Sydney

[Michele Monro]

There is no such thing as a non-event when you refer to sailing into Sydney Harbour. At 5.30am, I hot-footed my way to the forward deck to grab a front row seat for the spectacle that was about to unfold, and what a spectacle it was. As we rounded the corner, the Sydney Opera House sprang into view and a few minutes later the bridge came into view. It doesn’t matter how many times you might have seen this sight in the movies or on the television, nothing compares to seeing it ‘live’. It was truly exciting and as the dawn lifted her head the scene became even more majestic. The Opera House resembles sails in the wind and as the light hits each segment it becomes a thing of exquisite beauty. We could not have asked for a finer view than atop Arcadia and when our final ropes moored us, we stood proudly anchored with Sydney Harbour Bridge on our left hand side and the Opera House opposite. The only things between us were the ferry boats nestling in the terminal. It is because of the tremendous amount of port traffic that we’d had to come in so early but it was worth every minute.

Most everyone got off on various tours, Bill and Tess were meeting their daughter and grandchildren and we all waved them off at 8.15am, I knew it would be a joyous but emotional day for all of them. They had been so excited about this moment and I actually got a bit teary thinking about how much this moment meant to each of them.

Amazingly my luggage was taken off at 11.00am and we breezed through customs without a hitch. At midday the courier arrived to pick up my debris and with all that finally dispensed with, I could finally relax and enjoy he rest of the day. Because I was too late to join up with any of the tours, I went walkabout to The Rocks (as they say here in Australia). It had been raining here for a month but amazingly, once again as in Brisbane we seem to have brought the weather with us. We had perfect clear blue skies and a pleasant 24 degrees so I ambled along the quayside trying to take everything in. I decided to walk into the main town, to Pitt Street and saw the Sydney Tower, Chinatown and numerous beautiful sculptures that literally littered the streets. Pitt Street is a pedestrian only area with dozens of street artists among the thousands of tourists, it reminded me of The Lanes in Brighton. Sydney is a very social city with hundreds of bars, outside cafes and restaurants everywhere you looked and all of them were heaving!

After a wonderful afternoon I made a quick stop off at the ship so I could change for the evening and meet Lucia. We headed out to Paddy’s Market but we were told the wrong information so got there at 6.58pm just as everything was closing. We had been told it stayed open until 9.00pm but maybe the taxi driver thought it would bring him an extra fare, as the market was on the other side of the city. No worries, instead we headed into Chinatown. It was heaving with street stalls set up in-between dozens upon dozens of Chinese eateries. I’ve never seen s many Orientals crammed into such a small area. Heading back to Circular Quay I was struck by the ornate Victorian architecture in stark contrast to the numerous sleek modern buildings, but everything seemed to sit comfortably with the other.

Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world – from the cosmopolitan city centre to the protected mysterious coves, miles of stunning beaches and the Blue Mountains. They have used every bit of spare space they could and as well as cars, trains, trans and boat traffic, look up and you will find a shuttle moving above your head. The smallest of shops have used their space wisely and it is amazing how much they seem to have squeezed in. Even the street booths selling foods of every kind have two small tables set up either side. Because of the cost Lucia and I decided to skip the dinner cruise and instead bought a return ticket on the Manly Ferry. The supper trip was $200, the ferry $14 (no contest really). It pulled out of Terminal 3 at 7.55pm and once again the city had changed its look, now millions of twinkling lights sparkled across the land and it was really picture book wonderful. As we slipped silently into Manly, the area where the famous Manly Beach is situated the whole area was enhanced by a spectacular full moon. We had a recommendation to eat at Hugo’s, the best pizzeria in the city but being Friday night the only people who were seated were those who’d made reservations days ago. Instead we grabbed the return ferry back to Circular Quay and wandered along the wharf. Every café, restaurant, fast food outlet and Bistro was swollen to the seams so we settled for an ice cream and made our weary way back to the ship. (p.s I was tickled to find I was refused entry to a bar because I was wearing Ugg Boots………. which are Australian. Now I’ve heard of swimwear, jeans, trainers and sweats not being suitable for some establishments, but never Ugg boots, you live and learn). We were due to sail at 1.00am but I’m afraid I didn’t make it. I didn’t so much as fall asleep as pass out. A wonderful end to the day and indeed the cruise. One more day at sea and Melbourne here I come


***

The last day of any holiday is always spent packing and trying to organize yourself. My packing seemed to go on forever. My suitcase contents seems to have grown to epic proportions and I don’t quite know how I’ve managed that, all I know is I left England with 4 cases and 5 boxes, I now seem to have accrued 7 bags and 3 boxes, that’s of course not including the six pieces of hand luggage. God knows how I’m going to cope with all of this. I spent most of the afternoon trying to track people down so I could say my goodbyes but because the weather has dropped to 20 degrees most people were absent from the pool area. It was fairly windy and it had made the deck cold so I couldn’t find Matthew or any of the dancers who usually hang out for lunch there. I would have liked to have thanked them for their friendship.

Lucia and I had dinner in the Ocean Grill, which was the perfect meal to finish the cruise with and with stomachs full we went back to my cabin to shoot the breeze. Finally at 11.00pm my bags went outside the cabin ready for disembarkation but my room still looked like a twister had run through it. I finally threw Lucia out so I could at least grab a few hours sleep although I did end up watching Sex and the City 11. Although I am mentally ready to get off now, I shall really miss the gang, even Gillian and all her moaning – but it is time for the next part of my adventure.

[karl]

I wondered what had happened to you Michele as you've been quiet of late.

Anyway I am glad you took the ferry to Manly, I loved that trip and I love Sydney _ I agree the Opera House is stunning to look at.

I agree the bars are always busy, especially a Friday night. Hope you sampled Tooheys beer? I did!!!