Made it to Taronga Zoo which was a good effort, regardless of the philosophical discussions that can occur about zoos.
Sleeping 23 hours a day - could be worse...
This emu works for MI6
Popped out to Manly for the evening and had a spectacular steak at The Manly Grill (tee hee hee). Definitely an area that we'd like to live in - 30 minutes by ferry from downtown Sydney (Circular Quay) or 16km by road (I imagine the time varies!).
We risked the tourist trap and took a trip out to the Blue Mountains run by APT Tours. It was really well organised with a good tour operator. Stopped at the village of Leura, which was quite Arrowtown-esque where we managed to find our favourite type of souvenirs - wine from Leura Cellars. Bless the allowance.
Had a great time at Scenic World - an old mining area in the mountains that has been opened up with the use of a railway and gondolas to see the sights. Didn't like how the rainforest below had become super-accessible with paths made from boardwalks. That's not a hike through the bush! Still, a pleasant stroll.
Katoomba
Three Sisters Rocks
Katoomba Falls from the Skyway
Looking down - vertigo!
The Scenic Railway - pacing up a 52 degree slope
Toddled round to Featherdale Wildlife Park which we would have been unlikely to go to otherwise due to the "too twee" issue however we really enjoyed ourselves. Took the ferry back down the Parramatta River.
We generally spent quite a lot of time wandering around in the beautiful sunshine, checking out shops and getting around the city including North Sydney and Bondi. As always, the food in Sydney was excellent. Baia in Darling Harbour was excellent as was L'Incontro in North Sydney and Pancakes on the Rocks - try the crepes :)
The best tip for getting round is to buy the Sydney week-long train pass and use the trains like taxis. Covers all the ferries as well so you can go all over the city.
Downsides? Duty free really isn't what it used to be, even the perfume, the stupid Air NZ safety video and coming home to freezing cold, no sunshine and rain. Sigh. Time to plan the next trip!
The Rose
