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On Saturday we headed back to the East Suburbs to a place called Bondi Beach. It happened to be in the same neighborhood as Bondi Junction and the Westfield Mall, where we had been the previous day. If downtown Sydney is located well into the Sydney harbor, Bondi Beach is out around the end of the harbor. The 20 minute bus ride paid off with a beautiful beach and blue ocean. Dave and I headed straight to the beach while Alissa and Sara shopped the mall. We met up a couple hours later and headed back to town to prepare for the Sydney Symphony that night at the Opera House. The symphony was perfect! A wonderful mix of Beethoven, Hayden, and Bartok. The acoustics in the concert hall were unbelievable. Even with a smaller concert orchestra, the sound filled the venue from low to high. It was fun to just close your eyes and listen to every part and every instrument.

Because we didn’t get much time together at Bondi Beach, Sunday brought us back to the beach… no mall, just beach! The girls laid out and did a little Sunday Market shopping, while Dave and I rented surf boards and hit the waves. Well, Dave hit the waves. I just got hit by the waves.

Sunday night, our last night in Sydney, happened to be the same night Hillsong Church recorded their annual live album (releases July 2009) at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, located a few blocks from our hotel. Hillsong is a HUGE church in Sydney with an incredible music program and school. They write many songs sung in churches across the world. Hillsong is also home to our favorite Brooke Fraser, seen in the video below.

It’s currently Monday morning, and we’re packing up to fly home this afternoon. It’s been a wonderful trip, but we’re looking forward to being home and seeing you all. Thanks for coming along!

Click here to see Pictures from AUS Day15-16

Click here to watch Video Update #6