We had a day of overlap in Australia on our route home, but not enough time during the day to do any big outing. So we spent a bunch of time watching planes take off an on. Not a very busy airport, but the view is great!
We hiked up the hillside that we'd tried in the dark before. This time we could see where we were going and found our way back worry free!
The plant life looked very similar to PNG, we've seen a lot of rainforest now!
Hiking up a hill in the heat doesn't seem so challenging after time in PNG!
We flew (this is so old hat that I only took one blurry picture) and landed in Hong Kong!
This time my dear wonderful husband booked us a hotel room and we went and slept there soundly for a good while and felt refreshed and (almost) eager for touring the city.
We took many buses trains and subways (well, maybe not trains) and had not quite as much fun trying to sort out the stations and stops (Philip did most of the work here) and walked past an indoor icerink in a mall!! The zamboni was running around, and it was just so unexpected in a hot muggy city where we are connecting from a subway station to somewhere else on a hunt for a place where we can eat breakfast that we had to stop and stare for a while. Seemed almost Canadian!
And then closer to our breakfast spot was a remarkable skyscraper. Did it really say that? Cool! Even in Hong Kong we can see Jesus proclaimed as Lord!
This felt like "regular life" in HK. Kind of older buildings not quite so tall, places to eat that look more ordinary. We had a good breakfast, with a mix of British style breakfast (eggs and sausage, tea with milk ewww!) and beef noodle soup (sure tasty!) but getting the server to understand what we wanted on the menu was a bit of a challenge.
We walked through a beautiful park on our way to a "must see/experience" ferry, which is needed to get to our destination. We walked past a small group who appeared to be a Bible study group. We gave them big grins of encouragement. So special to meet Christians in unexpected places!
The ferry ride was very affordable, and as with anything in Hong Kong, it was also very efficient. We were on the water in no time, along with the other passengers. If you don't know what the signs say, watch what your fellow pedestrians are doing and do likewise!
It was kinda neat to go across the busy harbour. It was a short little jaunt and we were done in no time.
There were a number of interesting looking "classier" places on this side of the harbour. So I felt less at home on this side. ;)
We took a cable tram up the hillside. It went straight up the steep hillside. There was a long lineup at the bottom, but the tram could fit a fair number of us in! It as strange going inside a vehicle that was built with steps at such a steep angle...this way you can stand with flat feet on an otherwise steep floor.
Very angular hills!
The tourist attraction at the top was certainly an interesting design. A restaurant (with pricey food of course) is at the top, where you can have a great view while nibbling. We went to a small shop and bought cold bottled juices since we were planning on a walk around the top of the hilllside. Walking is free! And the juice was enjoyed very much (I still think my bottle was smaller than everyone else's :p )
We had to walk on some roads. One way and very narrow. I wouldn't want to have to back up for a long way if I was caught halfway and gone the wrong direction!
What a view! It was a lovely clear day for a view. Maybe, like Toronto, it may almost always look smoggy.
It was quite hot and muggy. After half of the walk I was wishing for more juice and feeling tired. Nothing like our first time in Hong Kong, but certainly not energetic. Maybe even a bit whiny. :o
A nice harbour view!
Inside the fancy building (so long ago I forget the name of it!!) we had lots of fun going up and down the elevators. And walking around the building...and eventually we did find the doorway to the waiting area for the tramride down. After many circles. But what a log of escalators all in a row!
Our ride arriving!
It is hard to tell in the pictures, but it is a really steep ride going down! You can sure feel it, compared to going up!
I sure hope the brakes work!!
Once at the bottom I was no longer relaxed and insisted we begin the complicated method of finding our way back to the airport. If I miss the flight back home to my waiting children I will be...well, not pleased!! We did have a few wrong turns and complicated business with "google maps" and finding stations, etc. But we made it back in time. Plenty of time.
And then it was just many exhausting hours cramped in a plane waiting and waiting to make it back!! Which we did, just fine, to find everything was just fine without us. And, fortunately, everyone was happy to see us back. :) :)
Fall colours were still on the trees. I didn't miss all of my favourite season! (Well, spring is my favourite right now, but after a hot summer there is nothing like fall!!) With time change and a knock-me-out virus I was able to enjoy the colours from the house or just outside. I had absolutely no energy.
Fortunately Melanie was feeling good, and made some great food while I was not so functional.
Evelyn has a way of looking mysterious, so I spent a lot of time wondering what she was thinking. 
I had to snap pictures of these kids, hang out with them
Chat, hear their stories
tell them about what we did
So good to be back together again!
It was a strange feeling time, probably because I was so tired, but lovely.
The donuts Melanie made.
It was a quiet day, time for packing and looking around at all the people you will soon be pulled away from.
We spent a very relaxing afternoon at a club where a newly signed up couple brought us in as their guests. It was a lovely bit of quiet time together chatting (and playing).
We joined in with the students for devotions that evening. Most of the students had now arrived for the next block starting on Tuesday. It was neat to be able to join them as they sang and prayed together at the beginning of a new study season. 
The next morning, fairly early, we were dropped off at the airport.
Our last few steps on PNG soil. It was sad to leave the people behind, and the country of PNG is an easy one to fall in love with. Goodbye!
A quick flight later we are back in Australia, waiting at the airport in Cairns for Philip to drop off the luggage in our small (cheap!) rental car, so we can fit in as passengers.
We spent time at the Promenade again. Admittedly the water looked cleaner and had a better chemical balance...but the people were less friendly.
We stayed at Treetops again. Such a nice spot! No wonder it is a favourite of the missionaries!
