The plan for Sunday was to spend it fully in downtown Sydney, starting and ending at the Opera House with time for other exploring inbetween. Our legs weren't extremely happy with the hills that Sydney had to offer especially after all the walking, stairs, hills and inclines of the two previous days, but we convinced them it would be worth it and off we went. First stop was Mrs. Macquarie's Chair which offered a fantastic view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Next up was another stop for 'Wild Bird Bingo' as the Ibis were all over around the waterfront. They don't seem too wild, but they're also not something we see in Denver so they get a mention.
We had arranged to see "A Night in Buenos Aires" that night in the Concert Hall, but wanted to see more and scheduled a tour of the Opera House for that morning. It was a great way to learn the history of the project, the future plans, as well as see many of the different theatres all under the 'sails'. From far away or up close, the Opera House is definately an amazing sight and is featured in all sorts of our pictures from the weekend. When we'd seen all that the tour had to offer, it was off to the Royal Botanic Gardens to seek out a group of Flying Foxes (aka Fruit Bats or Vampire Bats) that we'd read about in one of the guide books. Josh was sidetracked on the way though and stopped to check out more cockatoos. These guys were also completely focused on eating but they got acorns instead of pine cones and were even willing to take them out of a person's hand! Finally the chittering of a huge flock of birds caught our attention and we had to go see what was making all the racket. Turns out it was actually the Flying Foxes and boy were they noisy and active for it being mid-day! Many many trees were completely full of the huge animals and they were very busy talking to each other, getting into arguments over who was going to hang under which branch, and taking little flying breaks to get away from the commotion.
Not sure what else could measure up to the fruit bats, we went back to the Art Gallery of New South Wales so that Kristi could give a tour of the highlights - definately some nice pieces there and a great location near the bay, botanic gardens, and parks. A loop back to the hotel to freshen up and then onwards back to The Rocks, the area just underneath the Harbour Bridge on the south end that show remnants of early settlement. Sunday the area hosted an arts market and we were keen to see what was on offer. First though, our legs needed a wakeup so we walked to the top of the Pylon Lookout (free entry from a coupon we received after climbing the bridge) and got yet another view of the Opera House and the bay. Surprisingly it hadn't gone anywhere but we'd keep checking just in case ;-) After the lookout it was seriously time for food so with a quick walk through the arts stalls we found a kebab and live music for entertainment. The sun came out and our chicken kebab accompanied by guitars and piano was an excellent midday break. The Rocks also hosts the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, which offered free entry so we had to take a peek. Perhaps it is our old age, or traditional Luther education or something else but we really had a hard time with the contemporary art. We'll work on it, but can't say it is our favorite for now.
The afternoon had flown by and it was time for the first part of the tango show before we knew it. We ended up taking a cab from the hotel to the Opera House and even then it was quite a walk as there didn't seem to be any parking or drop off area near the venue. The tango for the evening was split into two parts - one being a competition to crown Australia's National Champion Tango couple in both Salon and Stage tango, the other an actual show featuring a band and dancers that had traveled to Sydney to accompany and judge the competition. It seemed that most folks were there to see the show portion but definately quite a few just loved the tango and were going to see as much as possible. The first session was purely for the competition and lasted from 5-7pm, the second included the finals and the show and started at 8pm. We arrived a bit after 5, and were pleased that they still let us in as the Opera House is known for being a stickler to starting times and interruptions (the former being 'always on time' and the latter being 'never'). We watched enough to get the hang of it and then had to dash off before the finish to make our dinner reservation at Doyle's located in The Rocks which is just across the water from the Opera House. Sadly, 'just across the water' doesn't mean it is a short walk and again our legs were talking to us about how not in shape we were. Dinner was very good, with a whole grilled snapper and salad to split. Passionfruit Creme Brulee was a major departure from our standard 'anything chocolate' desert but was really amazing. Josh had another cappuccino and then it was time to head back for the main show. The best part of dinner (besides the desert) was the view of the Opera House and bridge, both seemed within reach of our table along the pier.
We had great seats for the show and though we didn't always know what the judges were looking for we really enjoyed watching. The show from the "professionals" was really breathtaking. As good as the Australian Champions were, these guys were head and shoulders above. Everything was fluid and crisp and you really felt the emotions of the dance. Some of the musical numbers got a bit long, but everyone was really into the final number when they danced to "THE" tango. A light drizzle greeted us at the end of the show, along with quite a long walk to find a taxi cab, but we once more found our way back to the hotel and got ready for our final day of adventures in Sydney - a trip to Manly with Nicole!
The picture here is of us at the edge of the North
Headlands leading in to Sydney Harbour on our last day in the city. The weather was spectacular and we really enjoyed the sun after all the rain and clouds. The ferry to Manly was very pleasant with more views of the Opera House and bridge to go along with all the boats on the water. Along with walking up to the headlands (where we saw some HUGE spiders and a blue-tongued lizard) we explored Manly Beach for a bit and just generally relaxed. After some pub-grub (fantastic wedges!) and a couple of beverages it was time to get back on the ferry, return to our hotel, and head for the airport. Flights back went smoothly and before we knew it we were back in Melbourne and getting ready for Kristi's first full week of work. Thanks for you patience - we had a lot of stories to share from such a short trip!
We had arranged to see "A Night in Buenos Aires" that night in the Concert Hall, but wanted to see more and scheduled a tour of the Opera House for that morning. It was a great way to learn the history of the project, the future plans, as well as see many of the different theatres all under the 'sails'. From far away or up close, the Opera House is definately an amazing sight and is featured in all sorts of our pictures from the weekend. When we'd seen all that the tour had to offer, it was off to the Royal Botanic Gardens to seek out a group of Flying Foxes (aka Fruit Bats or Vampire Bats) that we'd read about in one of the guide books. Josh was sidetracked on the way though and stopped to check out more cockatoos. These guys were also completely focused on eating but they got acorns instead of pine cones and were even willing to take them out of a person's hand! Finally the chittering of a huge flock of birds caught our attention and we had to go see what was making all the racket. Turns out it was actually the Flying Foxes and boy were they noisy and active for it being mid-day! Many many trees were completely full of the huge animals and they were very busy talking to each other, getting into arguments over who was going to hang under which branch, and taking little flying breaks to get away from the commotion.
Not sure what else could measure up to the fruit bats, we went back to the Art Gallery of New South Wales so that Kristi could give a tour of the highlights - definately some nice pieces there and a great location near the bay, botanic gardens, and parks. A loop back to the hotel to freshen up and then onwards back to The Rocks, the area just underneath the Harbour Bridge on the south end that show remnants of early settlement. Sunday the area hosted an arts market and we were keen to see what was on offer. First though, our legs needed a wakeup so we walked to the top of the Pylon Lookout (free entry from a coupon we received after climbing the bridge) and got yet another view of the Opera House and the bay. Surprisingly it hadn't gone anywhere but we'd keep checking just in case ;-) After the lookout it was seriously time for food so with a quick walk through the arts stalls we found a kebab and live music for entertainment. The sun came out and our chicken kebab accompanied by guitars and piano was an excellent midday break. The Rocks also hosts the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, which offered free entry so we had to take a peek. Perhaps it is our old age, or traditional Luther education or something else but we really had a hard time with the contemporary art. We'll work on it, but can't say it is our favorite for now.
The afternoon had flown by and it was time for the first part of the tango show before we knew it. We ended up taking a cab from the hotel to the Opera House and even then it was quite a walk as there didn't seem to be any parking or drop off area near the venue. The tango for the evening was split into two parts - one being a competition to crown Australia's National Champion Tango couple in both Salon and Stage tango, the other an actual show featuring a band and dancers that had traveled to Sydney to accompany and judge the competition. It seemed that most folks were there to see the show portion but definately quite a few just loved the tango and were going to see as much as possible. The first session was purely for the competition and lasted from 5-7pm, the second included the finals and the show and started at 8pm. We arrived a bit after 5, and were pleased that they still let us in as the Opera House is known for being a stickler to starting times and interruptions (the former being 'always on time' and the latter being 'never'). We watched enough to get the hang of it and then had to dash off before the finish to make our dinner reservation at Doyle's located in The Rocks which is just across the water from the Opera House. Sadly, 'just across the water' doesn't mean it is a short walk and again our legs were talking to us about how not in shape we were. Dinner was very good, with a whole grilled snapper and salad to split. Passionfruit Creme Brulee was a major departure from our standard 'anything chocolate' desert but was really amazing. Josh had another cappuccino and then it was time to head back for the main show. The best part of dinner (besides the desert) was the view of the Opera House and bridge, both seemed within reach of our table along the pier.
We had great seats for the show and though we didn't always know what the judges were looking for we really enjoyed watching. The show from the "professionals" was really breathtaking. As good as the Australian Champions were, these guys were head and shoulders above. Everything was fluid and crisp and you really felt the emotions of the dance. Some of the musical numbers got a bit long, but everyone was really into the final number when they danced to "THE" tango. A light drizzle greeted us at the end of the show, along with quite a long walk to find a taxi cab, but we once more found our way back to the hotel and got ready for our final day of adventures in Sydney - a trip to Manly with Nicole!
The picture here is of us at the edge of the North
Headlands leading in to Sydney Harbour on our last day in the city. The weather was spectacular and we really enjoyed the sun after all the rain and clouds. The ferry to Manly was very pleasant with more views of the Opera House and bridge to go along with all the boats on the water. Along with walking up to the headlands (where we saw some HUGE spiders and a blue-tongued lizard) we explored Manly Beach for a bit and just generally relaxed. After some pub-grub (fantastic wedges!) and a couple of beverages it was time to get back on the ferry, return to our hotel, and head for the airport. Flights back went smoothly and before we knew it we were back in Melbourne and getting ready for Kristi's first full week of work. Thanks for you patience - we had a lot of stories to share from such a short trip!
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