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Published: January 4th 2009
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Manly Beach, “Farewell” to Sydney then off to the mountains
Sunday 4th January2009
Friday was our last full day in Sydney. We caught the ferry to Manly Beach. Manly is a really nice area, with its long golden beach, lots of restaurants and bars and shops. We walked the promenade in the sunshine but by afternoon the weather changed again, the wind became strong, the blue sea turned grey and we were cold; by the time we got back to the hotel about midnight we were freezing because we were wearing shorts! We thought it was summer! Sue and Eric didn’t come to Manly with us, they went to the zoo instead, so we met up with them back in Sydney, after getting the ferry back, for an evening meal together in a nice little French restaurant in The Rocks (wearing our shorts). Then it was time to say “Farewell to them (they are off to New Zealand on 6th January). It was so nice meeting up as we did for Christmas and New Year, it made our stay in Sydney even better! Our most treasured memories of Sydney are bound to be seeing the fireworks on New
Pavement fountains
In the Corso, Manly Year’s Eve, the iconic views like the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge and the city’s beaches; we’ll also remember the Ibis birds, which are as common in Sydney as pigeons in London (but much bigger), the lovely Rocks area, Darling Harbour and the Chinese Garden of Friendship, the Botanical Gardens and spending time with Sue and Eric. Sydney is a pretty special city and the transport system is so good that it is effortless to travel around, even now in the height of the season. We have loved it, but we now need some country time, so we left yesterday morning (Saturday) and caught the train to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains; we’ll return to Sydney just for one night next week before getting the plane to Cairns on 13th January. Blackheath is two stops on the train past the main tourist town, Katoomba, popular as a day trip from Sydney as well as a longer-term destination. There is a lot to see in Katoomba, and we shall make sure that we see all of the sights in the next week, as well as Mount Victoria, one stop on the train the other way from Blackheath. Meanwhile, there is
Manly Beach
Peak season for sunbathers (but the sun only shone in the morning)! a lot to see here too, trails to walk, scenic lookout points across the mountains to see and we plan to set off tomorrow to explore. We would have done so today but I have been ill since we arrived with a stomach upset so we are just relaxing in the hotel gardens. The weather is a bit brighter today than yesterday, when we left Sydney wearing jeans and fleeces! The little hotel we are staying in is a heritage building and only has eight bedrooms. It is beautiful, with tranquil gardens visited by brightly coloured Parrots, Magpies, Myrna birds and huge butterflies; it is also cheaper than hostels in Katoomba! The mountains in the distance really do look blue due to the eucalyptus. We loved the city but were more than ready for this peaceful retreat; we have nine days to enjoy it.
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