Sydney, Australia

Sydney from the water

In Sydney we didn’t notice anyone waving and there were no flies (is this a co-incidence?) Darling Harbour is full of restaurants and has the Sydney Aquarium, the Sydney Wildlife World, the Maritime Museum and various exhibitions. If one wanted to do just the touristy things then this place has everything! On this our first evening, we contented ourselves with walking around the harbour and seeing all the things that were on offer.

The next day we took a bus to Circular Quay and from there took a ferry to Manly Beach where we had breakfast. David was able to enjoy a full Aussie breakfast, while I, virtuously, had the fresh fruit platter with yoghurt. The fruit was delicious and really fresh, so I didn’t feel in the least deprived! The weather was glorious and we walked along the promenade before catching the return ferry and then a train to Queen Victoria Building – a rather quaint shopping mall – from where we walked back to our hotel.

That evening, we caught the monorail from Paddy’s Market to Pyrman and browsed the restaurant menus on display around Darling Harbour before finally choosing, and dining royally at, the ‘Ice-Cube’.

On our last day in Sydney we walked all the way from our hotel to ‘The Rocks’. This was the
original settlement where 750 convicts and 400 settlers were first landed on Australia’s shores on January 26 1788; the old houses look strange nestled among the very modern buildings of Sydney today. It gave us a fascinating insight into how Australia came into being, and made us wish that our forebears had been rather more adventurous ,or rather less law-abiding!!! It is interesting to note that for some years the convicts outnumbered the settlers!

Next stop New Zealand.