We left the Gold Coast and took a Bus back to Melbourne to take a Plane to Sydney. We were In Sydney for three days and our last night was New Years Eve. This would be the last City we saw in Australia and we stayed at a five star Hotel. The Hotel sent a Limousine to pick us up!
THE HISTORY OF SYDNEY:
The Aboriginal Tribes arrived here over 40, 000 years ago, In 1768, Captain James Cook began a search for the ’’great south land’’. He landed at Botany Bay, (in 1770). Sir Joseph Banks establish a penal colony here. In the 1850’s gold was discovered in New South Wales and people from around the World began to arrive. They still are moving here every day!
OUR HOTEL:
Our Hotel was across the Street from the famous Opera House and at the beginning of the Circular Quay.
We stayed at the five star Regent Hotel, (it’s now the Canadian owned Four Seasons Hotel).
SYDNEY:
Sydney is the largest City in Australia, (Sydney is a city with a population of four million), and the Capital City of the State of New South Wales. The Blue Mountains make a lovely background and there are wonderful waterways that lead to the Sea.
We took a one hour Tour of the Opera House. You enter the Opera House and go into the Reception Hall and then you see the five Stages: The Concert Hall, the Opera Theatre, the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse and the Studio. This complex is used by the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs and the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra. After the tour we had lunch at the Guillaume & Bennelong Café that is on the Opera House grounds.
The Quay:
This was the best place in Sydney. We walked along the ’’Rocks’’ The Rocks was originally known as a brothels district and this building was set up to provide board and lodgings for sailors, (rather than have them go to the Brothels). We saw the Sailor’s Home that was use as a Hotel for the Sailors until the 1970s. It is now where The Sydney Visitor Centre is located.
The old Coroners Court which once was the City’s Morgue. The Mariners Church is a sandstone building. It is historically significant because it was the first construction site in Sydney to allow the stone masons to reduce their working day from 12 to 8 hours. The Australasian Steam Navigation Co Building has a Flemish design with the bell tower and the gables.
We also saw Argyle Stores, (Warehouse that were built in the 1980’s), the Argyle Terraces were called the Tara Terrace when people lived in them and the Argyle Cut that was made by slicing through the sandstone ridge of The Rocks to connect Darling Harbor and Millers Point with Sydney Cove.
The Earth Exchange was a Power Station that was built in 1902. It is now a Geological and Mining Museum.
Mercantile Hotel, (has been refurbished to look like an Art Nouveau design), The Australian Hotel, (has etched signage on their pressed metal ceilings), the Fortune of War Hotel, (claims to have the longest continuous liquor licence in Sydney) and the Oriental Hotel was once called the Marine Hotel and it was open around 1850.
Cadman’s Cottage was built as a Barracks and is the oldest building in Australia, the Well Courtyard was once a Bakery, the Suez Canal is a small lane that was were a Gang called the Rocks Push hung out and Atherden Street is the shortest Street in Sydney.
Campbells Storehouses has a private wharf with gabled storehouses and sandstone bays. It was built to store tea, sugar, cloth and liquor.
There are so many Shops and small lanes that I can’t remember them all.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge took seven years to build. It has a span of about 500 meters.
We went to see the Australian Maritime Museum because they had a Great Barrier Reef Tank, (and it was like being a Scuba Diver seeing all the sea life). Before we left we walked by the Australia II, (that won the Americas-Cup) and some Aboriginal boats.
We took a 30 minute Ferry ride from Circular Quay, (next to the Opera House). You pass under the Harbor Bridge to Manly Beach. Along the way we passed by Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach and Shelly Beach. You also get a wonderful view of the City. On both sides of the waterway are extraordinary homes. They are built into the side of the rocks. Some have elevators to get them from the pier to their house!
We went to the Zoo to see Oz’s Animals. When our Guide told us the Koala was cute but the most stupid Animal in the World I didn’t believe him. When the bush fires game very close to Sydney all of the Koala’s were to dumb to run away from them and they found their burned bones still clinging to the Trees!
My Husband’s Friend told him that we shouldn’t miss seeing the Kings Cross area. I don’t know what he was thinking of because when we got there on every street corner were prostitutes and motorcycle gangs ruled the area. I think we spent ten minutes there, (five of them was looking for a taxi)!
We walked down Market and George Street to see the Boutiques, Specialty Shops and Souvenir Stores. We bought a Boomerang, (a V shaped wooden Aboriginal item), and when you throw it with one hand and it flies into the air and suddenly turns and returns to you.
On the corner where these two streets meet is the Queen Victoria Building. The Building is very interesting because it was built in 1898. It has over 200 Shops and Cafes in on the 4 floors.
The old Treasury Building is a wonderful example of Australian colonial architecture, (it’s now a Restaurant).
We took a Water Taxi to go back to Bondi Beach to meet my Friend that I had met on my 28 day tour of Europe. He took us to lunch at Hugo’s. I didn’t see the check but I’m sure it was a lot because we dined in style!
The other friend we knew in Sydney took us to the Hungarian Sports Club for dinner one night. Before WW II he was a famous Hungarian Soccer Player. The Clubs are interesting because they are non-profit Clubs. The money they earn goes to fix up their property and what is left over goes to help Children play sports. I think this is a lovely idea.
NEW YEARS EVE:
We had decided to stay up at watch the fireworks that take place behind the Opera House.
When they began we had a front row seat because they opened above the Opera House and right before our eyes.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
I did enjoy Sydney but not as much as Melbourne and Brisbane. If you visit Oz it’s a City you shouldn’t miss.
This ends my tour of Australia and I hope you enjoyed traveling with me.
’’Oi! Oi! Oi!’’(the Australian Chant at their Olympic Games), MATES!
Comments are always welcome.
©LL2003