DAY 6 TASSO - Sydney Tower

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Around 8:30 in the morning, TASSO assembled in the hotel lobby to enjoy a wonderful breakfast together. Each member of the group wandered in groggily from their rooms but we're soon jolted awake by the familial energy and the taste of good food. A crucial band meeting soon followed and then the band dispersed to collect their belongings and prepare for the day. At 10am we together boarded the chartered bus for a brief ride to the Pitt Street shopping mall on the heart of Sydney's CBD district.

The beautiful and big stores proved tantalizing to members of the group, especially those with shopping on their minds. But our able tour guide, Katie, soon redirected our attention to the purpose of our excursion: a trip up the Sydney Tower.

While not as tall as our own CN Tower in Toronto, Sydney Tower looms high over the city, affording views in all directions. This was quite an experience for the band as it gave us all an opportunity to see Sydney from a whole new perspective.

Band members could pick out where our hotel was and see the different landmarks we had visited so far on the trip. As the members passed through the gift shop many fell in love with sweaters with the word Australia branded on the front. Several bought them to wear as a group. We play together and dress the same!

After leaving the Tower, TASSO members were permitted to explore the shops of Pitt Street on their own and at their pace. Some among us replaced shopping with a return visit to Bondi Beach, easily accessible by public transit, to bask in the sun and play in the waves. Those of us who stayed at Pitt Street enjoyed the mall and its many extravagant shops and wonderful flair. Thanks to sponsor CIBC, members used their ACConversion Cards to indulge in the area's offerings of wonderful food, drink, and fashion.

As the night came to an end, the band reconvened to head back to the hotel together. Tired but happy TASSO returned early for a quiet evening in, resting and preparing for our performance at the Sydney Opera House the next day.

Salmon Cupid also took time to return to the airport to get everything in place with respect to shipping the pans back to Toronto once our trip to Sydney would end in about a week's time.

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