We arrived in the Sydney Harbour area very early. Both Sharon and I woke up very early around 5:30 am so that we could be either on deck or in the “Crow’s Nest” to watch our approach to what many consider “the finest harbour in the world”. I always like watching this big ship come into a port, it’s a major operation. Barbara, our cruise tour guide gives a commentary every time there is something of significance for us to view. She does a good job, providing us with historical facts and interesting tidbits while pointing out landmarks both geographical or man-made. She also knows when to keep quiet so that we can just soak it up. The Dining Room staff always provides us with coffee and rolls for this early morning events. Heaven forbid that we deny ourselves nourishment at any time. When we were finally docked, Sharon and I walked outside to “oh and ah”. Our ship’s berth is right between the famous Opera House and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Most of the sites that the city has to offer are only a short walk or ferry ride away.
The Opera House’s roof is constructed of 1,056,000 glazed white self cleaning granite tiles imported from Sweden. As it rains the water slides off the roof onto the terrace where it then slips through the spaces between the concrete blocks back into the harbour The Danish architect, besides being a creative genius, was also concerned about efficiency. I was disappointed that we weren’t able to see a show there because the acoustics are fantastic. So I bought a CD of an orchestra performance there instead.
After eating a quick breakfast I went off the ship to walk across the Bridge. It was supposed to get very warm and humid later on in the day and this was one of the “must do” activities for me. It took me about an hour to cross it and return. The views of this busy harbour were well worth the walk along a heavily traveled bridge. So now I’ve walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and the Sydney Bridge, good bragging rights…
The bridge is heavily guarded and even has surveillance cameras.
After completing this jaunt, my land legs were now fully operating and I was ready to walk some more. So down to the “Rocks” I went. The “Rocks” is Sydney’s oldest and most picturesque area, once the domain of drunken sailors and pickpockets, it is now full of charming shops, lanes and buildings constructed of sandstone.
The Sunday Market was in full force and since there were two ships in town, the place was crowded with both tourists and the locals.
After lunch, both Sharon and I went on a tour provided by her travel agency. This was a great way to see the highlights of this city (air conditioned bus). Sydney was first settled in 1788 when 1400 people – convicts, soldiers and a handful of other settlers arrived from England to establish a remote new colony. The city now is a thriving metropolis with over 4.1 million people. 70% of it’s citizens are a combination of two or more ethnic backgrounds and over a third were born overseas. This makes for some great people watching, especially at Bondi Beach. A favorite among the city’s inhabitants, especially the young and fit.
This is a beautiful beach hemmed in by a bowl-shaped park and sandstone headlands. The lifeguards are very strict here and have orange flags out in the water indicating where people can swim. They are always on the lookout for sharks and rip tides.
We had tea, sandwiches and fruit at one of the cafe type restaurants that was right next to the Bondi Pavilion. Sandwiches were fairly good even though they were served on white bread….
One interesting stop that we made was at South Gap Park, a dramatic cliff-top lookout on the ocean side, which has a reputation for suicides.
We then drove through the neighborhoods of Sydney and experienced once again the skills required of a bus driver for driving on the left side of the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment