Sydney: Day Seventy-Six (3 January)

Our last day in Sydney :-(. I love this city and didn’t want to leave.

After we’d posted more parcels home, there wasn’t time to take a ferry to Manly (as we’d planned) so we caught one to Circular Quay instead and went back to the beautiful Botanic Gardens.

We walked as far as The Domain, where they hold open air concerts throughout January leading up to Australia Day on the twenty-sixth, and then wrote postcards looking at our favourite views.

Eventually we tore ourselves away and walked back to Darling Harbour for a take away dinner and to pack.

Barnaby

Blue Mountains: Day Seventy-Five: Part Two (2 January)

From the wildlife park, we went to the best known photo stop in the Blue Mountains – Echo Point which overlooks the Three Sisters rock formation.

Then we rode the world’s steepest railway which ends abruptly over the tree canopy of Jamison Gorge. It was a bit alarming but the walk through the forest and ride back up on the Skyway was very impressive.

After lunch in the Skyway restaurant, we drove along Cliff Drive to Govetts Lookout and called at a local fruit farm, where we bought some cherries.

Our last stop was at the Olympic Stadium where we caught a ferry back to Circular Quay. Sydney Harbour can certainly claim to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

Barnaby

Blue Mountains: Day Seventy-Five - Part One (2 January)

Another early start as we were going on a tour to the Blue Mountains. They are inland from Sydney, where wealthy people used to go to escape the heat of the city, and are called blue because of the haze from the many eucalyptus trees.

Our first stop was Featherdale Wildlife Park where we saw some more koalas and wombats but couldn’t spot the elusive bilby.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-Four - Afternoon (1 January)

Once we were back in Sydney we caught a ferry to Watson’s Bay, from which you can see the entrance to Port Jackson (Sydney’s Harbour). The local cliff is known as “The Gap” and the peninsulas on either side of the harbour mouth are called North and South Head respectively.

Watson’s Bay has a famous restaurant called Doyles where we hoped to have fish and chips but there wasn’t time before we had to catch the last ferry. So we had dinner in Circular Quay instead and then got the ferry from there to Darling Harbour, as it was included in the price of our Dayrover Ticket.

I can’t think of many better ways to start a New Year :-).

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-Four - Morning (1 January)

Happy New Year!

I didn't get up very early as we didn't get to bed until it was 2.30am.

We bought a Daytripper's ticket - which meant we could ride on any bus, train or ferry all day - and caught a bus to Palm Beach, where they film Home & Away :-).



It is ever so pretty but the beach was closed because the waves were too rough. I had my picture taken with the lifeguards and their mascot though.

They weren't filming either - they break for a long time in the summer - but we had lunch in Alf Stewart's surf club.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-Three - Afternoon (31 December)

After buying a sandwich for later we caught a train to Milson's Point, which is just the other side of the harbour bridge with a fabulous view of the Opera House. We found a good spot on Stanton Lookout and sat down to wait.

There was a lovely atmosphere and the time passed very quickly. It wasn't cold at all.

A special timer on the bridge counted down to midnight and then fireworks went off across its whole span. They were reflected in the harbour and on the Opera House and there were lasers between the high rises in the Central Business District. It was brilliant :-). So good they even showed it on British telly.

Afterwards we walked home across the bridge where the fireworks had just been. Magical!

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-Three - Morning (31 December)

New Year's Eve in Sydney is one of the world's must see events and we arranged our trip specially to be here on this date.

We had quite a lot of time to fill before midnight so we posted some parcels back to England and then went to Sydney Aquarium. A moving walkway takes you through the underwater exhibits which is just as well because it was packed with people. We liked the seals best.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-Two (30 December)

This morning we went to the service at St Andrews Cathedral and sat behind a family from Kent who had emigrated two years previously.

Afterwards we caught the train to Bondi Junction and visited Build-A-Bear for Australian souvenirs. I was hoping for a surfboard but all we got was a hat and some Australian flags. I suppose they will fit in the suitcase more easily.

Bondi Junction is where Miss Robb's sister lived when she was in Australia so we found her old house and then walked to the famous Bondi Beach. It still seems odd to see people sunbathing in December :-).

We got the bus back to Bondi Junction (the beach is at the bottom of a steep hill) and returned to Darling Harbour for dinner.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Seventy-One (29 December)

My birthday so we had chocolate for breakfast :-).

We had arranged to meet another friend from England today, although she is actually Australian. She lives in Cremorne Point, right on Sydney Harbour, so we caught a ferry there from Circular Quay.

After a quick drink, we drove to Sirius Cove to join a beautiful harbourside pathway. We walked past Taronga Zoo and round to Clifton Gardens, where we had lunch in a little cafe.

We returned to our friend's flat for drinks on her balcony with its wonderful views before catching the ferry back to Circular Quay.

Barnaby

Adelaide: Day Fifty-Seven (15 December)

We had a transfer to the airport this morning for our flight to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It was quite a shock being in such a big airport after the smaller ones we’ve been used to but it all went smoothly.

We had to change our watches again because the time in South Australia is half an hour behind the time in New South Wales and then we explored Adelaide on foot. It is considered to be the most English of Australian cities.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Fifty-Six - Afternoon (14 December)

Afterwards we explored the beautiful Botanic Gardens, immediately behind the Opera House and right beside the harbour.

We walked all the way to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, which is actually a seat carved in the rocks. The wife of one of Sydney’s first governors (Captain Macquarie) is supposed to have loved this view, although it probably looks a bit different today.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Fifty-Six - Morning (14 December)

This morning we took a guided walk round The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney where the first European settlers lived.

In the afternoon we went on a tour of the Opera House, which was fascinating. It contains three separate theatres: one especially for opera, one for drama and the main theatre.

Barnaby

Sydney: Day Fifty-Five (13 December)

Another early start today. Our friends kindly took us to Coffs Harbour airport for our flight to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. Sydney airport is built near Botany Bay where Captain Cook first landed in 1770.

We took the AirportLink to Town Hall station and joined a tourist train past the entrance to the Chinese Gardens and Paddy’s Markets before arriving at our hotel in Darling Harbour.

After lunch in one of Darling Harbour’s many sandwich places (and a chocolate milkshake :-)), we walked across Pyrmont Bridge and round to Circular Quay where the Opera House is. We returned to Darling Harbour via the Queen Victoria Building (QVB), which was looking very festive. This tree was decorated with diamonds!

Barnaby