October 8-10 Sydney

October 8, 2013: SYDNEY

 

We spent the day visiting several of the shopping venues around Sydney. These included the Strand, the Queen Victoria Shopping mall in one of the older buildings in Sydney, and the Harbourside Shopping Center in Darling Harbor.

 

October 9, 2013: SYDNEY

 

After breakfast we walked down to Circular Harbor and took a ferry out to Manly Beach. This beach is north of the entrance into Sydney from the Tasman Sea. On the way we saw a dolphin leaping out of the water a couple of times. Manly is a small community on the beach. As it was a very lovely day, the sea shone bright turquoise as surfers, sailboarders, and paddleboarders, played in the water. We ambled through several shops including an aboriginal art gallery with beautiful paintings, statues, boomerangs, and even some didgeridoos. I want a didgeridoo. Donna said didgeridont. We sat by the beach and watched the seabirds that were plentiful and aggressive as they swooped down to get a young man's lunch.

 

On our way back we stopped at Watson Bay and had lunch at an old restaurant named Doyle's that has been on that location for about a hundred years. The seafood basket of fish, shrimp, squid, scallops, and shrimp was good, but cooking all these together made the separate items taste much alike.

 

There was a huge line to get back to Circular Harbor and we missed one boat but caught the next only to find out later it was on another ferry line. We were allowed to exit without buying another ticket.

 

October 10, 2013: SYDNEY

 

We took the free downtown shuttle to Chinatown a mile or so away to check out the souvenir stalls in a huge warehouse setting. Rows and rows of small booths with trinkets, stuffed kangaroos and even some didgeridoos. Many shops had iPhone and iPad cases. After this we strolled up an alleyway toward the bus stop and checked out prices for souvenirs there. Prices were significantly higher. So back to the warehouse we went and filled up on different tchotchkes. The bus took us back to Circular Quay from which we strolled along an area called The Rocks, a very old part of Sydney along the water. One place we passed was the oldest bar in Sydney.

 

We walked around the area and under the massive Sydney Harbor bridge then returned to the quay. After a lunch at a local Scottish establishment, we bought tickets for the ferry to Parramatta, the furthest stop inland on the ferry line. By the time left it was very warm. According to the tv, the temperature was to be 39 that day- 103 degrees Fahrenheit. The SeaCat we were on took us by Cockatoo Island that is used for a prison. Dozens of tents were pitched outside. We passed the site of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and then entered into a smaller estuary, muck like a mangrove swamp for our last few miles. We did not want to stay in The town, Australia's second oldest settlement, so we purchased tickets on board for the return. It was very warm in the boat and despite breezes outside while moving, we preferred the cabin to be out of the sun. An hour later we were back walking to our hotel after picking up some items to eat in our room. Later we watched MSNBC to catch up on the government shut-down.