An early depart from Wagga Wagga and a disappointed Nate
that we did not go back to the park to play some footy. To help make up the
loss we stopped for a bathroom break a while later at Gunning.
Gunning – pit stop along way to Sydney. Cutest Australian
town. Everything open early here on a Sunday. From antique shops to cafes lots
of life on the street on this crisp morning.
We did not know
we would be driving as far as Sydney today so a last-minute booking with an
Airbnb in Rockdale, a suburb of Sydney was our destination. It was raining as
we entered the city late in the afternoon, so we settled for a walk around the
neighborhood.
Monday morning we figured out how to work the train payment
and route to get us into downtown Sydney. We needed to change houses so we
ventured to another suburb where we would stay for 2 nights and have a place to
leave the car. Having a car in Sydney is an inconvenience. Parking is scare and
therefore expensive; $70/day. The trains are efficient and comfortable.
Waiting for the train in Croydon.
The train took us right to the harbour. The boys were having
moments of homesickness and McDonald’s was the only thing they thought would
alleviate the pangs.
With burgers in their bellies we found a walking tour to join.
It took us through some underground tunnels and original buildings of the city.
The architect of one building was thought to have committed a crime in England
for the purpose of being sent to Australia as a convict. This was a clean slate
for him and he thought he would be able to practice his skill on a clean
canvas. He was right.
Waiting for the tour to start.
Sydney Tower
Angel Place has empty birdcages artfully hanging above the alley. Bird songs play from speakers inside the cages.
The tour ended at nightfall at Circular Quay on the harbour
with beautiful views of the opera house and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The evenings
are considerably warmer than they have been up to this point. We sat and
listened to the many buskers on the wharf.
Tuesday we went downtown and walked halfway across the
bridge to see the city from a different angle. We picnicked in the botanical
looking onto the Opera House. The Opera House is a series of 3 buildings, but
most pictures are taken from the harbour so they do not show this clearly. The
Danish architect who won the design competition to construct this famous icon
was not paid and as a result he left Australia. The Opera House took many more
years than expected to construct and came in 14 times over budget. Due to
budget cuts, the acoustics were compromised. What a shame!
From the Opera House we took a bus to Bondi Beach. The show
Bondi Rescue is an Australian hit reality show. Singlets, the star lifeguard
was not working that day. The beach was quiet, so would not have been a great
day for filming. The lifeguard on duty
said that he was not often in the show, the producers liked to have
young lifeguards who could act and make the show more dramatic. How real is it?
During peak season lifeguards would rescue 100 -200 people/day. Most of them
tourists who do not have experience with riptides and ocean swimming. On a busy
day this beach would see about 40,000 people.
A last evening to sit along Sydney harbour and revel in the
sights and reality of where we are in the world.
