Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Favorite cities in the world:
1. New York
2. Sydney
.
.
.
We arrived into Sydney yesterday and immediately went up to Sydney Tower to get a 360 degree view of the area. Then we had a 3 hour sunset dinner cruise that went all around the Harbour with views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
This morning we basically explored the city. We walked through the Queen Victoria Building and Hyde Park. Then through the Botanic Garden to get to Mrs Macquarie Point for spectacular views of the bridge and Opera House. Along the way we stopped at The Art Gallery of New South Wales which is free and has great local art from the Aborigines all the way to the late 20th century.
From Mrs Macquarie Point we walked to the Opera House and took the guided tour. What a magnificent building! It's even more amazing from the inside. We were very fortunate to see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra practicing in the main hall.
After that I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. WOW. I highly recommend this for anyone visiting Sydney. We climbed a series of stairs and ladders to get to the arch of the bridge, and then climbed up along the arch to the very, very top center. The views along the way were incredible. We got to see the sunset and a huge oil tanker pass beneath us. It's pretty strange to be climbing through the steel arch of a bridge as cars, trains, and pedestrians fly by below you.
Other random notes:
1. Check in for domestic flights 30 minutes before departure, 1 hour for international. Keep your shoes on, bags go through X-Ray with everything in them.
2. Taxi cabs in Cairns were Prius's. Pretty cool, except the trunks are small.
3. There's already Christmas stuff all over the place. Which makes sense once you realize there's no Thanksgiving here, so Christmas is the next holiday. Also, Santa does wear a giant red coat in the southern hemisphere. He must be hot!
4. Three days before I start driving in New Zealand, and I still look the wrong way before crossing the street!
1. New York
2. Sydney
.
.
.
We arrived into Sydney yesterday and immediately went up to Sydney Tower to get a 360 degree view of the area. Then we had a 3 hour sunset dinner cruise that went all around the Harbour with views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
This morning we basically explored the city. We walked through the Queen Victoria Building and Hyde Park. Then through the Botanic Garden to get to Mrs Macquarie Point for spectacular views of the bridge and Opera House. Along the way we stopped at The Art Gallery of New South Wales which is free and has great local art from the Aborigines all the way to the late 20th century.
From Mrs Macquarie Point we walked to the Opera House and took the guided tour. What a magnificent building! It's even more amazing from the inside. We were very fortunate to see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra practicing in the main hall.
After that I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. WOW. I highly recommend this for anyone visiting Sydney. We climbed a series of stairs and ladders to get to the arch of the bridge, and then climbed up along the arch to the very, very top center. The views along the way were incredible. We got to see the sunset and a huge oil tanker pass beneath us. It's pretty strange to be climbing through the steel arch of a bridge as cars, trains, and pedestrians fly by below you.
Other random notes:
1. Check in for domestic flights 30 minutes before departure, 1 hour for international. Keep your shoes on, bags go through X-Ray with everything in them.
2. Taxi cabs in Cairns were Prius's. Pretty cool, except the trunks are small.
3. There's already Christmas stuff all over the place. Which makes sense once you realize there's no Thanksgiving here, so Christmas is the next holiday. Also, Santa does wear a giant red coat in the southern hemisphere. He must be hot!
4. Three days before I start driving in New Zealand, and I still look the wrong way before crossing the street!