Sights of Sydney

We spent our first day wandering around Darling Harbour which is a wonderful and vibrant part of the Sydney waterfront. City planners in Vancouver need to visit Sydney and see how accessible they have made the area. There is so much more to see and do here than just walk around a sea wall. Interesting architecture, restaurants, shops, museums, beautiful water features, marinas, and street performers all contribute to make it an enjoyable place to whyle away an afternoon.

Our second day was spent at the Sydney Aquarium. Three oceanariums are moored in the harbour with sharks, rays, and big fish in one, and Sydney Habour marine life and seals in the other two. They have transparent underwater tunnels which allow you to view sharks and rays as they glide above and below you. Hannah was mesmerized by the variety of sea creatures swimming around her. Following our aquarium visit we headed to Macquarie Street which was one of the first streets to be constructed in Sydney by Lachlan Macquarie, a former governor of New South Wales. The street has the greatest concentrations of early public buildings. We went into the Macquarie Bank to inquire about a small loan, but left empty handed. Apparently the capital "Q" and extra "r" in the spelling of our name does matter.

Taronga Zoo
Our third day took us to Taronga Zoo. We caught a ferry from the Circular Quay and enjoyed a short trip across the harbour to the zoo. The zoo is situated on a beautiful hillside location with stunning views of the harbour and Sydney proper. A cable car carries you up the hillside over the various animal habitats and beautifully lush vegetation. The zoo itself has a Jurassic Park feel to it. There are over 300o different critters to observe. Hannah especially enjoyed her visit with her chimpanzee cousins.

Manly Beach
Hannah and I were itching for a beach day so on our fourth day we all headed for Manly Beach. This beach is the jewel of the north shore of Sydney Harbour. It, too, was a short ferry trip from the main docks in Sydney. We enjoyed sitting on the upper deck of the ferry as we traversed the harbour. Manly is a small oceanside suburb that comes alive in the summer with the influx of tourists. The crescent-shaped beach has wonderful sand and beautiful clear water the colour of sapphires. We all ingested sizeable amounts of sea water as we attempted to body surf. Several of the locals were forced to wear sunglasses while in the water due to the glare coming off our sickly white Canadian bodies. The weather was cloudy and windy - perfect conditions for a sunburn. Even with sunscreen the three of us left Manly quite a bit pinker than when we arrived.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Bridge
Due to some skin discomfort, we all decided to skip the beach the next day. We headed off to a huge public market where all matter of things can be purchased cheaply. It reminded Jodi and I of the night markets in Taiwan. Following the market, we grabbed a bus and headed to the iconic Sydney Opera House. Once there, we took the obligatory photographs of both the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Opera House was a bit disappointing close up. It certainly looks much more impressive in those wide-angled shots we see in the movies and on television. The harbour is a very busy place with working traffic, ferries, float planes, jet boats, and the ever present police helicopters circling high overhead, the latter being a constant reminder of security measures in the city. There are posters everywhere imploring residents to keep a watch for suspicious activity or people. That being said, Jodi and I felt very comfortable in Sydney, even after dark. We are constantly amazed by the friendliness and politeness everyone displays here.