More Sydney

After reading my last post, you may think that we didn't see anything in Sydney other than the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.  That definitely was not the case, as you will soon see from the huge number of photos in this post (no wonder Google is making us pay for more storage!)

We explored Sydney.  A lot.

A typical house with wrought iron on the balconies and windows in the Kings Cross area, where we stayed with Gemma.

We found this beer ambulance.

The Anzac memorial in Hyde Park.  Anzac stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Core.   We learned about Anzac Day earlier this year while we were in Ireland and Turkey, so this was an interesting memorial to visit.

We visited Queen Victoria, who looked quite grim despite the very upscale shopping mall in the building bearing her name that is right behind her.

After staying with Gemma for a couple nights, we went to stay with Bill, an uncle of Chad's good friend Peter from Salmon Arm.  Bill was kind enough to spend a day touring us around north Sydney, including places difficult to access via transit or tours.  We started at North Head, whipped by winds up on the headlands.

[Chad: For those who haven't visited, Sydney is centered around a big harbour with a relatively narrow opening but very extensive bays and inlets, etc.  North Head is the north side of the opening to the ocean.  Botany Bay (where James Cook landed) is just south of this harbour, and is where most of the commercial shipping seems to go.]

A bulk carrier heads for busy Sydney Harbour.

Bill and Chad contemplate the city skyline.

Sandstone cliffs.

One of many weird sandstone formations.

We then surveyed a number of beaches, including Manly and Dee Why and Balmoral.

Manly Beach - normally a short ferry ride across the harbour from the Opera House

If the tide comes in too quickly, you can either take your chances with this life buoy or run up the stairs carved into the sandstone.  Rogue waves have been known to take fisherman off from time to time.

About the fourth gorgeous beach of the day with sand, surf and boardwalk - and that was just in the NE harbour, and wasn't nearly all of them!

View from the fort toward downtown

We had coffee at Burnt Orange, with a view overlooking downtown across the harbour

We had drinks and dinners with friends, old and new.

With Shaun and Allie, who we met on our boat cruise in Turkey earlier this year.

With Bill, Leanne, Jacqui and Bob.

On a particularly sunny weekday, we headed out to the famous Bondi Beach to see what the fuss is all about.

[Chad: OK, these photos don't really do it justice.  Bondi might be super-popular, but it's also absolutely gorgeous and only a few minutes from the downtown core.  They've prevented over-development, so it's not filled with high-rises and chain stores, just a little parking, then lawn, then sand.  Fine white sand and cool, crystal blue water, perfect for swimming or surfing - so I went for a dip after lying in the sun for a while.  It was hard not to feel just a little inadequate around the Aussies - a huge percentage of them (and nearly all of the beach goers) look like either Olympic athletes or pro surfers, with the same confident grace whether moving or stationary.  Pasty white, soft-fleshed Chad sticks out a bit with his shirt off...]

I can't even imagine how busy this place gets on a sunny Saturday!

When you've inhaled enough sand, you can sit in the grass above the beach or walk along the coastline and gape at the jaw dropping views.

Bondi from above.

More crazy sandstone makes for some interesting rocks along the way.

Another, quieter beach a few minutes away

And ANOTHER great beach around the next corner.  No wonder Aussies can surf!

We hit up a grocery store to see what the locals eat...

And on our way out of town we visited the University of New South Wales, where Bill has been a professor for many years.  He toured around campus.

Affectionately known as the campus's Champes d'Elysee.

In front of the university's sun dial (which Bill helped to have installed) - the center piece weighs 900 pounds!

Sydney definitely won us over, and we will visit again before we head to New Zealand next month!