and head back to Sydney to get a little more warmth on our way out.

 

Picton Bay, New Zealand

We flew from Brisbane to Wellington, New Zealand, spent one night in the hotel before getting on a puddle jumper flight over the Cook Strait to go from the North Island to top of New Zealand's South Island. 

We only got a night in Picton Bay, but it was beautiful. We flew in over its famous wineries (Kate's favorite Sauvignon Blanc) and took a shuttle into town where we rented an apartment for the night. 

The next day we headed back to the North Island, taking the ferry this time. Whereas the flight over took us 45 minutes, the return trip was 3 1/2 hours navigating the Queen Charlotte Sound where we had still blue waters, high cliffs on both sides and porpoises jumping to the side of our ship along the whole path. Then we came out to the Cook Strait and had a whole other experience. The sea was choppy and the wind was high. Despite being on a huge ferry, it rocked from side to side. Kate and Hattie get motion sickness easily, so they pulled off their magic trick that protects them when things get bad...they went to sleep until we got to still waters again.

World Cup Soccer: England vs. Haiti & Lotte's Game Kit

Our first World Cup match of the trip was England vs. Haiti in Brisbane's exquisite Suncorp Stadium. The English fans showed up in force to watch their side take down Haiti 1-0.

After the match, we worked our way as close to the field as the Lionesses took their victory lap.  Lotte Wubben-Moy must have got word from her manager that we were there. She spotted us in the crowd, stopped to switch out of her game jersey, and ran over to hand it to us. All the English girls around wanted to know why we Americans got this honor. Well, we explained, this world class defender used to train Clara when she needed extra money as a poor college student. 

Brisbane

We scheduled a few days in Brisbane around the first World Cup match on the calendar. We didn't expect to like it so much. We found a bustling city built around a river with tons of things to do and see. 

We ended up spending a lot of time at the Howard Smith Wharves, a collection of restaurants and bars built under the bridge and along the river. It was just a short walk down the street from the apartment we rented. Felons was this massive brew hall with outdoor seating and lots of tv's to watch the soccer matches. Other fans made their way here, too. One of the highlights was meeting Arsenal soccer legend Ian Wright who was in town as part of the broadcast team for the England game. 

Kate and Clara got their picture with him. It turns out Ian has the same agent as Lotte Wubben-Moy, an English defender that we got to know a bit when she played for UNC. We got word to her, through the agent, that we would be at the game in a couple nights.

 

Australia's Gold Coast

 

After Sydney, we fly to Brisbane, rented a car (yes, Paul had to navigate the WRONG side of the road) and drove down to the Gold Coast.

It was chilly in the evenings, but the days were nice enough for us to take advantage of the splash pool on our hotel room balcony and even for us to take in kayaking, snorkel and parasailing adventures.