Aunty and the Aquarium

Today, Rhonda, Makoa, and I met up with Bev (who has been staying with another friend in Sydney) at the Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour. I have never been before and was totally impressed. The beginning is a bit dark so Makoa and I quickly went ahead and found the seals. There were these awesome tunnels with the water above you and the seals were playing all around them.
At the top part of the seal exhibit was a coffee shop and while I was ordering my caffeine fix of the day Makoa was leaning on the plexiglass watching the seals. This one came right up to him and all these people rushed over to take a photo!
There was another underground tunnel with Makoa’s favorites, turtles. But he had already seen one of these so we ran through.

We stopped to check out the sharks and wait for Rhonda and Bev. Makoa saw these teenagers sitting in front of the glass and on the bench across from it, and thinking it was really cool Makoa had to do it too. I took advantage and we had snacktime and took several photos.


After leaving the sharks there is this area where the tunnel of water is all around you and there is even plexiglass on the floor. Makoa was so funny, not sure if he could walk across it. He grabbed Aunty Rhonda’s hand just to make sure and would walk to the little rails along the seams and then wait for her hand again, by the last steps he was pointing and saying ‘fishy’ to the creatures below him.


There is also a great playground at Darling Harbour where we stopped before lunch. Aunty took Makoa down the fast slide the first time. As she tried to go for a second ride Makoa pushed her away saying ‘pull’ – we are still working on the difference between push and pull! He was a little unsteady the first time alone, but by the second he had it all figured out.


Makoa and I decided to go home after lunch for naptime and Rhonda and Bev continued on to a museum. We were about to part ways after crossing George Street and with a quick goodbye they started to walk away. Then Makoa yelled, ‘Aunty.’ He has never been upset when someone other than Don and I has left him so I was a bit confused, but called Rhonda back anyway. She gave Makoa a kiss and a said a proper goodbye – the usual way that we part from him and he let out a sad ‘bye-bye.’ When I got on the bus he had a tear rolling down his face and said, ‘Aunty,’ and I tried to explain that she loved him and would be back in the afternoon. It was so cute. He has never acted this way about anyone leaving – sorry Grandma’s, Aunty Rhonda was the first tearful goodbye.