Sydney - The final chapter

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We arrived in the city centre around mid day on Saturday (12th) and took our bags to the hotel before dropping off the hire car for the final time. We had driven just over 6000 KM in four different hire cars on our journeys in both counries. It's a good job that fuel is cheaper than in the UK.
Once again we checked in to our hotel and immediately set off across the city to visit some of the prime locations. On our list was the botanic gardens once again, a place we never tire of. We have both agreed that Sydney botanic gardens is one of our favourite locations. The contrast in plants, the smells from the herb garden and the sights and noises from the variety of birds and fruit bats is just incredible. We enjoy this location so much that we visited it once again during our final days in Sydney.

Our next task was to book lunch at the Sky Tower for the Last day. That done we returned to the hotel for a rest (oh my aching feet) before going out for dinner. Refreshed we set off and had dinner at Cockle Bay Wharf. Now Shirley is nothing if she is not astute, and seeing people massing she was fearful that she was missing something, but what? We checked the signs around the bay and there was no notice stating anything was planned and poor old me was ready for bed. Not to be! Shirley insisted we sit and join the crowds around the harbour. We waited not knowing waht was happening and were even asked by another bewildered tourist what was happening. We explained that we did not know but we were scared to leave in case someything was happening. Lo and behold at the strike of ten the sky lit up with the most wonderful display of fireworks from the centre of the harbour. A spectactular and extremely colourful end to the day.

The last two days were mainly taken up with shopping, walking, eating and of course the odd drink with the main attraction being lunch at the Sky Tower. Lunch was a very varied buffet affair with windowside tables in the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower. This was extremely good value with outstanding views across Sydney and many of the harbours and bays surrounding it. The menu was equally stunning with Australian delicasies such as crocodile, kangaroo and octopus along with the more usual options and a range of deserts that were just too good to miss and I gredilly had just the one too many. That evening it was all we could manage to have a light snack and a leasurly last stroll around some of Sydneys famous sights.


The next day it was farewell Australia and off to the airport for the long flight home with a 2 hour stop in Singapore and welcome home. A great trip that we both thoroughly enjoyed. We both agreed that money permitting we would have enjoyed stopping off in South East Asia to shorten the trip home but that will have to wait for another day.

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