Aussie neighbors were just as curious about us as we were about them. Think of Sydney as a hilly New York City with an open St. Petersburg waterfront, all of it immersed in Southern hospitality. Outback Australia is about a six-hour drive from Sydney. Kangaroos, wombats and platypus are at the zoo. Ferries take visitors to beaches where the Pacific Ocean is shades of deep blue.
Residents are conservation-minded.
Push-button vacuum toilets allow users to choose half flush or full flush. Ads introduced an air conditioning wall unit operated by a motion detector. Recycling is a priority, and residents take pride in separating their rubbish. Garbage collections are made after dark to avoid traffic. Our pickup was once a week at 4 a.m.