Holding the Reins of the Runaway Extrovert 2013: Day 131 - Family time!

Helen and Shayne and my lovely niece Zara came to Sydney for a brief holiday and we got to spend a wonderful sunny day with them, largely in and around Darling Harbour.

Started off the day at Buddha's Birthday Festival which was fascinating. Zara LOVED the dragon dance which culminated in the bowing to the giant Buddha on the stage. Lots of fun stuff to see and do including amazing calligraphy, and displays of art, food, religion. Zara even got a fun balloon animal!

Met up too with Shayne's cousins who were just lovely.

While they had a late lunch, Helen, Steve Zara and I went on one last ride on the monorail - after Zara and her second cousin rode the merry-go-round - which was our way of saying goodbye to a Sydney institution that for good or bad I still like.

Finished up with curry dinners from Coles and wine in Shayne and Helen's beautiful serviced apartment - after Zara had her nightly swim in the pool - before catching the train home.

Awesome day and so lovely to see Helen, Zara and Shayne in my own city :)

Irish Line Dancers at an Asian Buddhist festival ... I LOVE multiculturalism!