Friday, March 16 – Sydney for a Day

We only planned a day in Sydney, as we've visted before and we have too many other things on the agenda to stay longer. We plan to meet our cruise friends Caryn and Peter, who we first met on a Tahiti cruise in 2007. Since then we have cruised together in 2009, and they also stayed with us in Albany for a few days. But it's been a long time since we last saw them.

We arrived at the airport a bit early and joined the scuffle at passport control. We were directed to the automatic machines but after waiting a few minutes for a free machine, for some reason they wouldn’t read either of our passports. So we then were directed to a separate line and we were through in a minute of two. 

Luggage was reasonably quick and once through customs, I found the correct store to buy Opal Cards for the Sydney trains and other forms of public transport. We were out to the train station by 8:30. It was a relatively quick ride in, but very crowded. We had to stand the whole time, which was a bit tiresome after that long flight, and it was warm which wasn't so comfortable. But at least the ride was quick.

We got off at Circular Quay and then walked about 5 minutes to our hotel, where we arrived just a little after 9:00. Of course, our room wasn’t ready for us yet, but we got keys to the spa to use their shower facilities.

After showering up and starting to feel human, we got our bags together in preparation to store them with the hotel for check-in later. As we got back to the lobby, Caryn and Peter appeared, and it was a great reunion. We hadn’t seen them in almost 10 years! And then another piece of good news – a room was ready for us! So we all grabbed our bags, and dropped them in the room before heading out to make the most of our one day here.

A Nice-looking Hotel in the Rocks

Since we’d already visited Sydney, we didn’t need to “do” any of the major sites. Today we planned to have a nice outdoor walk starting at Bondi, and go as far as we could until our legs gave out. But first we wandered The Rocks for a bit to get our bearings. 

Me with a Friend. Looks like I need a nap.

Cadmans Cottage. One of the Oldest Original Buildings in the Rocks.

Then, back to Circular Quay for the train.

The slightly newer Overseas Passenger Terminal. A few minutes from the Hotel.

We passed by the Cruise ship terminal. Right across the street from the old cottage.

A few more modern buildings, looking towards Circular Quay

Bondi Beach from the Overlook

The Sydney CBD. No time to go here today, but we've been there on our previous trip.

A Swimming Club - the Bondi Icebergs!

We took the train to Bondi Junction, where we joined the throngs in line for the bus to Bondi Beach. The line moved faster than we thought it would, and soon we were on board and we made it there. Great timing, it was just before noon! So far we are making great time, and the weather is good too. The forecast had looked rainy and we were worried that the walk would be unpleasant. But the view of the beach was great.

We wandered the cliff walk for a few hours, making some stops along the way. The scenery was incredible, and the weather held up nicely.

Great pattern on this rock. It looks otherwordly.

Most of the walk was on a cliffside trail above the ocean. The rock formations and the sea views were the highlights.

Our Tour Guides! It was great to see them again.

The rocky coastline went on and on. We'll see how long we can hold up. The sea air and the sunshine were rejuvenating but the jet lag was strong after such a long trip.

Beautiful rocky coast everywhere you look

In places the rock had been carved into very thin shelves that looked fragile. There were deep hollows in the rocks too where you could rest, protected from the sun and wind.

A little break for the jet-lagged ones.

Rest stop, or photo op?

The cliffs are beautiful and it was so nice to be out in the warm sunny weather, even though we were pretty jet-lagged and tired. This kept us awake, at least. We took a break for lunch at Bronte Beach, and Caryn had packed picnic materials so we had a pleasant rest stop there.

Bronte Beach - a lunch stop with a view.

Sculpture by the Sea - "Twice Twist Bands"

Further along the way we passed sculpture gardens, hidden coves, and a large cemetery.

Waverly Cemetery

The cliff walk usually passes in front of the cemetery, close to the sea. That part is being renovated so we had to walk through the cemetery. In the below picture, you can see some of the rebuilt walkway.

Gordons Bay

Just another hidden cove, with gorgeous colors

We finally ended up making it all the way to Coogee Beach. Some view! It was about a 5k walk, so not a bad day's work.

But there was another surprise in store. Caryn had baked a birthday cake for me, and she had been lugging it along in her backpack for the whole walk! So, we celebrated a few days early with a nice view on the beach.

Cake by the Ocean!

We grabbed a bus at the nearest stop, and rode all the way back to the city. The route took us past some of the well-known sites we’d seen before. Then we walked back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. The Opera House was in all its glory in the afternoon sunshine.

We took a leisurely stroll through The Rocks to enjoy a few more sights before dinner.

Public Toilet in The Rocks

This was a different view of the bridge, from almost directly underneath the span.

View of the Harbour Bridge, from The Rocks

We had a nice dinner together at the Lord Nelson Hotel, whose claim to fame is that it's the oldest establishment in Sydney. By then we were pretty tired, so we walked home slowly, taking the long way around the small point of land sticking out into the Harbor, for a few scenic views.

But we were finally running out of steam. After all, we had managed to cram a lot into our day after a very long day of flying. We said Good Night and until next time to Peter and Caryn, then lights out. Tomorrow, we leave early for Adelaide.