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Part 2 - Sydney

On to Sydney, after tearful goodbyes at the airport. What can I say about Sydney? Anything would be an understatement, it just bowled us over. Despite the building that is going on everywhere, mainly in preparation for the influx of visitors during the Olympic Games, presumably. At least we had been warned about it. We stayed in an apartment in Woolloomooloo (try typing that one quickly!) Bay - The Woolloomooloo Waters Apartment Hotel. This is right in the naval area of Sydney but within walking distance of the city centre. The apartment was excellent - 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom/laundry and large living area. Very comfortable, even had 2 TVs! And a view of the Harbour Bridge plus pool, sauna and Jacuzzi within the hotel. Refreshing after travelling. Quickest route to the town centre is through the Boating Gardens (although the gates close at 6pm). Spent the evening in Planet Hollywood, and apart from almost having my bag stolen we were very impressed with it. The decor was great fun, plenty to look at, the food was excellent and good value and the staff very attentive. Also served delicious non-alcoholic cocktails (the alcoholic variety would have guaranteed a hangover for a week!!) The bill was £65 for 4, 3 courses, drinks and wine. Good value.

The next day we had a tour pre-booked, saving precious time whilst actually on holiday. Our trip took in most of the sights of Sydney and the harbour. Our guide was excellent - extremely informative and helpful. We had photo stops all along the way but unfortunately the weather was very dull for most of the day. Developed a great interest in the early settlers - white Australia's history may not be very long, but it is certainly extremely interesting. We took a lunch cruise around the harbour - definitely the most beautiful harbour in the world. Just breathtaking, especially when you get to see that classic - the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House in one view. Also stopped at a couple of famous beaches, Manly & Bondi. Manly was nice but Bondi is a real dump. I imagined it would be a really long beach, but it is small and seedy. There are plans to "beautify" the area and it could certainly do with it! Quite an eye-opener. We drove round some of the more well-known suburbs and realised we would never be rich enough to live in the bits we liked! Prior to this, we had thought it would be years before we visited Australia again, there being so many other places we have yet to see. But after a day in Sydney we were already discussing how feasible it would be to return a.s.a.p. even for a short break! So much to see and do, not enough time etc etc. If I were to emigrate, it would have to be to Sydney I think.

The next day we had another early start - off to the Blue Mountains, 100km West of the city. The Blue Mountains region is in fact a heavily forested section of the Great Dividing Range. Left Sydney via the Glebe Island Bridge, also known as "Madonna's Bra" (after her "pointy" period) - I had never heard of it before but it's a very nice bridge. Travelled along the Paramatta Road, which is home to hundreds of car dealers. I know there are a lot of cars in Sydney, but I was amazed at how many people seem to be making a living out of selling cars there. Our journey took us via the new Olympic site which is well under way and apparently ahead of schedule. I'll bet they put on a terrific show in 2000. First stop was at a pretty little town called Leura which is renowned for its gardens. We visited a property called Everglades Gardens, which was constructed in the 30s, the house being influenced by the Bauhaus School with many Art Deco features. Unfortunately an earlier accident had delayed us so we were left  with only 20 mins or so to explore everything and after the obligatory visit to the loo there was little time to see anything but a part of the gardens. If it's 11am it must be Leura etc etc. I felt like an American doing a whistle-stop tour of Europe!
 Next stop was The Edge, situated right on the edge of the Blue Mountains & home to the Imax cinema. The film was called - "The Edge" and is about - The Blue Mountains. The Imax screen is huge, 6 storeys high and it was a wonderful experience to watch this film, really feeling as if you were there in the screen. There were some breathtaking moments when some very brave people were rock-climbing and caving. It certainly whetted our appetites for the region.
Then on to Katoomba and I was once again fascinated by the thought of the early settlers, trying to find a way through this seemingly impenetrable region (which they did in 1813). Throughout the day, there was never enough time to see all we wanted to see, but we just about managed a trip on the Scenic Skyway and the Scenic Railway. The Skyway car runs across the valley and the views are magnificent. The railway drops almost vertically down to the Jamison Valley floor - the steepest railway in the world I believe. There are walking trails through the forest but sadly, not enough time. Just up the road is Echo Point, a viewing stop for the Three Sisters, an unusual rock formation featuring in aboriginal legends.
Back to the coach and the return to Sydney, stopping off at the Australian Wildlife Park. Once again, very little time but as we had spent some hours in a much bigger park when in Adelaide, we elected to watch the sheep- shearing exhibition. Typical entertainment complete with terrible jokes! Not something you get to see in UK though. Also saw some of the other animals, in particular a large contingent of koalas. They are very sleepy things, but this is due to the fact that their diet of eucalyptus leaves is very hard to digest, and not due to the myth that they are always "high" from them! Apparently.
Then back to Circular Quay in Sydney. Ate in a German restaurant, the name of which escapes me, in the Rocks area. There are a great number of restaurants in this area, just about any type of food you could wish for, but all fairly fancy & expensive. We have a fussy eater in the family (not me!) so finding somewhere suitable was tricky. 

Our last day in Sydney was one for our daughters - to be devoted to shopping, their favourite pastime. The shopping in Sydney is fantastic, especially if you have a lot of money to spend, which unfortunately we didn't. There are a number of large shopping centres (which, being air conditioned, are far more pleasant to walk around than the streets) such as the Queen Victoria Building and Centrepoint. The former is home to over 190 shops, cafes and restaurants and the latter to 150. And all are very smart and expensive so it was window-shopping only. There was a nice shop in QVB selling aboriginal items and we were treated to an interesting demo of didgeridoos, surprising how different they can sound. All depends on the quality of the work done by the termites! I really wanted one but was unable to persuade Martyn that it was just what we needed for the corner of the dining room!

Later on we went off to the Opera House for a tour, which J & S declined on account of being exhausted - these youngsters, just can't keep up! I think the thought of 200 steps put them off. Due to a ballet rehearsal we were unable to see the Opera Theatre, but did see the other 3, the Concert Hall being breathtaking. The acoustics are so good that no amplification is needed. They are currently building a further theatre too. I found it very interesting, although Martyn was disappointed not to see anything backstage - I understand they do backstage tours but we weren't there at the right time. The tour lasted about an hour and is a must for every visitor interested in the arts. 
That evening, we had dinner at the Centrepoint AMP Tower where there are 2 revolving restaurants. We chose the self-service at the equivalent of about £14 per head, much cheaper than the other restaurant. The Tower is 1000 ft (305 metres) high, over 80 storeys up! You go up in a lift that makes your ears pop. When we walked into the restaurant we were speechless (I know, unusual for me!) The view is just stunning - all of Sydney lit up by night. The restaurant revolves 360° in about an hour so you don't notice you are moving but there is always a different view. It was one of the highlights (yet another!) of the trip. I'm sure it is equally fantastic during the day, but not as magical as by night somehow. The food was great, something for everyone and if you're a real pig you could stock up for days! There seem to be a lot of "as much as you can eat" places, even in the higher end of the market, which this was. I managed to taste a bit of emu here (roast) along with roast kangaroo which made a change from kanga steaks. Succumbed to 2 puds as well!