After twenty-one nights at sea on
the beautiful Queen Elizabeth, we arrived in Sydney harbor on Saturday,
February 25th. Unfortunately, the weather gods were not with us today as it was
foggy and rainy. We had to anchor out as the sister ship, Queen Mary 2, was
ahead of us and berthed at the cruise terminal. Additionally, the Sydney
Harbour authorities didn’t want Cunard using their own tenders, so we were
brought ashore by ferry boats provided by Sydney – all in all it worked out. We
went ashore with a couple from our table hoping to head to Bondi Beach;
however, the weather was nasty and we walked around a bit – got wet – had some
tea and coffee – and Ed and I decided to return to the ship to pack since we
were to get off the next day. We also enjoyed, once back on the ship, watching
all the sailboats enjoying a day of racing in the harbor -the rain and fog did
not hold them back. That evening found us saying goodbye to the many friends we
had made along the way.
On Sunday morning, we bid
farewell to our floating hotel and headed to the Sydney Harbour Marriott for
the next phase of our trip. And YES, the sun was shining – so we quickly headed
to the ferry boats and caught one that took us to Manly Beach – a town that
reminded us very much of Huntington Beach, California – in fact, both towns
refer to themselves as “Surf City”. And
there was also a surfing competition going on while we were there. Later that
day, we toured the Sydney Opera House, which is quite an amazing structure – I never
realized all the theaters and venues that they have available in that building.
We were so impressed we decided to get tickets to an opera for the next night.
On another note – we watched the Queen Elizabeth sail away from Sydney from our
hotel room. It was bittersweet!
We found an interesting restaurant
Sunday night. It reminded us of “What’s Your Beef” in Rumson – you pick out
your cut of beef (or lamb or chicken) and then have unlimited salad bar as well
as choice of potatoes and vegetables. The only difference is you cook the meat
yourself! Yes, there was a decent sized gas grill where all the patrons lined
up to cook their own meat. A grilling guide was provided and all in all – it was
a fun night!
Monday had us headed to the
Taronga Zoo – again, another ferry boat ride across the harbor. We had a
behind-the-scenes tour scheduled – there ended up being six of us; a young
couple from Manchester, England, another young couple from Alabama – both Coast
Guard helicopter pilots, and us. It was a great tour – we fed Wallabies, got up
close and personal with Kangaroos and Koala Bears, petted an Echidna – learned about
the Platypus and the Wombat and much more.
After a return to our hotel for a
brief rest we headed to the Sydney Opera House – grabbed a quick bite to eat
along the way – and were entertained by the opera, “La Boheme”. Compared to the
MET in NYC, this venue was small and intimate (I don’t think there was a bad
seat in the house) and they even projected the translation on a board located
up high above the stage – very well done!
Tuesday morning, we enjoyed what
turned out to be a private tour of Sydney – via car – with stopping along the
way to take in many views of the sights.
We had already agreed that Sydney is a beautiful city; however, after
this tour, we were even more convinced as to Sydney’s attractions. We saw the
area where Russell Crowe owns a townhome (unfortunately no sighting of him); we
made it out to Bondi Beach and after a brief rain shower, spent 45 minutes
taking in the view, sipping a fruit smoothie and even shopping a bit. We should
have done this tour first! I guess we’ll have to return some day to allow more
time to discover the many restaurants, beaches, scenic walks, and history that
Sydney has to offer.
Tuesday afternoon had us back at
the hotel resting up for our big event – the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb!! (I
think that deserves its own blog - so stay tuned). We had been watching other climbers for a
couple of days, realizing that it would soon be us.
So now you know why I’m late with
my blogging! I haven’t had time.
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