Last Day in Sydney, NSW, AU... Afternoon and Evening Adventures...

Sydney is a beautiful city... and the people are friendly too! I was especially fortunate to have a local stop me as I was taking photos in Hyde Park and give me some tips for where to capture the best photos of the downtown area and special sightseeing destinations. His best tip caused me to change my plans for the afternoon... had planned to wander through the Botanic Garden and eventually wind up at the Opera House to go on the one hour tour that would tell me about the construction of the Opera House and so forth. BUT, my friendly local told me about options for walking across (or partway across) the Harbour Bridge and told me I'd be able to get some fantastic photos from the Bridge's pedestrian walkway.

As I was gradually wending my way down toward the harbor after having a bite to eat at a hotel along the way, I spotted a sign for the Cahill Expressway Pedestrian walkway route to the Harbour Bridge walkway. Without giving it too much thought, I punted my plan to go to the Opera House in favor of exploring the walkways above the city streets below me. I figured if I finished my tour early enough I might still get to the Opera House before the last tour of the day began... but that didn't happen!

It seemed that my vantage point above the city streets gave me wonderful photo opportunities at every step along the way... so of course I had to take LOTS of pictures. And when I reached the Harbour Bridge, I discovered another fantastic spot to visit... the Pylon Lookout. This is a museum inside the South Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge... 200 steps up from the main bridge walkway to the top gives the viewer unobstructed vistas on all sides of the bridge. Along the way, there are exhibits and a short film telling the story of the Harbour Bridge from conception to completion.

All in all, my last day in Sydney (August 4) was marvelous and it was capped off by dinner with friends Ruth and Guy at the Park Hyatt Restaurant where we were treated to a lovely view of the harbor by night... and also had a fabulous meal! Oh, and dare I mention that I discovered an art gallery (before dinner) where Aboriginal Art is sold and was able to find a couple of paintings that I was SURE would look good at our house... a very long, productive and enjoyable day for my last day of vacation (home on August 5)... and now... for a few photos...

Aboriginal musicians playing on the streets below Cahill Expressway... in the Sydney Harbour area... This was the first group I saw... usually there was only one musician playing the didgeridoo which has an amazingly distinctive sound.

The Russell Hotel (where I stayed my last two nights in Australia) is in the lower left foreground... photo taken from the Cahill Expressway pedestrian walkway looking towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge... obviously!

I just LOVE this photo of the Sydney Opera House taken from the Sydney Harbour Bridge... the tiny little yellow boat is a water taxi and it is completely dwarfed by the massive Opera House structure.

Those tiny figures (may need to view the large size of this photo to see them) on the left atop the Harbour Bridge are people who have paid a hefty sum to do the Bridge Climb... an event that takes about 3 hours (or more) and requires one to leave their camera (among other things) behind... so I did not do this!

Shadows of the Sydney Harbour Bridge reach the Sydney Opera House as the moon rises over Sydney...

With apologies for the fuzzy photo... taken by our waiter... SIGH... myself, Ruth and Guy with the view of the Opera House and harbor behind us.

Last Day in Sydney, NSW, AU... Morning Adventure...

Since August 4th was my last full day in Sydney, I set out to see how much of what I'd missed so far that I could squeeze into the one day... and this means LOTS of photos so am splitting the day into two posts.

Breakfast, check... camera gear, including tripod and three lenses, check... off to Sydney Tower to go up and see the 360° views of Sydney... but first one must experience the "OzTrek" virtual reality visit to some of Australia's most well-known locales. After a ho-hum twirl around in small theaters (the visitor group is split into fourths for the first part of OzTrek) listening to an Aussie guide (real person) superimposed on several classic, diorama-type views of Australia (outback, barrier reef, etc.), the REAL fun of OzTrek begins. Strap yourselves in for the ride of your life... Your OzTrek journey excites the senses with its 180-degree cinema screens, special effects with sensational surround sound and heart-stopping real-motion seating! Believe me, I was hanging on for dear life but it was wonderful!

I'm including a few views taken from the observation deck and some taken after my descent to the street level world of Sydney... my next post (later today or tomorrow) will have more of my last day's experience... the highlight of which was walking along the Cahill Expressway pedestrian walk to get to the Sydney Harbour Bridge pedestrian pathway.

St. Mary's Cathedral as seen from the Sydney Tower Observation Deck...

The Anzac Bridge, Sydney's other well-known bridge, was given its name on Remembrance Day 1998 in honor of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought in WWI. It is visible in the middle distance of this photo taken from Sydney Tower's observation deck and is Australia's longest cable-stayed bridge according to Wikipedia. Ruth and Guy (my hosts in Sydney) live not far from the Anzac Bridge in the Lilyfield area of Sydney. The next photo is a closer view taken from the same vantage point.

Although this bridge is quite close to where Ruth, Guy and Andrew live, I never made it down there on foot. There is a wonderful fish market on the water near the bridge and we stopped there on my first day in Australia so Ruth could pick up some fish for our dinner that evening.

A larger view of this photo shows some familiar company names (at least, familiar to those in the computer field) with Australian offices in Sydney... Hitachi, Sharp, Samsung, Cisco... to name a few.

With my feet back on the ground, I headed for St. Mary's Cathedral through Hyde Park and captured this view of the goddess Diana in Hyde Park Fountain, Sydney, NSW, AU...

As I was lining up my camera to capture a view of Sydney Tower against the sky, a nice gentleman stopped and informed me that there was a much better vantage point on the steps of St. Mary's Cathedral... which is exactly where this photo was taken. He also advised me how to go about taking the walkways to the pedestrian pathway on the Harbour Bridge so I decided to add that to my afternoon plan... more on this adventure in my next post. (later today or tomorrow)

Return to Sydney, NSW, AU... vacation winding down...

With an approximately 3 hour (maybe more) drive a head of me and a 1 PM flight from Auckland International to make, I awoke early, grabbed a quick breakfast, loaded the car and was on the road by 7:20 am... leaving Rotorua behind but not my many memories of the sights I'd seen and the adventures I'd had. My drive to the airport was uneventful but quite nerve-wracking for the last half hour before arriving at the airport... roads around the airport are under construction and the signs weren't exactly plentiful... at one point I was about to turn around and head back because I was certain I must have taken a wrong turn OR missed a turn I should have taken. Luckily, I stayed the course and saw a sign a few seconds further that assured me I was on the right route!

With the time zones in my favor, I landed in Sydney at 2:30 PM local time and was at my hotel (the Russell, in the Rocks district of Sydney) by shortly after 4 PM whereupon I dumped my luggage and headed out to explore the neighborhood and capture a few late afternoon, early evening shots of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Late aftenoon sunlight on the Sydney Opera House...

Sydney Harbour view with skyline, ferry boat and sailboat..

Late afternoon sunlight streams through the windows of the Pylon Lookout of the Sydney Harbour Bridge...

Leaving Sydney, AU... arriving Auckland, NZ... the Journey Continues...

An early morning departure from Ruth and Guy's courtesy of the Silver Service Taxi finds me at the airport in PLENTY of time to make my 9:30 AM flight. Am not sure why Air New Zealand wants passengers through check-in 90 minutes before flights depart and at the gate one hour before departure because nothing happens at the gate until about 25 minutes before boarding at which time they efficiently board everyone at once... first and business class through one entry and the cattle (economy) class through a different entry.

I couldn't resist taking a few photos on departure from Sydney as well as some cloud shots en route... one of each follows... I quite like the one that shows the window frame in it as well as my partial reflection as I snapped the photo.

By the time I arrived at my hotel, settled in and was ready to go out and have a short look around town, it was already dark. So no photos of Auckland until tomorrow. Had a lovely pub supper (tomato soup, Galway mussels (done with wine, garlic and herb broth) and fresh vegetables) along with some Murphy's Irish Stout to wash it down at a pub on the waterfront area. Danny Doolan's (if memory serves) was established in 1906, seems to be a neighborhood gathering spot and definitely serves good food if my dinner is any indication of their other offerings!

Continuing saga of Depot Beach, NSW, AU Adventure....

Today (Last Saturday in July, 2009, whatever that is) was our first full day at Depot Beach... We walked the Discovery and Lake trails in the AM and visited the beach in the PM (walked along a couple of beaches and checked out a couple of overlooks). Saw quite a few birds and even saw a majestic sea eagle swoop down and grab something from the shallows or rock pools. If we were going to be here longer, I'd set up the tripod and myself and wait for birds to appear.

Dusk finds us back in our cabins and Brenda and Lyn prepping for a sumptious feast of lamb pie and fresh green beans. Must get the recipe for the lamb pie. Ruth provided another excellent dessert. Must be putting on the pounds!!!

A few photos from today's adventures at the beach follow... enjoy...

Pink clouds, sunset at Depot Beach reflected in a tidal pool.
Photos below are of my hosts, Ruth, Guy and son Andrew flying his kite...

And last, but not least, a majestic Sea Eagle takes a break from flying and roosts in a tree.

Depot Beach Adventures... Beginning...

This past Friday (July 24, 2009) found me on my way to Depot Beach, being chauffeur driven by host Guy while hostess Ruth and their son Andrew amused themselves (and us) in the back seat with the luggage and blankets that wouldn't fit in the "boot." Following a stop in Kiama for viewing the "Blow-hole" and a lunch of fish and chips with sea gull and pelican watching for our amusement, we arrived at Depot Beach with enough daylight for a wander down to the beach before sunset. (no Internet and no phone service at Depot Beach... no TV either) So this will be short and sweet because now I'm in Auckland, New Zealand and the guest house where I'm staying doesn't have a clue what to do about getting Macs on their wireless network (nor do I) and their one PC is PATHETIC!

So am posting this from a coffee house down the street (free wi-fi if you buy a cup of coffee or tea) before heading down to the waterfront to find a restaurant for dinner. I'll obviously be playing catch-up with posts for the rest of my trip... back to Depot Beach, though... Have included two photos below... one from the beach and one of a Laughing Kookaburra who was hanging around our cabins when we arrived.

Last day in the Blue Mountains...

Bryan put bird seed out the first morning after I arrived at his lovely B&B... today the birds made an appearance and I had a chance to snap a few photos on my last day here. The Sulfur-crested Cockatoos are considered a nuisance bird... while I was having breakfast, upwards of 30 of these birds were occupying the the feeder or the tree from which it was hanging (while waiting their turn at the feeder). In addition to the cockatoos (one may be seen below), I was also lucky enough to see a Blue-cheeked Rosella at the feeder as well as one unidentified (as yet) bird.

Before heading for the train back to Sydney, I managed some quick shopping in town. Bryan met me at the train station with my bags and made sure I purchased the correct ticket for Sydney Central Station before wishing me a "good day" and leaving me to catch the 11:30 AM train.

Unlike our train stations in the states, Australian train stations often have lovely views (see below) and are not located in the very worst parts of town. I'm sorry to leave the Blue Mountains but happy to be heading back to Sydney and my friends who are packing and readying things for our next adventure... off to Depot Beach (no Internet!) tomorrow. Will be back in touch with my next post on our return from the beach.

Blue Mountains continued... more exploring...

The Toy and Railway Museum of New South Wales is a short walk from Broomlea B&B and is where I started my day after another lovely breakfast. The guide to attractions in Leura states: "A large collection of children’s toys and trains are housed in historic Leuralla on Olympian Parade in Leura at the bottom of Leura Mall. Pre and post war toys include a large collection of Barbie dolls and railway trackside memorabilia of lights, trolleys, seats and signs."

What the guide fails to mention is that there are lovely gardens on the grounds of the museum and I managed to amuse myself for nearly an hour at the gardens without ever setting foot inside to visit the museum collection. Images of the lovely home that houses the Toy and Railway Museum and one example of the lovely flowers that may be seen (remember, it's winter here) in the gardens follow.

After visiting the gardens at Leuralla, I hopped the Discovery Bus to Echo Point to continue my exploration of the Blue Mountains. Since I completely exhausted myself hiking the previous two days, I kept hiking to a minimum today and merely wandered around the Echo Point area exploring the various side trails available. After hiking down the steps to walk across to the "sister"closest to the cliff path, I had my lunch while sitting on a rock bench looking at one of the many stunning views of the Jamison Valley. The image below (taken under the ledge after crossing the bridge) shows part of the staircase down to the bridge across to the first Sister... going down the steps is scary... going up is hard!

It was a beautiful day early on but degenerated to high winds followed by rain, heavy at times. Managed to beat the rain back to the B&B and settled in for some computing time next to the fire before heading out for a delightful dinner at the Bon Ton Café and Restaurant.

Blue Mountains ... What a lovely place!

Arrived yesterday on the noon train and settled in to Broomlea B&B... accommodations are lovely... short walk in to town for lunch and exploring followed by STRENUOUS hike in the afternoon. Divine dinner at Silks in Leura. Photo opportunities were minimal yesterday but here's one from today's hike along the Cliff Walk. The Three Sisters are famous rock formations in the Blue Mountains... here they are in a bit of an optical illusion... the Skyway ride does not run into the rocks but rather passes in front of them... The ride is a must if you ever find yourself in the Blue Mountains!

When visiting the Blue Mountains, one of the things to do is ride the cable car to the floor of the valley and do the scenic walkway, then ride the train back up... or vice versa (train down and cable car back up). Once on the floor of the valley, walking is quite easy since a beautiful boardwalk pathway was installed 8 to 10 years ago.

The sign at the beginning of the walkway cautions that the following things may happen to you while on the Walkway (am including only items 1 and 2 here)...
1- The Walkway may be slippery under the following conditions (paraphrased and shortened: cold weather (ice), wet weather (slippery), berry season makes for squashed berries on the walkway)
Solution: Take care when walking and use handrails if it looks wet, icy or there is vegetation/berries on the ground. Walk on carpet where provided.
2- A tree may fall over or a branch may fall from a tree.
Solution: If you hear a loud crack, run away ignoring point 1 above.

Fortunately, I didn't encounter any of the conditions that are cause for concern and quite enjoyed my walk through the valley rain forest. The photo of Cyathea australis included below is unusual in that it has a bifurcated trunk caused by a virus attacking the fern. This plant, commonly known as Rough Tree Fern, is native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia and a few other parts of the world.

To close off this post... I leave you with a photo of the Broomlea B&B, heartily recommended if you find yourself in the Blue Mountains some day. This is the side of the house which is easier to photograph than the front due to the lovely gardens filling the front yard.

Sydney adventures with Ruth, Guy and Andrew...

Quick summing up of a couple of whirlwind days playing tourist and socializing with various friends and family members of my hosts Ruth and Guy and their son Andrew... Saturday, July 18 found us touring the zoo in the morning and the Botanic Gardens in the afternoon after having lunch in an Italian neighborhood at a local lunch spot/coffee bar/deli. The giraffes in the zoo have a lovely view of Sydney Harbor and the city across the way... but they are MUCH more interested in their empty food container. And there are hundreds of fruit bats hanging in the trees in the rain forest area of the Botanic Gardens... sleeping by day and on the prowl at night.

On Sunday, July 19, 2009, we headed for the beach after breakfast and walked from Bronte Beach to Bondi (pronounced bonDI with DI as in Diane) The photo shows Bronte Beach as seen from the walk toward Bondi Beach... the second is my friends Ruth and Guy with son Andrew at Bondi Beach... see how cold winter is in Australia?

Traveling far and wide... Sydney!

Am sitting here at friends Ruth and Guy's house in Sydney, AU this evening after the VERY LONG trip to get here... IAD (Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC) to LAX (Los Angeles International), 6 hr layover, ~13-1/2 hr flight to Sydney with arrival ~6 AM Sydney time... then no rest for the weary but rather stay up and see some of the town. Arrival photo of the morning sky outside the terminal follows...

Today's adventures with Ruth and son Andrew (while Guy toiled away at work) included...
• a quick trip by car to the Rocks area of Sydney where we luckily found street parking in a 4 hr spot
• a ferry ride to Manly on the Manly Ferry, a working ferry as opposed to a tourist boat... lovely photos of the Opera House to be had from the boat (see below for one)
• a walk down to the beach followed by fish and chips, eating outside in Sydney's mild winter
• play time for Andrew at a small 'park' area on our return walk to catch the ferry back to Sydney
• a mad dash to the Ferry... barely making it as they held the gates open for us
• shopping for dinner and house supplies at the local fish market and grocery and fruit and vegetable stores
• frustration with Sprint (virtual, not actual) over my cell phone not working as it was promised while here in the Southern Hemisphere (more aggravation to come tomorrow when I try to contact them via web chat during normal US CDT business hours)
• an absolutely lovely meal of shrimp with leeks as appetizer (marvelous sauce) followed by steamed salmon done Thai style, rice, broccoli and stewed apples with passion fruit and ice cream for dessert
• etc... etc... etc...

Since I'm falling asleep as I type this, I'll leave you with just ONE of the many photos I took from the ferry boat ride...