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Published: August 7th 2007
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Well, a new continent awaited us, and as we collected our bags at the carousel, our anticipation mounted. We had a good hour and a half to wait, getting through the Australian quarantine, but we were soon set up with accommodation, and off on the bus.
We were delighted to have a small kitchenette in our room and wasted no time in stocking up with a few favourites. Microwaved jacket potatoes with tuna, cheese and beans were on the menu, and we loved every bit of it, washing the whole thing down with a nice cup of tea!
That afternoon we chilled out thoroughly, despite being in a big city. Wandering around the botanical gardens, we settled upon a spot overlooking the harbour, to read our books and watch the funny looking Australian birds (we are talking the feathered variety). David was particularly happy to see a nice bit of lawn after a lot of dust. (see photo!) So far we loved Sydney. Was it just because we had left Asia that we found it so clean, organised and calm, or are these just the charms of this city? We couldn't decide. We were certainly going to enjoy it though,
despite our quick realisation that our money would dissipate extremely fast here.
Day two, we hit the city centre and started a walking tour with a stroll across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It felt like home for David as the bridge is a replica of the Tyne bridge, which was actually a prototype for its design. The walking tour took in all the sights, including the magnificent Opera House, the historical 'Rocks' district, several parks and galleries of Modern and Aboriginal art. We had a quick pie in the 'Oldest pie shop in Australia' before collapsing, back at the room. We still took the opportunity to go out drinking, and sampled the youth/traveller scene in 'The World Bar'. This was fun, but it made us wish our friends were all here with us to enjoy a good night out.
Having seen the main sights and galleries, we decided to dedicate our third day in this encapsulating metropolis to visiting some of the city’s museums. In actual fact, we ended up having only enough time to see one: The Powerhouse Science Museum. This was a very typical science museum, much like the one in London. We weren’t exactly set
The sculptures in 'The Rocks' district
'The Rocks' was Sydney's first British settlement in Australia. alight by the exhibits (especially not the extensive steam train display!), but we did end up spending rather a long time there all the same; Louise had discovered the wonders of the museum’s design section.
After a long, tiring walk home, we treated ourselves to a fabulous ice-cream by the intriguing thistle-shaped fountain in Darlinghurst, and watched Sydney’s city life float by.
The following day, our last here, we carefully planned a full, and fun, itinerary. This time, it went perfectly smoothly. We got up early and made our way to Taronga Zoo. This vast enclosure, a mere twelve-minute hop on the ferry from circular quay, is finally accessed by way of a cable car which provides a scenic overview of the zoo. Once inside, we took a long look at the map to work out how we could possibly manage to see everything in the time we had.
The zoo was split into world regions: Asia; Africa; Amazon and of course, Australia. Everywhere we went, we were faced with one interesting creature after another. Our favourites would have to be, the tigers, which kept coming right up to the glass, the giraffes, who we watched being
A Silver Gull amongst the jogging Sydneysiders
These Silver Gulls provided us with endless amusement. They are full of character and far better than pigeons. fed, and the Meerkats who were just splendidly cute. With regards to local wildlife, we saw Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koalas, and many lesser known species, but sadly, these were rather inactive. Alas, we didn’t get the chance to see any Wombats or Platypus. Never mind though, we had a fantastic day. The real highlight of the day was the impressive seal show, where we watched these dazzlingly capable marine mammals clap, speak, make gestures, and jump around, entirely on body-language command.
After seeing virtually everything there was to see, we hurried back to the ferry landing, and headed over to catch a glimpse of the world-famous Bondi beach before the sun set. A quick walk along the broad sandy bay, with locals surfing and kite-surfing all the way along, was followed by coffee at a café overlooking the beach.
To round off a perfect day, we hit Sydney’s Chinatown district where we had an adequate Chinese supper. We then jumped on a train home to get some sleep ahead of our flight out of this stunning city. If this was a taster of what Australia had to offer, then we couldn't wait for the rest!
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june&graham
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back to 'civilisation' as we know it...
Relieved to have you safe in Australia and with some baked beans and spuds inside you, also some nourishing modern art for the soul!