HIGHER & HIGHER

April 4, 2011

Another early wake-up call for a walking tour of the Rocks area.  The Rocks is where the convicts lived when Australia was first inhabited by the British.  It is a wonderfully historic area that is rich in architecture and tales and is now a collection of pubs and shops.    Jane, Al and Linda continued with the group on a ‘coffee cruise’ of the harbor.  The 2 hour cruise was a lovely way to see the fabulous skyline from the other side.  We saw some of the older historic areas as well as the mansions of the rich and famous.  Sorry ladies, no Russell Crowe sightings.  Though windy on the upper back deck of the ship, it was a perfect day for viewing.  The fact that Jane filled her camera’s memory and Linda emptied her camera’s battery is testament to how many pictures were taken.

Mean while DeeDee, Brendan and Rob took the ferry to Manly Beach.  Sydney has 40+ beaches, some on the harbor and some along the Pacific.  We all met up about noon and took the city bus across town for lunch at the local fish market.  It was fascinating, albeit smelly place where the locals come to shop and eat.  Inside the huge building were several markets that sold cooked products.  We feasted on plates of fried fish and prawns at a fraction of the usual restaurant prices.

At 4:00 PM – Jane and DeeDee climbed the Sydney Bridge.  The climb began with about an hour of orientation, including jumpsuits and a belt equipped with a headset to hear our guide and the tether to keep us connected to the bridge.  We spent about an hour walking up and an hour back down.  The walk was not strenuous, with only about 4 vertical ladders and the rest gradual steps.  We stopped several times for them to take photos of us.  Because we did the twilight walk, we were able to see the lights of the city come on before we descended.  What a thrill…and another thing checked off our bucket lists!  We met up with Linda, Al, Bren and Rob for a few celebratory drinks and found a wonderful Italian restaurant for dinner. Silly with accomplishment, filled with good food and a little sloshy with alcohol we made our way back to the hotel on the bus. 

Thanx to Bren and Rob, who lived here and knew the city so well, we felt confident in our ability to navigate, many forms of transportation today.  Bus and ferry with a single all day pass and monorail for a view from above.

ps…thanks to JWS for the phone call J