Flora and Fauna, Food and Drink

[More from Sarah]  Okay, these topics don't exactly go together, but my last post was already overloaded with photos.

Of course, we managed to find some craft beer in Australia, though it is sounding more and more like New Zealand will be the place to go in that regard.  Our first stop was Redoak Beer Cafe, which was recommended as a place to go, particularly for beer and food pairing.

Pretty tasty beers.  No IPAs or stouts on the menu at all.

Chad had a tasting flight with food pairings, while I had the delicious veggie dish across the table.  The food (mine at least) tasted as good as it looks.

[Chad: let's see if I can remember the pairings, from the left.  1) Lemongrass spiced thai-style ground chicken "popsicle" with a white beer.  2) Pork belly and fresh mushy peas with a German wheat (not really to style). 3) Mini beef pot pie with an Irish red ale. 4) Lamb croquettes with mushrooms and a strong, malty English bitter.]

On a walk around North Sydney, we encountered some swank office buildings of our old friends at Diageo (of Guinness, Bushmills, and Oban fame).  [Chad: and by friends, we mean enemies.]

The Lord Nelson is another famous brewpub, so of course we had to try it out.  (Dean, the brewer at Lighthouse Brewing on Vancouver Island, once brewed there.)

Pretty good - especially on a hot summer's day!

And in the category of crafty but more main stream (like Granville Island Brewing) is James Squire.

In the food world, Chad especially has been loving the fresh fruit options!

Mango, lady finger banana, white nectarine, passion fruit!  Oh my!

And finally, flora and fauna (partly just an excuse for me to post some flower shots I've taken.  Maybe it's just because it's a novelty to see them in December, but I'm loving the flowers here.)

Saving the best for last, though, are some of the "ordinary" birds we've seen.  Definitely more exotic than seagulls and crows.

A wacky looking, pink breasted galah.

Kookaburras!  They are not sitting in the old gum tree, but it was pretty cool to see them.

Ibises eat worms of out of the ground with their long beaks.  But also garbage and food scraps - they're considered pests, not much above a pigeon.  So are the common white Cockatoos, which can apparently rip parts of your house apart with their strong beaks!