Darling Harbour Fireworks 25th Sept

 Darling Harbour like to spoil the people with lots of free events. All through September and October there are free firework displays. Pretty spectacular for a free show. The only things complaining were the local roosting birds!

  

The Sydney Wildlife World and Aquarium 19th Sept

For $49.99 you can buy a mutli pass for entry to the wildlife world, aquarium, Sydney tower and ocean world Manly. Saves about $50 so is a cheap way of seeing them all and you have 3 months in which to visit them all. The last two are yet to come.

The wildlife world has some amazing snakes and reptiles - all native - a huge croc who only gets fed once a week on Tuesdays, some lazy kangaroos and sleepy kolas.

The Aquariums highlights were the life size great white shark and the walk through tunnels packed with sharks. Nemo and Dory make regular appearances too.

Wildlife World and the Aquarium are right next to each other in Darling Harbour so are easy to do together (the aquarium is open later so do that second).

Note to All - Beware the Cowboys

I used Anglo Pacific to ship my goods over, now by goods I do mean clothes and shoes and other important things. I shall not be using this company again. I have not come across a more useless company, the customer service is appalling. But then I should of picked up on it when waited in vain for the collection van to arrive (they hadn’t booked it in), by then I had left it too late.

Another company not to use is HiFx when transferring money across some of your funds just miraculously disappear! If only I could figure out how to make funds just ‘appear’!

Bondi 12-09-10

Now Bondi is one of the ‘must see’ places of Sydney, it’s the number one thing to do and see in the guide books. It is Sydney’s most famous beach and it was, well a beach! What more could you expect. Considering it's September and early spring it was crowded, the public transport a nightmare and the water cold. But as can be expected there were numerous tough nuts braving the waters and showing off with some impressive surfing moves.

The coastal walk has some impressive views of the beach and the surrounding suburbs, at the tip of Hunters Park you can see both Bondi an Bronte beaches - the later being much quieter.

On the south end of the beach is the Iceberg Swimming Club which have an outdoor swimming pool with stunning views! Now its called Icebergs because in the winter the members jump into the pool holding a large chunk of ice. Its supposed to toughen you up and maintain fitness apparently!

Bondi Beach is a 15 min bus ride from Bondi Junction where the main train station is which is also home to a nice array of shops. Bondi Junction is a 10 min train ride away from the CBD and the trains are double decker, a much needed commodity back in the UK.

5th September 2010

Awoken with brilliant sunshine, its time to see what Sydney is all about. For $20 you can get a Multicard, which allows unlimited use of ferries/trains/buses. We started with a breath taking ferry to Manly, on Sydney’s northern shores.

Creamy sand and turquoise waters, strewn with surfers, Manly is the pinnacle of what Sydney’s about. Lunch on the beach, who’d of thought one week before I was on Brighton beach, very cold, very wet and very grey, couldn’t be further apart!

The ferry return and then another from Circular Quays to Darling harbour, just to see the view from under the bridge.

For the 5th day of spring, it was hot and sunny - if not a bit too windy, things will only get better and hotter. Surfing shall be attempted once the water is a bit warmer! Oh and today is Australia’s Fathers Day, so happy fathers day for the second time this year!

Our apartment door - Must be fate

2nd and 3rd September 2010

After what seems like forever, and losing Wednesday, we have arrived in Australia. Leaving behind a cold, grey England, we found a cold, grey Sydney. Settling into our apartment on Harris St and exploring the local supermarkets was the sum total of Thursday which ended very early. Friday started very early and we ventured outside (after the torrential down pour had past). The Harbour Bridge and Opera House don’t fair too well against the grey sky but are impressive still. The forecast for the weekend looks better, might head to Manly beach, where there were whales seen last week!