Sydney

Sydney airport was very different to Hobart, there were actually air bridges to save walking across the tarmac. We originally planned to catch the train into the city as the hotel was only 50m away from the station but they were carrying out track repairs so we decided to get a taxi instead of the free bus that was laid on.
The hotel room was not ready so we walked across to the Oaks Goldsborough where Kevin and Vi were staying. It was good to see people from the UK after all this time away and they provided a very nice breakfast as we were up at 4:30 AM to catch the plane to Sydney.

Anni and Gareth were holding a combined Stag/Hen party at various venues around Sydney and the first place was to meet all the people at the Ship Inn on Circular Quay.
It was a really hot day and finding a place under shade was at a premium, however it was not long before we moved on to the Watson Bay Hotel which is a 30 minute ferry ride away.
The next place was the Opera Bar just beside the Sydney Opera House and the view of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House was just amazing which went a bit to compensating for the expense of a round of drinks.
We didn’t quite manage to make it to the Summit Bar as we were flagging a bit from the heat and the early start that morning.

Sydney is one of those cities that you like instantly, it’s got a buzz about the place like Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok and there are plenty of places to visit by bus, ferry or walking, it is a very ‘walkable’ city.
Our children had given us a Christmas gift of a certificate for one of the top restaurants in the city which was on the 42nd floor of one of the skyscrapers, although it was oddly called ‘Forty One’. The view was amazing as it overlooked the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The whole dinner was excellent, the best we have eaten for ages and ages.

Ourselves, Vi and Kevin went on a trip to the Blue Mountains but unluckily the weather had taken a turn for the worst and there was not much to see as visibility was down to 100 mtrs or so. We didn’t let it detract from the day and despite this had a thoroughly enjoyable day including Sheila trying to overcome her fear of snakes by holding one, the photo of the look on her face says it all.

With the weather being bad the previous day we were hoping the rain would hold off for Anni and Gareth’s wedding and it turned out to be ideal, not too much sun and a temp. of 22 deg. C. I have carried my suit with me for the last 17 weeks and still didn’t relish the thought of wearing it as I can’t remember the last time I had one on, but after a pressing it didn’t turn out too bad.
The wedding ceremony was held on a lawn in the Royal Botanical Gardens with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the background and you can’t get a better backdrop than that. Anni looked beautiful in her wedding dress and Gareth very smart in his suit along with all the other people who attended the wedding.
An excellent Wedding breakfast was served at yet another stunning venue with the same views over the Harbour and attended by guests from Australia, UK and Canada.

There is a bus that tours all the bays around Sydney, one being Bondi Beach, it was ironic that the commentary on the bus stated that there had been no shark attacks there since 1929 and a couple of hours later a surfer was attacked by a shark.

I can’t believe we only have 18 days left in Australia before we return to New Zealand; it has gone very quickly, far too quickly.