The city that was all but unknown to most Americans until the 2000 Olympics and home to Utzon's Opera House was nothing but splendid. This is especially true if you have the enough luck to stay in Circular Quay. The Australian people at the in restaurants, hotels, tours, and on the streets were nothing but pleasant and helpful.
The shells of the opera house truly do slowly win you over as you exit the train station, enjoy a boat ride, or enjoy a sunrise/sunset. I can still easily picture it today after all the times it snuck into view while we were there.
One of the first things we did was find a way to the Taronga Zoo. It's not just because we have an addiction to visiting foreign zoos but also due to the great reviews we had read and our need to find a koala in the worst way. Taking a boat to the zoo and taking a sky rail to the entrance as we glided over some of our favorite animals brought flashes of Jurassic Park to mind immediately. Jolene of course tracked down the koala sanctuary immediately and was like the paparazzi as she tried to capture them at the right angle moping on their favorite tree nooks.
The zoo trip also helped lead me into the purchase of all day boat tickets which led us to Darling Harbour, and to Manly Beach for a daring touch of a Pacific Ocean wave and of course the salt and pepper calamari dinner that Jolene will not soon forget. This led to her ordering the same dish no less than four times during our trip.
Our favorite area within the city was The Rocks. It's the oldest neighborhood in Sydney with amazing weekend markets, and narrow streets with good restaurants and fascinating pubs sitting around every corner. While Jolene will always remember the pumpkin gnocchi at the Pony Lounge, I will remember the pint at Fortune of War (city's oldest pub) or the many at Hart's Pub which serves Rocks Brewing Company's ales lead by 5th/6th generation convicts.
While darting through the waterways was refreshing, we did want to make sure to get outside of the city as well. We went with a small group to hike part of the Blue Mountains and see the iconic Three Sisters. We took the cable cars to the valley floor and walked through the rainforest spotting lyrebirds and a couple old coal mine entrances. This is where I first had to clarify with Jolene that most things in Australia will kill you so you can't just touch plants or just about anything else without knowing what you are doing.
While many well traveled people will tell you Melbourne is the place to be, I am willing to put my name in the hat to back Sydney.
 |
| Eastern Gray Kangaroo |
 |
| Cassowary |
 |
| Tasmanian Devil |
 |
| Wallabies |
 |
| Quokka |
The shells of the opera house truly do slowly win you over as you exit the train station, enjoy a boat ride, or enjoy a sunrise/sunset. I can still easily picture it today after all the times it snuck into view while we were there.
One of the first things we did was find a way to the Taronga Zoo. It's not just because we have an addiction to visiting foreign zoos but also due to the great reviews we had read and our need to find a koala in the worst way. Taking a boat to the zoo and taking a sky rail to the entrance as we glided over some of our favorite animals brought flashes of Jurassic Park to mind immediately. Jolene of course tracked down the koala sanctuary immediately and was like the paparazzi as she tried to capture them at the right angle moping on their favorite tree nooks.
The zoo trip also helped lead me into the purchase of all day boat tickets which led us to Darling Harbour, and to Manly Beach for a daring touch of a Pacific Ocean wave and of course the salt and pepper calamari dinner that Jolene will not soon forget. This led to her ordering the same dish no less than four times during our trip.
While darting through the waterways was refreshing, we did want to make sure to get outside of the city as well. We went with a small group to hike part of the Blue Mountains and see the iconic Three Sisters. We took the cable cars to the valley floor and walked through the rainforest spotting lyrebirds and a couple old coal mine entrances. This is where I first had to clarify with Jolene that most things in Australia will kill you so you can't just touch plants or just about anything else without knowing what you are doing.
1 comments:
What a great trip.....I can't wait to go....I am not sure we will go camping and hiking and go to the zoo.
Post a Comment