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Sydney is a nice city; I like the extensive park lands but the city itself is cut like a fern leaf by a collection of bays and inlets. It is truly a water-based town. In the morning thousands of commuters arrive by ferry as well as by car and bus. The best access to the zoo is by boat and a two-hour lunch cruise will be a highlight of any visit.
When Cook (Lieutenant Cook at the time) first came to the coast he missed the opening into what is now Sydney. The Endeavour went on to Botany Bay. When the “first fleet” arrived with the “settlers” they also went to Botany Bay but soon found this harbor which provided fresh water – something not found in Botany Bay. There is both a North Head and a South Head that provide corners to the access into the bay from the ocean. These are are also scenic highlights of a city tour. Bondi Beach to the south off the opening and Manly Beach to the north are the two most famous of Sydney’s beaches.The two harbors (Circular Cay and Darling Harbor) are very agreeable for tourists to wander and for dining. The ferries come and go day and night and the commuters hustle on and off the boats. They are hives of activity and both should be visited.Circular Cay has a cruise ship pier and often has a large vessel in for a short while. Usually they pull out in the early evening and slowly depart past the Opera House.The Sydney Harbor Bridge, “the coat hanger” is not only a majestic part of the town it is also an attraction for thrill seekers. Walking to the top of the bridge isn’t inexpensive and is often a bit windy but the views are spectacular. You are in a jump suit, no cameras or jewelry, and attached by carabiners to stout cables.Though Charles Darwin was not in Australia very long it had an impact on his thinking about plants and animals adapting to specific habitats. The city was young and a bit squalid, he was not impressed with the local tribal folk, but he remembered the odd animals and unique plants and eventually factored that into his thinking on “natural selection” the determining factor behind his theory of evolution.Australia is a country/continent of the western Pacific. It’s neighbors are Indonesia, the Koreas, Japan, and China. The Chinese have had a couple boom decades and are now regular visitors to the east coast of Australia. The Chinese New Year’s celebrations in Cairns and/or Sydney are quite festive and attended by thousands of mainland Chinese.
I will be doing several posts on Australia and New Zealand – Alice Springs, Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, both the North and South Islands of NZ, the Maori people, and the geothermal activities of New Zealand’s North Island. Oh, and maybe a bit on the earthquakes recently on the South Island.
On The Road With DEC 