Sydney is an exciting cosmopolitan city; and like all big cities, a cornucopia of very modern...
and historical buildings.
Our nine hour tour included stops along a number of harbours and bays - this fabulous tree sits atop the bluff I am pictured by below.
I really loved this particular spot - you can just see the bridge and opera house off in the distance.
Here's one example of the many parks we drove by in the downtown core.
At noon we exited the bus and boarded a boat for a luncheon cruise in the Sydney Harbour.
We had a few drinkie-poos in celebration :) Oh, and the food was great as well!
Next post I'll show you the afternoon portion of our tour.
The bridge and opera house are so iconic, it is always exciting seeing something you are so 'familiar' with for real. You must have been exhausted following a nine hour tour, I should think the drinks were needed to revive you!
ReplyDeleteI like the mix of the old and the new buildings together in cities.
Hi Tracey, the rich patina of old and new building together is what makes a city for me - I love to imagine the many metamorphosis' it's undergone.
DeleteWow! Sydney looks wonderful, very exciting. Isn't it thrilling to see up close buildings and monuments you've previously only seen in photographs? Glad you seem to have squeezed a lot in, it all looks absolutely stunning to me. And you still had time to get your paws on a little drinky!
ReplyDeleteIt was so incredible. The downtown core is situated on many hills and that just adds to the great views as you drive through - and they have an impressive percentage of amazing historical buildings. And yes, you're right - it's almost surreal to finally see buildings and monuments you've only seen in photos all your life.
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed Sydney and that the weather fined up for you. It is much prettier when all that water is blue :)
ReplyDeleteAnnie, the weather was perfect - not too hot - which is just as bad as rain sometimes.
DeleteDear Jane,
ReplyDeleteMy sister lived in Australia once and I have wanted to visit it for the longest time! Were you able to get up close to the Sydney Opera House? It looks as if it is made of seashells! (Of course, I know it is not really seashells, but that is what it is supposed to look like, and it does!) My sister who is as pale as I am, came back from Australia with the deepest darkest tan...when I picked her up at the airport, I walked right by her without recognizing her! Did you have to watch the sun while you were there?
Love your pics here, REALLY makes me want to see it!
We walked up quite close to it one evening. It's VERY impressive - I think I was holding my breath the whole way :) I didn't have a problem with the sun - I probably should have been wearing sunscreen and a hat (they said the UV index was quite high when we were there) but I figure everything in moderation and I was only there a few days. I used to suffer from migraines and couldn't go in the sun for one minute without a hat, but menopause has fixed my migraines (none now for a few years!) and also I think taking 2000 units of vitamin D every day for the past couple of years has changed everything for me. Living in the north for all of my life, I believe I was seriously vitamin D deficient.
DeleteSome great pictures of a place I'd love to visit some day. My favorite pic is the one with the house on the right and skyline. Beautiful picture! Could be in a travel brochure.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love that pic too :) There were so many great lookouts that we stopped at.
DeleteI have heart palpitations, Jane...LOL... This would be a dream vacation for me. It's at the top of my 'Top 10 Places I Would Sell My Soul To Visit' list :) I don't know too many people that have gone there, but the few that have loved it. Those are beautiful photos, and it looks as amazing as I believe it to be. If I was on a luncheon cruise in Australia, I'd be having a few drinkie-poos, too! Looking forward to more about this lovely place.
ReplyDeleteHaha - I'm with you - just looking over which pics to post sent me right back - I seriously need to get back there!! It's so beautiful there and we only scratched the surface. If you have a moment to visit Annie's blog, she lives in Australia and has been posting quite a few pics of her travels lately. A whole different look to where I was as she is on the other side of the continent.
DeleteWell I am astounded. I certainly never expected anything like this. I always think of Australia as being unbearably hot, dry and totally infested with poisonous insects and snakes. It appears I was wrong. Quite breath taking! Looking forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes it's totally civilized there - paved roads and all!! I laughed when I read your comment because that's one of the cracks I made when I got there. It was truly wonderful - don't tell anyone, but I think it's nicer than here in many ways.
DeleteThe opera house just looks amazing, I have never seen a close up of it like that before. It must be quite the view of the harbour from inside.
ReplyDeleteYou under the rocky bluff is really good. It must be massive as you look quite tiny under there.
There seems to be so many great places to walk along. I find the view you took from across the harbour of the opera house and the bridge very dreamy and enchanting.
I'm sure thinking about all these lovely places you have seen and been to makes you feel happy and relaxed.
The opera house looks exactly as I'd always imagined it - it's like a precious jewel. There are walking paths everywhere you look in Sydney and we saw a ridiculous (by our standards) amount of people walking, running and biking on them - the year-round warm weather must really help in getting people out there enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous scenery, and the photos look like professional picture post-cards. I bet some post-card company will snap these shots up from you, to make post-cards from them! (you should have royalty rights on these awesome photos)
ReplyDeleteJane, thanks for sharing your fabulous trip sights with us. Love the fashionable outfit you're wearing with the cute boots, as well:D
Thanks Elisabeth ;) Now if I could get someone to purchase them, I'd put the proceeds towards funding my next trip... !
Deletefyi: the long grey sweater I was wearing is a very light merino wool I purchased in NZ, so it can be worn year-round.
That bluff is very impressive!! Love all the photos--get to 'visit' vicariously through your trip! On the Vitamin D issues, I've read that people with a Vit D deficiency are much more likely to burn. Since I started taking Vit D about 6 years ago, I don't burn anymore or if there is a burn, it Quickly turns to a tan without peeling, so there must be something to that.
ReplyDeleteHi Dianne, that is so interesting re your experiences with Vit D. I completely swear by it now and the more I read about it, I realize just how crucial it is to our health. I actually said to my husband just yesterday (I was sitting outside) that I now wonder if, because of my deficiency, I was actually almost 'allergic' to the sun for many years. I worked inside offices for years during the summer months and often didn't go out even on my lunch hour except to run an errand or two and then there are the many winter months without any exposure to speak of... not surprising.
DeleteJane, some months ago I began taking 2000 whatevers of Vit D3 because I read that even people who live in sunnier climes are still somehow deficient.It may be my imagination, but I think it's been beneficial in making me less moody!?
DeleteSulky, I don't doubt it at all. From my experience it's has a whole systemic effect - for the positive. Like every other living thing on earth, our bodies are made to draw energy from the sun.
DeleteHehe, so I'm guessing your pen name used to be Moody Kitten - and thanks to Vit D you've worked your way up to just being 'Sulky'... soon we'll be calling you Contented Kitten, lol!!
It is just breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteThanks Patty - it sure was :)
DeleteThe Sydney Opera House is truly one of the most beautiful buildings in the world! I'd love to see it in person some day.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I hope you do, Debra :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos as always Jane. You have a keen eye when it comes to photography. I am going to look into that vitamin D thing. I literally was on the phone outside for 45 minutes during a lunch break and I burned.
ReplyDeleteThanks John :) As for Vit D - I really think there's something to it - I sat outside in the full sun the other day for a few hours (moved my head into the shade halfways through) and didn't burn or get a headache - I used to get one within five minutes of going outside without a hat.
DeleteYea! Australia--such a beautiful place. I enjoyed visiting through your pictures, especially the photographs of the gentle waves coming to shore. I love the picture you pointed out the layers of water in and the photograph below that one with the layers of different colors in the sky--so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteThank you! That layers one is definitely one of my favourites. I went back and checked out that second one - thanks for pointing it out - I hadn't noticed the different colours in the sky :)
DeleteAwesome photos!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit Australia, and especially the inner plains and see the kangaroos running. Maybe someday!!
According to everyone I spoke to when over there, the kangaroos are about as plentiful as rabbits! Unfortunately, they have to be regularly culled, which is a shame.
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