Today we joined the Aussies in celebrating Australia Day, a day of festivities and fun similar to the celebration of the Fourth of July in the US.  Hearing that the Harbour was the place to be, we arrived in Circular Quay in time to watch the aerial acrobatics of the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes, followed by the parachuting panache of the Red Berets of the Australian Army as they splashed into the waters of Circular Quay.  Turning our attention from the air to the water, we then witnessed the finale of the Tall Ships race as the majestic vessels completed their voyage from Bradley’s Head to the finish line at the Harbour Bridge.  Throughout the day, boats decorated in all manner of Aussie regalia lined the Harbour to compete in the Best Dressed Vessels Competition.  Among the many flags waving in the wind, we were happy to note that several boats boasting an international theme included the Stars and Stripes of home.  We enjoyed a celebratory meal that included hamburgers in the shape of the continent of Australia, which we were told by a good-natured Aussie was quite an American thing to do. We did, however, find out from inside sources that our burgers should be topped with beetroot (yes, they put beets on burgers), and so managed to capture some degree of cultural authenticity.   Not bad for our first Australia Day Down Under!