Update from Sydney

Sorry we haven't been posting since we left Melbourne, we've been quite busy in Sydney, but we're almost up to date with our blog now!

Sunday, 6 March

After a sad farewell to Rod and Suzanne and trying to master the new self-service baggage check in at Melbourne Airport, our flight to Sydney was nice and short – 1hr 15mins. We even got drinks and sandwiches on the plane, much to our surprise. Unfortunately it took us almost as long to get from the airport to our apartment in the city centre as it had from Melbourne to Sydney by plane. Not because it is far, but because we took an airport to hotel shuttle service which waited so long to fill up with customers that the driver was given a parking ticket and then he dropped us off last!

Note – my stick, or should I say, driftwood, is still with us but it was a bit touch and go at Melbourne airport!

In the evening we went out for a walk around Circular Quay and checked out all the different ferries across the bay. It was here we had our first view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The Opera House is an absolutely stunning building and took our breath away when we first glimpsed it through some trees.

Later, Steve watched a TV programme called “The Footie” that showed a brawl in a match between Wycombe Wanderers and Macclesfield! Not really what we expected to see and we couldn't resist texting Deborah to tell her the Wanderers were now infamous the other side of the world - but not for their footballing skills!

Monday, 7 March

We're really enjoying being in Sydney and today we had a relaxing time looking around some of the areas which are within walking distance of where we are staying.

First we went to The Rocks, about 10 minutes walk from our apartment. It's Sydney's oldest area and so has an interesting history. It has a really laid back feel with lots of street cafés and harbourside areas. Part of it is built under the ramp for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and from a distance you can see groups of people high up on the top level of the bridge … which they pay to do!! Walking along the quayside there are terrific views of the Bridge and the Opera House across the bay. Steve is trying to outdo Rod's pelican photo's by taking endless pictures of the Opera House and bridge!

Not far from our apartment in the opposite direction from the harbour is Queen Victoria Building shopping arcade. In our guidebook there is a quote that Pierre Cardin said it was “the most beautiful shopping centre in the world” and I'm inclined to agree with him. It was built in 1898 but fell into decline and was almost demolished and redeveloped during the 1960s and 70s. Fortunately it has been restored to it's former splendour. It is very large and has elegant Victorian fronted shops and cafés on four levels. There are beautiful stained glass windows, patterned floor tiles, a central glass dome and all the best features of the period. There are also two most elaborate clocks. One chimes on the hour like Big Ben, has buglers appearing from each of the four corners and then shows a series of tableaux depicting some British historical scenes including King Canute, Harold being shot by an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings, Henry VIII with all his wives together (!) and King Charles being separated from his head!

From there we walked on to the Chinese Garden of Friendship … which sadly was closed! So we walked to Darling Harbour through the wonderfully named Tumbalong Park. The main feature of the park is a lovely water feature which tumbles down to Darling Harbour through imaginatively created fountains and rapids.

Darling Harbour is a very lively likeable modern waterfront area with lots of restaurants and bars.

And now for the bit you people in the UK won't want to read and will make you feel as sick as a parrot (and we've seen a few of them today!) - it's been a beautiful day with blue skies and a temperature to match of about 25C. It was still warm enough this evening to eat outside but interestingly the waiter apologised to us because the sun was in our eyes!! Worse, the forecast is for a high of 27C and clear blue skies tomorrow.

We are now back at the apartment watching some TV. In Australia there as in the UK cookery competition programmes are very popular. One, Kitchen Rules, is similar to the one where couples compete to run a restaurant but the one we are watching now is quite quite different and the clue is in the name – Conviction Kitchen!! Yes, you guessed!

Tuesday, 8 March

Today we did one of Sydney's “must-do” outings by taking the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly. The route goes close to the Harbour Bridge and around the Opera House and through the waters of Port Jackson before arriving in Manly on the bay side. From here you can walk in about 10 minutes to the other side of the peninsular where there is a surfing beach. This was what we imagined a typical Australian beach to be like – a long sandy bay with lots of surf, bronzed surfers riding the waves and big hunky lifeguards! Actually the only lifeguard we saw was quite short and the surfers were mostly schoolchildren at a surfing school!! However, it was a very hot day and there were lots of people on the beach and in the water.

We walked around the bay and then on a coastal path to Shelly Cove. On the way we noticed a light aircraft sky writing and as we watched, the words “Miss u Baby” gradually appeared. Don't suppose we will ever know who it was aimed at or why!!

Shelly Cove is a marine conservation area and there were a lot of people snorkelling and scuba diving in the much calmer waters of this small bay. The bay also had a number of signs advising of the heavy fines that would result if anyone tried to remove any of the protected lizards that live in the area. We were fortunate enough to see two of them quite by chance when we sat down to rest on a bench close to some shady trees. Before leaving the bay we climbed up to a viewing point above the bay that looked out to sea. On the way back we had to pass under some low growing and trees and suddenly realised that there were several large spiders hanging just a few inches above our heads one of which came down and landed on Jane, so we beat a hasty retreat!

Wednesday, 9 March

We wanted to see some of the countryside around Sydney, so today we caught a train from Central Station to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Katoomba is only 36 miles from Sydney but it takes 2 hours by train to reach it, which makes Ipswich to London seem rather quick! On the other hand the return fare worked out at about £7.50! Here they have double decker trains, which is a good way of packing more people in to a smaller space, its a pity we can't have them on commuter lines in the UK. Katoomba, when we got there, proved to be a fairly uninspiring place. The best thing about it being the slightly off beat café where we had lunch. However, the view from Echo Point, 1 or 2 km from Katoomba, was quite spectacular. You can see close by, rock formations called the Three Sisters and then look for miles over what could best be described as a large canyon filled with mostly virgin forest. At the lookout point we got talking to a young couple from Poole who we kept bumping into for the rest of that day and the next day back in Sydney!

We caught a bus back to the railway station that should have allowed us 5 minutes to get the next train, but the driver waited to pick up a large group of Germans who sauntered slowly across to get on board only to get off at the next stop and so as a result we arrived at the station just in time to see the train pulling out, as there is only one train an hour we were not amused! While we waited for the next train Steve saw a Cookaburra (the largest member of the Kingfisher family) so that was some compensation! The train winds down from the mountains to the plain below and we caught occasional sightings of the tall buildings in Sydney, sometimes on the left of the train and sometimes on the right. As we neared the bottom of the mountain at a place quaintly named Emu Plains we saw a wild wallaby sitting close to the track.