RETURN TO SYDNEY
RETURN TO SYDNEY
Interesting drive to Sydney competing with huge trucks on the steep winding 3 lane road narrowing to approach the Sydney Harbour Bridge (SHB)! (see picture right)
After all the smaller towns we had forgotten about driving in the city traffic but reached our 'old' hotel down by The Rocks. Lovely welcome by the staff but only stopped to drop off our bags and left to battle fuel top up and find the car drop off place. An hour plus later ....We finally returned to the hotel and all angst was forgotten when we reached our apartment to find a 70th birthday celebratory bottle of red wine from the hotel to David. Once again, after 9 years, we had the pleasure of the view from our balcony of the SHB to the left and the Opera House slightly right (see picture left). Bags down, off we went to get organised.
Now we can ride a tram (which only opened on 14th Dec) to Woolworths opposite the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) and visit the basement which is a really excellent food store. The plan was to be good tourists all day and chill out with salad dinners in the apartment each evening. After 5 weeks eating out every night this was a real (healthy) treat. Hors d'oeuvres (olives and crisps) on the balcony were washed down with the Pinot Noir gift from the hotel. Our main course was mixed leaf salad plus tomatoes, avocado and slices of rare roast beef and more wine. For dessert we had fresh mango, We lived like royalty.
Next day was Thursday and we visited the Great Sydney Synagogue for a tour and with a video presentation by one of their rabbis. After this we walked to Darling Harbour, had an unusual Chinese lunch and then continued walking down the left side of the harbour to Pyrmont ferry stop to return to the hotel. On our way back to the hotel, Christmas was in full swing,(see video) There are those that think they recognise our dance moves.
On Friday, we took a trip to the suburbs via a train from Circular Quay, to visit the Rookwood Cemetery, where Linda's Uncle Jack was buried in a military grave. He had gone to Australia to join up for the 1st World War, but contracted TB and died in May 1919, he was only 18 years old and had not fired a shot in anger. The cemetery is huge and with help from visitors and a map from the Cemetery office we found his grave in the Jewish section. Being a military grave, it will be well looked after and it was very moving.
Rookwood Cemetery is close to Sydney's fruit and vegetable market and also in an area settled by Chinese so we were able to go to the Chinese supermarket and top up our supplies of fruit and salad. That Friday afternoon we took a Hop on Hop off (HoHo) bus which took us around central Sydney.
On the Saturday we had planned to take the train up into the Blue Mountains and then take a blue HoHo around the National Park. However, by the previous evening all Natioanl Parks around Sydney were closed and the Blue Mountain was on fire. So, change of plan. On our HoHo journey the previous afternoon we had seen the Sydney fish market and we thought that it might be a good place to have lunch - how right we were! There were all kinds of fish, lobsters, crabs, crayfish, prawns etc. - and Bugs! They come from Balmain and are a cross between a crab and lobster. (see picture left). So much meat, so juicy and so sweet and so difficult to eat when you don't know how! Lunch at the fish market is enjoyed by many (mainly Asian) people (see picture right).
Later on, we took a ferry to Watson's Bay which seemed to be a very buzzy, upmarket area and which was the furthest journey from Circular Quay (apart from Manly) then continuing by bus to Bondi Beach. The wind was getting really strong and people were coming off the beach and many felt it was related to the effect of the bush fires. After waiting a long time, the HoHo finally arrived and took us back to the centre.
On our last full day in Sydney, we had saved up two treats - a trip to Manly (the best beach in Sydney) and a visit to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for a Big Bash match. That morning though, the bush fires had led to ash falling on our hotel balcony and the skies were very dark and cloudy. On buildings nearby flags flew at half mast in recognition of two Sydney fireman who had died fighting the fires. We were not sure about the trip to Manly, given the weather conditions, but as we approached, the clouds departed and blue skies were evident all around. We didn't go swimming this time, as we had done 9 years ago, but we did some shopping - Linda bought some new swim shoes to replace the ones that had got damaged on the coral reef - and we had a nice lunch.
Back in town that evening, we boarded the tram to take us to Moore Park, for the SCG. We had bought Christmas hats to wear at the cricket, because we thought the locals would also be dressed up for the occasion. It was billed as the 'Christmas Big Bash match' after all. In the event, the Aussies proved boring, so we didn't wear our hats until Christmas Day. The match wasn't that good as the Brisbane Heat trounced the Sydney Sixers with Chris Lynn hitting 94 in 34 balls! Linda 'but still a very good game'.
Next day, we took a shuttle to the airport. We said our goodbyes to the staff at the Rendezvous Hotel, who had looked after us so well.
On to New Zealand.
Interesting drive to Sydney competing with huge trucks on the steep winding 3 lane road narrowing to approach the Sydney Harbour Bridge (SHB)! (see picture right)
After all the smaller towns we had forgotten about driving in the city traffic but reached our 'old' hotel down by The Rocks. Lovely welcome by the staff but only stopped to drop off our bags and left to battle fuel top up and find the car drop off place. An hour plus later ....We finally returned to the hotel and all angst was forgotten when we reached our apartment to find a 70th birthday celebratory bottle of red wine from the hotel to David. Once again, after 9 years, we had the pleasure of the view from our balcony of the SHB to the left and the Opera House slightly right (see picture left). Bags down, off we went to get organised.Now we can ride a tram (which only opened on 14th Dec) to Woolworths opposite the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) and visit the basement which is a really excellent food store. The plan was to be good tourists all day and chill out with salad dinners in the apartment each evening. After 5 weeks eating out every night this was a real (healthy) treat. Hors d'oeuvres (olives and crisps) on the balcony were washed down with the Pinot Noir gift from the hotel. Our main course was mixed leaf salad plus tomatoes, avocado and slices of rare roast beef and more wine. For dessert we had fresh mango, We lived like royalty.
Next day was Thursday and we visited the Great Sydney Synagogue for a tour and with a video presentation by one of their rabbis. After this we walked to Darling Harbour, had an unusual Chinese lunch and then continued walking down the left side of the harbour to Pyrmont ferry stop to return to the hotel. On our way back to the hotel, Christmas was in full swing,(see video) There are those that think they recognise our dance moves.On Friday, we took a trip to the suburbs via a train from Circular Quay, to visit the Rookwood Cemetery, where Linda's Uncle Jack was buried in a military grave. He had gone to Australia to join up for the 1st World War, but contracted TB and died in May 1919, he was only 18 years old and had not fired a shot in anger. The cemetery is huge and with help from visitors and a map from the Cemetery office we found his grave in the Jewish section. Being a military grave, it will be well looked after and it was very moving.
Rookwood Cemetery is close to Sydney's fruit and vegetable market and also in an area settled by Chinese so we were able to go to the Chinese supermarket and top up our supplies of fruit and salad. That Friday afternoon we took a Hop on Hop off (HoHo) bus which took us around central Sydney.
On the Saturday we had planned to take the train up into the Blue Mountains and then take a blue HoHo around the National Park. However, by the previous evening all Natioanl Parks around Sydney were closed and the Blue Mountain was on fire. So, change of plan. On our HoHo journey the previous afternoon we had seen the Sydney fish market and we thought that it might be a good place to have lunch - how right we were! There were all kinds of fish, lobsters, crabs, crayfish, prawns etc. - and Bugs! They come from Balmain and are a cross between a crab and lobster. (see picture left). So much meat, so juicy and so sweet and so difficult to eat when you don't know how! Lunch at the fish market is enjoyed by many (mainly Asian) people (see picture right).Later on, we took a ferry to Watson's Bay which seemed to be a very buzzy, upmarket area and which was the furthest journey from Circular Quay (apart from Manly) then continuing by bus to Bondi Beach. The wind was getting really strong and people were coming off the beach and many felt it was related to the effect of the bush fires. After waiting a long time, the HoHo finally arrived and took us back to the centre.
On our last full day in Sydney, we had saved up two treats - a trip to Manly (the best beach in Sydney) and a visit to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for a Big Bash match. That morning though, the bush fires had led to ash falling on our hotel balcony and the skies were very dark and cloudy. On buildings nearby flags flew at half mast in recognition of two Sydney fireman who had died fighting the fires. We were not sure about the trip to Manly, given the weather conditions, but as we approached, the clouds departed and blue skies were evident all around. We didn't go swimming this time, as we had done 9 years ago, but we did some shopping - Linda bought some new swim shoes to replace the ones that had got damaged on the coral reef - and we had a nice lunch.
Back in town that evening, we boarded the tram to take us to Moore Park, for the SCG. We had bought Christmas hats to wear at the cricket, because we thought the locals would also be dressed up for the occasion. It was billed as the 'Christmas Big Bash match' after all. In the event, the Aussies proved boring, so we didn't wear our hats until Christmas Day. The match wasn't that good as the Brisbane Heat trounced the Sydney Sixers with Chris Lynn hitting 94 in 34 balls! Linda 'but still a very good game'.
Next day, we took a shuttle to the airport. We said our goodbyes to the staff at the Rendezvous Hotel, who had looked after us so well.
On to New Zealand.
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