Sightseeing in Sydney - January 17, 2010 (Australia)

We had an exhausting day today in Sydney, using all forms of public transportation and our legs to get around the city. We started by walking from our hotel in the southern part of the city through Hyde Park and a second large park called, “The Domain.” This second park reminded me of a smaller version of Central Park, with a summer concert series held on Saturday nights. We headed to the waterfront from The Domain, thus walking along the harbour and the Botanic Gardens, which encompasses most of the northern section of the city up to the Sydney Opera House.

We reached our first view of the Opera House from an area called Mrs. Macquaries Point at the northern tip of the Botanic Gardens. We took a few photos from this area before continuing along the waterfront/Botanic Gardens to the Opera House.




We went inside the Opera House to check out tour prices and what shows they had for the day. The forecast stated it would be nice during the day with 90% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Unfortunately for us, the 8pm showing of a Brazilian music, dance and capoeira performance was sold out. There were tickets available for the 2pm show, but we didn’t want to miss out on the beautiful day.

We left the Opera House and continued along the water to Circular Quay (pronounced KEY). This area is where all the ferry terminals are and there was a cruise ship docked here as well. Our walk along the water continued to an area called the Rocks, which had a downtown Newport feel to it with outdoor cafes and streets lined with little shops.



From The Rocks we got onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked across, getting a few more photo opportunities of the Opera House and downtown areas.



Since we purchased an unlimited train, bus and ferry pass for the day, we decided to give our legs a break and take the ferry back to the Harbour side of the bridge. Along the ride, we saw a submarine, sailboat and battleship at the Maritime Museum.



Instead of continuing on the ferry back to Circular Quay, we decided to try the rail system. It was strange to step onto wooden escalators and even stranger to get on a double decker train. The seats were innovative, allowing you to flip them from facing one direction to the other. Part of the ride on the train was underground and part of it was above ground.



Once we got back to Circular Quay, we decided to take another ferry and enjoy a 30 minute ride past the Opera House to the northern beach called Manly Beach. The weather cooperated with our plans and we had a much nicer beach day than yesterday at Bondi Beach. Unfortunately, the water was pretty cold, so we lounged in the shade, relaxing and watching beach volleyball.



We did a short coastal walk to check out Manly Beach and its surrounding coves. There was an area with a swimming pool near the ocean rocks where we took a quick dip to cool off. There were also areas where people were snorkeling and a sheltered cove with really calm waters where many of the families were enjoying the beach.

Once the clouds started rolling in it was about time for dinner. I enjoyed a hamburger and Colin tried prawns (shrimp) in an outdoor restaurant.

The ride back to Sydney Harbour was calm and we reached our destination just prior to sunset.



Because it was our last full day of vacation, we decided to check out the city at night. Our adventure brought us to Darling Harbour, an area that seemed landscaped for the 2000 Olympics. There were some really nice fountains and lights all along the water.



We also took one last look at the Opera House and Bridge by night before retiring back to our hotel room. Sadly, we had to pack our bags to be ready for our flight back to the States. It was a good last day in Sydney, and I am not looking forward to the long travel back home.