Sydney, Australia

Saturday, February 18, 2023

The largest city in Australia, Sydney is said to have one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. Our balcony looked out at the Sydney Opera House, which sits directly on Port Jackson Bay, welcoming cruise ships into Sydney Cove. We had panoramic views of the sunrise over the bay and the city. We could also see across from us the Royal Botanic Garden and a battleship.

Going topside and looking to the west, we could see the spectacular Sydney Harbor bridge, with brave souls walking across the arch. The world’s widest and tallest steel-arch bridge, it is nicknamed “the coat hanger.” There also was an historic amusement park beyond the bridge, called Luna Park Sydney.

We left the ship early and walked to a hop-on hop-off bus, with open air seating on top. For $59 each, we were treated to an informative tour of the city. Headphones allowed us to hear descriptions of what we were seeing, along with some Australian music. We started near the Circular Quay right by the port area, which is a central transportation hub, where you may catch a ferry, bus, taxi, or even an elevated train.

From the tour bus, some of the many sights included:

• Sydney Tower

• Australian Museum

• Kings Cross Train Station and Central Station

• Woolloomooloo Bay

• The exterior of the Botanic Garden

• Hyde Park, an area of upscale homes and shops

• The Power House and Maritime museums

• The Convention Center

• The exterior of the Chinese Gardens and a small portion of Chinatown

• The Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

• King Street Wharf and Barangaroo

Just as in Melbourne, we were impressed by all of the trees and gardens. Almost all of the city streets seem to be lined with towering trees, everything from sweet gum, to frangipani, palm trees and banyans.

It was difficult trying to snap photos of the city from a moving bus. We passed a bakery with beautiful displays of pastries in the window, including pavlova. I really wanted to stop there, but the bus sped on by so quickly. Truly, the city is gorgeous, eclectic, and very interesting -- so much to see and do, but so little time!

One of the many things we appreciate and love about Sydney is the heritage law, which preserves historic houses and buildings by forbidding the facade of the structures to be changed. Just as in Melbourne, historic structures are squeezed between gleaming high rises; additionally, entire blocks of old structures have been preserved.

We got off the bus at Barangaroo, which was close to the ship. This is an area of upscale homes and restaurants on the harbor, near the bridge and cruise port. The harbor was the busiest I have ever seen, with water shuttles, sailboats, yachts, and all sorts of boats scuttling fast in all directions. The harbor is definitely not a “no wake” zone!

From Barangaroo, we walked over the to The Rocks, which is a beautiful historic neighborhood dating back to the colonial period. The Rocks was the site of the first penal settlement. It has lovely lanes beneath the shadows of the bridge, and it is filled with little tents selling street food and crafts, as well as old buildings with shops, galleries, museums, and restaurants with outdoor seating.

We had Pad Thai and Mongolian Beef from a tiny kitchen where you could watch your food cooked quickly in a wok, and sat outside under an umbrella. Then we strolled through the outdoor market. We could have actually just skipped the bus to walk around the beautiful areas close to the ship. That is what we would recommend if you are on a cruise and just visiting the Sydney for the day.

Cliff and Joan decided to get back on the hop-on hop-off bus to travel back to the Sydney Zoo, while I returned to the ship to take more panoramic photos from the top deck. What is interesting is that the Sydney Zoo is entirely indoors -- even the animals are all indoors.

We initially planned on trying to find transportation to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside, because it has the world’s largest collection of Australian wildlife. You can actually get more close to the animals at Featherdale than at the zoo — wombats, bilbies, Tasmanian devils, dingos, echidnas, kangaroos, wallabies, and koala bears, for example. It would take about an hour to get there from the port area. However, our bus driver said, “You don’t want to go out there today — it is going to be 100 degrees!”

Although we could not see the Blue Mountains from Sydney, we learned from our ship’s brochure that they are sandstone cliffs that were once thought to be impassable. Now they are the major gateway to Western New South Wales, with ancient ravines, lush forests and waterfalls. One of the songs played for us on the bus was about the blue mountains and being true blue to the lands you call home and those you love. We heard fellow passengers talking about their excursion to the blue mountains, which was two hours each way.

After visiting Sydney, we can understand why, as our ship’s brochure stated, “Sydney is regarded as one of the most visually stunning cities on the planet.” We can also understand why it is such a popular travel destination. Everyone seems so relaxed and unhurried; they are very patient toward us tourists, as we stare googly-eyed at the buildings and harbors, snap photos of everything we see, and navigate crossing the road, where, like in New Zealand, Australians drive on the left.

With cruising, you really have time to just get a taste of cities at each port; however, it gives you ideas for areas where you would like to return some day for further exploration and cultural adventures.

Sydney at Night

As Joan and Cliff returned to the ship around 6:00 P.M., the sky darkened, lightning started flashing, and a light rain moved in. We could see very dark clouds in the distance, so we surmised that there was a bad storm not far from us.

After dark, Sydney becomes alive and vibrant. From the starboard side, we were so close to a bar and restaurant alongside the ship, that we could actually see what people were drinking.

Throughout the evening, lightning and heat flashes continued, and a breeze began to chill the air, moist from the rain droplets.

The multicolored lights of the city were absolutely stunning, and the opera house glowed. Umbrellas were lined up along the water at the base of the opera house, from where we could hear vibrant live jazz music and laughing. Voices tinkled over the water from boats and the shore.

A brightly lit yacht pulled out beside us, full of people having dinner. It looked so inviting. If we were staying overnight, this dinner cruise would definitely be on our agenda.

Suddenly, fireworks began, right over the Sydney Opera House. Boats were everywhere, with people watching. About 15 minutes after what we thought was the finale, the fireworks started up again, and went on for at least another 20 minutes. Our ship's horn sounded in celebration.

Then at 9:00, the ship started gently moving, backing up toward the brightly lit bridge and amusement park.

All along the harbor, people were partying. All of this was part of the celebration for the weekend's KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. We later found out that the storm actually damaged quite a few of the racing boats, so the race was canceled on Sunday.

However, what a spectacular and memorable evening for us it was! What a magical city!