Adventure Chronicles™

06.03.01 - Spending some time Down Under
Sydney, Australia

We arrived in Sydney a few days ago. What a great city! Do I dare say that it is a nicer city than Seattle? Yes, I do dare, although Seattle will always be tops because it's home.

I have to admit, it is really nice to be back in an English speaking country. I can't say that language has been a problem on the trip, since basic English is widely spoken and we picked up enough of the other languages to get by, but it is nice not to have to think about communication for a change. Another added bonus - toilet paper is a given here, not a luxury. You can even drink the water! Kind of funny, but I've been looking forward to that for a few weeks now, but when it came time to brush my teeth without bottled water for the first time in over three months, I could barely bring myself to do it! I think I've developed a phobia of tap water. (Mark - maybe I've become a water snob too!)

We have had gorgeous, sunny weather since we arrived, but dang it feels cold! (Australia is heading into winter) We haven't been in temperatures below 80, usually more like 90, for months, so the lows of 50 and highs of 65-70 definitely feel a little chilly. But, we love it! Believe it or not, I actually miss having cool nights and a need for blankets on the bed.

We spent our first afternoon here catching up on sleep after a long night of flying from Bali to Perth and Perth to Sydney. The next morning, we headed out and walked through Darling Harbor and went to the Sydney Aquarium. They had some great displays of Australian marine life, including two tunnel-type areas where you walk through a long tube surrounded by water and fish. One of the tanks had three very large nurse sharks, as well as a five foot mantaray and several smaller sharks (reef, black-tip, leopard). It was very cool to walk through and have them swimming right next to and above us. A little creepy on occassion, though. We also saw crocodiles, seals, and giant tortoises, in addition to numerous varieties of fish.

After the aquarium, we headed for Sydney Harbor, which is really spectacular. It is a giant bay flanked by Sydney's downtown skyline, the Harbor Bridge (you probably saw it during the Olympics), the famous Sydney Opera House, as well as several stunning parks. There are also marinas and restaurants all throughout. We grabbed lunch (whoo hoo - I can eat salad again!) and spent the afternoon exploring the harbor area and walking through several of the parks on our way back to the hotel.

Yesterday, we slept late and spent the afternoon roaming around the Taronga Zoo, which is a short ferry ride from the Opera House and sits on a hill overlooking most of the harbor area. The views were incredible! I was even more impressed when I looked at the harbor from the opposite side. Taronga is an impressive zoo, and our visit gave us the opportunity to see some of Sydney's native wildlife up close. I had never seen wombats, koala bears, dingos and tasmanian devils before (wombats are like furry pigs, by the way). I will always be a lover of animals, and relish the opportunity to see them up close, but I have to admit, my enjoyment of the zoo was tinged with a little guilt. Ever since we went on safari, I find it difficult to see animals in captivity. The animals in Taronga seem exceptionally well cared for, but it was a little disheartening to walk through their African Savannah exhibit and see the lions, giraffe and cheetahs in confined spaces. I would much rather be a visitor on the animal's turf, but that gets a little complicated too, I suppose.

With so much to do and see in Australia, we've decided to rent a car and just see what we find. Our first stop will be the Blue Mountain range just west of Sydney. Jay is itching to throw a boomarang, and I still have to catch that crocodile. After that, who knows? We'll be sure to keep you posted.

Want to contact Jay and Lisa?

william.gibson@airtreks.com