Sydney Opera 3

The last part of our day was not with the tour.  The boat dropped us off right by the Sydney Opera House. 

There are dozens of restaurants along the water with thousands of people enjoying the day.  It was early for most to start supper but we needed to eat a light supper before a concert at the Sydney Opera House.  

We found a nice spot along the river and split a plate of tortellini with some sort of sausage ~~ and people watched.  The guys seem to dress down and the girls seem to dress up!  Don't know how all those young women walk on the 5inch heels and keep their buns covered with those short skirts!!

 We also watched one of those super big cruise 🚢 ships leave port and head out to sea.  What an amazing feat with just a narrow spot to back up between the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.  Then it swings around using side thrusters and heads out.

After primping a bit and changing from my hiking shoes into sandals, we met up with our friends and attended an incredible concert at the Opera House.  What an experience!

We took a tour there yesterday and learned much about its architect and its development.  It took 15 years to build and cost over 100 million.  By a lottery they paid it off within the first 3 years of being open.  There are 5 venues in the building.  1600 programs a year...concerts, plays, children's programs....you name it they do it!  Arnold Schwarzenegger won a big bodybuilding competition there once years ago.  Anybody remember that detail!?!

The gal did a great job with the private tour..

I am running out of time.  I've included a collage of pictures....daytime ones are from the tour and night times ones are from the concert. 

Ceiling in one of the lobby areas.  They had about150 architects who submitted their ideas for the site.  A Finnish man won the hearts of those in charge.  Simple but interesting lines. 

 

View from the Opera House towards downtown...

View from downtown towards the Opera House...

You can see a smallllll section of the restaurants and crowds here.

  

Our friend Gordon was at the top of the bridge at this point!

  

The roofing is actually white ceramic tiles..

Our tour guide - in the large 2700 seat concert hall.  

  

One of the interesting walls in the lobby...

The stage in one of the smaller concert halls...

 

 

 

 

The night of the concert by the Sydney Symphony and Chorus.

  

Pam, Judith and Nancy

 

The tour and the concert were both fantastic.  So glad we were able to fit them in.  I was exhausted by the time our 'free to do what you want day' was over.  Still dragging a bit today...but loving the experience.

Blue Mountains National Park 2

After Nigel dragged us away from the Animals and Birds we drove to one of three beautiful spots in The Blue Mountains.  All six of us loved hiking so we all had a great time.  Nigel wanted to go with us but he needs knee surgery and could only go short distances.  He would get us started and then send us off.

The first of many waterfalls we saw was Wentworth.  It was a bit hard for me because there were lots and lots of uneven steps so I had to look down all the time - and that makes me even more dizzy.  But I was determined and made it - just a bit slow.

 

The vistas and the rock formation here in the Blue Mountains made it sooo interesting.  I liked it the best of all the National Parks we have seen so far.

 

 

We had fun with the others in the group.  A couple, I'd say they were late 20s, were on the tour as part of their honeymoon!  They are getting married in New Zealand next week...alope comes to mind.  No family or friends - they set it all up on the internet!

Then there was a college student in a study abroad program in Sydney and her mother who came to visit.  

We passed cameras around and took each pics of each other - so I have more than usual of Andy and me.  Somehow we never got pics of each other...

 

  

Wentworth Falls from far above!  No real good place to get it all up close.

 

This was at the end of the trail for today.  You could walk another 4 to 5 miles over to the Three Sisters but we didn't have time for that this trip!

    

It was time for lunch when we hiked back to the top.  Nigel took is to a cool 😎 place in the middle of nowhere...where the big passenger buses cannot go.

It was called Conservation Hut - an old round building overlooking the park.  Very cool and delicious food.  Nigel ordered ahead for us so out yummy steak sandwiches on fresh square bread were ready when we got there.  Nice touch.  Some tried the eucalyptus tea with honey and found it to be tasty.

The next stop was at Echo Point which is a wonderful Overlook.  We did 2 hikes here - one to Three Sisters and one to the Cascades.

 

 

This is a view of Three Sisters from afar. 

The picture below is a closeup of one of the Sisters.  Again it was a lot of steps but this time they were more regular and there was a handrail.  It was a pretty steep and deep decent, but well worth it.  

  

Could you ask for a nicer day?!?

 

See what I mean about more variety and beauty with the rock formations?

At this stop there were a lot of buses and crowds.  We did get a great tasting Australian ice cream bar at the visitors center!

From there we hiked down the other side of Echo Point to The Cascades - a series of waterfalls in the deep forest.

 

 

A rock formation off in the distance.  The wire you see is for a large oversized cable car ride.

   

Do you see the 👄 👃 and eyes in the rock formation?!?

The last part of the tour took us back to the west side of Sydney for a drive e around the 2000 Olympic site.  A few of the venues are still there but most of the park is now high rise apartments along the river.

We got on a big tour boat there  -  several tours from the Blue Mountains met there and went on a ride up the river, into the bay and back downtown.  I just now discovered I did not take one picture on the river with my phone....just the camera.  

Along the river were dozens of single family homes and many high rise apartments - all of which cost millions.  There were little inlets built in every so often for the MANY sailboats ⛵️ each tied to single bouy.

Eventually we came out into the bay where we had been the other day and got another look at beautiful Sydney Harbor.  So sorry - no pics for now.

The Blue Mountains 1

 

April 1st - no jokes just a lot of fun surprises!  We left town on this mini bus with our driver Nigel with activity tours.  We left Sydney at 8:00 via the Harbor Bridge.  Was fun to go across it after enjoying the view of it.

Gordon, one of the guys in our tour, went to the tippy top on a $300 tour!  He said it was a great adventure and wonderful views - with pictures to prove it.

 Our first stop - a fantastic wildlife park with dozens of animals and hundreds of birds.  It. Was. So. Much. Fun.

The staff was friendly, helpful and hard working.  The park was clean and the animals were happy and active.

  

Some birds were foot loose and fancy free to fly around.  Others were in cages and impossible to photograph.  So I only have a few  birds in my collection....but we looked at dozens...

Two little kangaroos met us at the door and welcomed us!  I was so surprised to see them just roaming around fee.  They had many. Any types of wallabies and kangaroos.  I even saw one little joey get into mamas pouch and settle in.  She's the one in the middle...see how it hangs low between her legs?

 

 

This is a Wombat...most of them were kinda of round.

  

A big beautiful Cassowary 

 

Not sure what kind of creature this hooded tree crawler was.  Sure is unusual tho.

 

The Koala were darling!!!! So furry and playful!  I could have watched these two for hours.  They have the sweetest little faces.

  

There were several Kookaburra flitting around the park...

 

These little penguins  were cute, cute, cute.  They swam and they waddled - they waddled and they swam.  

 

Please Please Please!  I wanna go home with you!!!

      

 

Two Dinko laying in the sun.

And another strange critter going up a tree.  Everywhere you looked there was something going on. 

We were there 1 1/2 hours and the time flew by.

  

I think the Koala 🐨 was my favorite.