The Friendship Force Of Winnipeg
Visits Australia 

Sachitha Attawar - March 30, 2003 

Sunday, March 30th was the first day that all Winnipeg "ambassadors" were reunited in Sydney, marking the beginning of our journey together to Central Coast and Perth. Ten of us had arrived in Australia at different times. Joan Hodgson, Aruna Hall, Twyla Forbes and myself had arrived a week ahead, and had a fabulous time visiting Adelaide and Melbourne on our own. We met the rest of the crew - the Keenans, Havixbecks and Spracklins - at the Quality Hotel in Sydney. Some our Central Coast hosts had come by tour bus to greet us and give us a tour of Sydney. 

Sydney is a magnificent city. The sights of this city never failed to amaze us, with each tour we took. We passed some spectacular beaches including Dee Why Beach, Manley Beach and Collaroy Beach on our way from Sydney to Central Coast. En route, we stopped for a break at a park where our well-organized hosts provided us with a hearty lunch of hot drinks and sandwiches they had brought with them. This was our first opportunity to try the famous vegemite sandwich, which apparently no visitor should leave Australia without tasting. Vegemite, a healthy spread made out of yeast extract, has a peculiar taste and takes some getting used to. After lunch, we drove on through the scenic countryside to Gosford where the rest of our hosts were waiting for us. When we got off the bus, we had a big laugh as we stepped down onto a real red carpet laid down by our hosts. This Central Coast welcome made us feel like actual celebrities. Our host, Susan Burrough, gave Twyla and I a warm welcome and big hug on our first meeting. Susan drove us to her beautiful home surrounded by lush forest, which is part of a national park near Pearl Beach. At Susan's home, we were treated to a hearty home- cooked meal including fresh oyster and jumbo prawn appetizers before relaxing for the rest of the evening. This was a wonderful beginning for the rest of our week in Central Coast.