It has been a couple of days and as you can imagine I have not been wasting time.
Peter dropped me at the station on Monday morning, and I wil confess that the extra for First Class was worth it for the extra space and relative peace and quiet. The ride was through farmland and very small towns but got increasingly industrial and urban below Newcastle where...guess what, they mine coal!.
I was able to navigate my way to Eva's the hostel I am staying at. Nice room and a good crowd who are predominantly German but with a girl from Durham (UK) and some Scandinavians.
Tuesday was a day of steady rain, but a cheap umbrella cured the problem and I took a long walk through the city and the parks out to Mrs Macquaries Chair, where there is a great view of the harbour, Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The area must be predominantly sandstone and there were some beautiful rocks in the park that were shaped by the wind and the rain into unusual shapes that very much complemented the overall layout.
I then walked all the way up to the base of the bridge and the famed Australian Hotel where miraculously they had cold beer about 4 in the afternoon. Right on time! The hotel is on "The Rocks" where the original settlement was.
Steve and April (friends from Cary formerly Jacksonville Fl) had told me about it and had also given me several other tips on places to go and things to see.
All the ferries that serve the surrounding communities and suburbs come in to Circular Wharf and then connect with buses or the train/subway system. Sydney Harbour is on of the biggest in the world and presents it's own set of challenges when it comes to getting around. Having said that people live in Manly to the north and instead of an insane and frustrating commute to work they can jump on a ferry, have a coffee and get off a few minutes from work after a more relaxing 30 min ferry ride. Joanne the girl from Durham had loaned me her rail/bus pass for the day so I used it to get home.
I had also stopped at the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb facility and discovered that they wanted $200 to complete the climb. I am sure the view is incredible, but frankly the price and the climb were too steep for my taste.
I did discover that a day pass that covers all the ferries, buses and trains was only $18 and as I have oft said I am a ferry geek!
Wednesday I purchased same and ran and caught the bus that goes to Watson Bay which is on the south side of the narrow entrance to Sydney Harbour.
A 30 minute bus ride put me at the ferry terminal that goes back to Circular Quay. There is also a beautiful walk where you can see the ocean side of the coast and the wild seas that occur at the harbour entrance.
I got to experience some of that later in the day on the Manly ferry ride.
I mentioned the sandstone and it was again in evidence at the harbour mouth, indeed that is probably what caused the natural harbour in the first place. Beautiful, if stark shaped rocks were what must have "welcomed" the first settlers as they took the wild ride through the gap and down the harbour to Sydney.
The Manly ferries are the largest and are pointed at both ends, so there is no need for them to turn around at each end of the journey. The engineers will at this point be asking how the propulsion system works and I think they must be directional thrusters as that is what it looks like they use to maneuver.
There were lots of sailboats of various sizes out enjoying the breeze and the significant swell.
Fun in a sailboat in the wind at the harbor entrance.
I had dinner with a good friend of Dave Hedley's and we discussed the employment situation in Australia and the insane price of houses in Sydney and I would have seen some of the most expensive properties in Watson Bay and Rose Bay just a little closer to town. I noticed on the return ferry journey from Manly that they also have the capability to build something ugly and inappropriate anywhere in the world (my opinion) Please see the example below!!
Rob also said that Australian banking regulation had prevented the sort of financial crisis the US and others experienced, and that unemployment is very low here (He is a recruiter)
Thursday (today) I am off to Bondi beach and a walk down to Coogee Beach. The sun is shining so it should be a good day.We have been warned that all of the shops will be shut tomorrow, and there is a rooftop BBQ planned for tomorrow evening, so I will have to go shop today!
