Friday - February 11, 2005
Australia: Sydney
We docked around 5am in the Circular Quay, and we woke up to discover that we had a perfect view of the Sydney Opera House through one of our cabin windows. No 5-star in hotel Sydney had either a better view of the harbour or a more convenient location that we did on the QE2.
It is 12 years since we were last (and first) in Sydney, and we wondered how much it might have changed in that time. The simple answer is not a great deal; maybe a few more skyscrapers, but these only add to the beauty of the skyline above a magnificent harbour. We had almost three full days in front of us and we wanted to make the most of them. This was the end of the journey for my mother, so I wanted to send as much time with her as I could. Mike decided that he would let us do our own sightseeing and shopping while he did a few things he had not had time to do on our previous visit. These things included taking a ferry across the harbor to Manly and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge (more on that later)!
The Circular Quay is an attraction all in itself. It is a wonderful place to watch the ferries chug in and out of the docks, to listen to buskers and other entertainers, to hear a few tunes played on a derigeradoo, and to sit at a waterside cafe and enjoy a drink and a sandwich as throngs of people pass by. The Opera House acted as a magnet, pulling us along the waterfront until we stood in front for the mandatory photo opportunity. This incredible building, which was supposed to cost $7 million to construct, ended up costing $102 million! But I think it was money well spent when you consider how this beautiful structure has become the symbol of Sydney to the entire world. Its roofs billow like sails at the end of the Quay and catch everyone's imagination and admiration.
To appreciate Sydney at its most picturesque, it has to be seen from the water, so the next thing Mom and I did was to buy a day-long ticket on one of the huge high-speed catamarans that tour the entire harbour. By this time, the sun was high overhead and the temperature had reached about 90 degrees - no complaints about a lack of sunshine today. So we sat outside at the front of the boat, where the winds rushing past could cool us off. The cat took us out past the Opera House, so we got a great look at it from the water, Fort Dennison, Shark's beach (with its shark nets in place), Watson's Bay, and on to the Taronga Zoo. Here got off the cat and took a cable car up the hillside to visit the zoo. From the cable car, we had great views back to the city. It was so hot, we decided to concentrate our time on the Australian section of the zoo. We were lucky enough to see koalas, kangaroos, emus, an echidna, and two platypuses up close. But it must have been too hot for the wombats, because they were nowhere to be seen (wise fellows). When it got too hot for us as well, we got back on the boat and carried on around the harbour. This took us back past the Opera House, under the Harbour Bridge, and to the newest section of the city called Darling Harbour. This squalid industrial area has been transformed into an entertainment district with a casino, an Imax theatre, landscaped gardens, a huge convention center, museums, restaurants, and shops. It was amazing to see the difference.
On our second day, Mom and I spent the time riding around the entire city on the Explorer Bus, which allows one to hop on and hop off at will. The bus took us past all the major sights while saving wear and tear on the legs. Sydney has so many lovely buildings, with all types of architecture ranging from Victorian Gothic, to Art Deco, to ultra modern designs. We hopped off in the Rocks area to do a bit of shopping, because Mom said she couldn't go home with an opal. So we looked around a lot of shops in this historic part of town, which is where the city began with a convict population in 1788. Judging from some of the prices we saw for the opal jewelry, I'd say that some of those criminals are still hanging around! But we both ended up with a little something to take home as a souvenir of our time in Sydney.
After taking Mom out to the airport and seeing her off, I met up with Mike for the last few hours of our stay. We decided to walk though the Botanical Gardens. Now, I'll just bet that you're thinking "Not another garden!", but we saw some really neat things here. Have you ever see hundreds of huge Flying Fox bats hanging from the trees? Or a baby parrot just meandering down the sidewalk while it parents looked on from the trees overhead? Well, we did - and I have the photos to prove it.
But all too soon, it was time to get back to the ship for our 3:30 pm departure. We are always careful to be back at least 30 minutes before the deadline, but two ladies were not so conscientious. As we stood on the Sun Deck waving to the crowd while the crew were hauling in the gangplank, we saw the ladies racing across the square below us. Then we saw them come racing out of the security area to the gangplank, but alas - it was too late. The lines had been cast off, the door had been bolted, and we were off. If you have ever wondered if a ship will wait till everyone is back, the answer is no. I guess the late ladies will just have to fly to Melbourne to catch up with us.