New Year's Eve
One of the main reasons we're down here! Boats cruise around the harbor for the evening with liberal amounts of libations and provide a view of the fireworks of the Harbour Bridge. There are the 9pm fireworks for families and the midnight fireworks for diehards. Unfortunately, it was so windy that night, they cancelled the 9pm show and the midnight one was reduced. They saved the big fireworks for the Australia Day celebration at the end of the month which we later saw was also cancelled because of the extreme fire danger from the drought.
Poster for Sydney's New Year's Eve Celebration for 2003
The Svanen, coming in to pick up its share of New Year's Eve revellers.
M and J waiting for their New Year's Eve party boat to arrive
Other NYE partiers heading home in their inflatable Harbour Bridge headwear.
A simultaneously windblown and toasted J, on the subway back to the hotel, early am, January 1, 2003.
THE ROCKS
The Rocks is one of the oldest areas of Sydney where the original convicts lived and the boats docked. Now it has lots of great restaurants and shops. We took a great walking tour one morning to see all the nooks and crannies.
Old cobblestone streets, visible between old rails and asphalt - in the Rocks. They are actually wooden balast from the ships that sailed into the harbor.
View of the Harbour Bridge, Southern Pylons, and the Rocks, with the Barquentine Svanen at dock.
Old wool press, in a back alley in the Rocks.
Cadman's Cottage, the visitor's centre for the Rocks and one of the last original convicts houses.
The original Rocks, that the area was named after, visible through this archway.
The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney, and Campbell's Storehouses, under the approach to the Harbour Bridge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Rocks, from the Circular Quay.
Darling Harbor
Darling Harbor is a reclaimed harbor that is now a prime entertainment and shopping area. There is a great view back of the city skyline. We enjoyed the Sydney Aquarium the best.
J, sitting on the docks at Darling Harbour.
J, losing his arm to a "Salty", in the Sydney Aquarium
Penguins, at the Sydney Aquarium.
The National Maritime Museum, and Bark James Craig, in Darling Harbour.
M in front of Darling Harbour and the shopping centre.
Sailboat, passing under the Harbour Bridge, toward the Opera House.
the View
J in front of the Sydney Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge, right after sunrise.
The Sydney Opera House from Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.
M in front of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge - Sydney's two most identifiable landmarks.
Looking northwest from the AMP Tower, toward the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
View of Sydney from the Manly Ferry.
Looking southeast from the AMP Tower, toward the ocean and Botany Bay.
View of Downtown Sydney from the Ferry, approaching the Circular Quay.
Downtown Sydney, from a ferry beginning to round the Opera House.
With Friends & Old Houses
Elizabeth Bay house, Sydney. Built for Colonial secretary Alexander Macleay, 1835-1839.
Looking out at cove of Sydney Harbour called Elizabeth Bay from the Elizabeth Bay house.
J with Gaye and David, at the South Head, of the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
David and Gaye in front of the Vaucluse House, another historic home that they do research and volunteer work on.
Back view of the Vaucluse House
M with Gaye and David, on the front porch of their house, Croyden.
Harry's Pies
One of the best restaurants in Sydney, Harry's Cafe de Wheels, at the base of the Finger Wharf, Wolloomooloo Bay.
Harry's Cafe de Wheels has a rich and interesting history, and is still the best place for a late night snack. The fare is simple and wholly Australian - Meat Pies, topped with mashed peas and potatoes, with (or without) gravy.
The maitre d, head chef, and head waiter at Harry's.
One of the specialities of the house, a meat pie with mashed potatos, mashy peas, and gravy. Utterly delicious.
J, preparing to enjoy a late night snack, al fresco, from Sydney's most renowned eatery.
The Opera House
M in front of the Sydney Opera House
Inside the Opera House, an exhibit showing the architect's inspiration for the unique shape of the building.
Close-up of the Opera House's roofline
Inside the Opera House, looking out toward the harbour, through the steel I-beam supports for the windows.
View of the Opera House from the Southeast Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
View of the Opera House from Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.
Sydney Town Hall, Across from the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
J, in front of a fountain on Martin Place.
ANZAC War Memorial, Martin Place, in front of the Post Office.
Il Porcellino, a replica of the 17th century fountain in Florence, in front of the Sydney Hospital. It is supposed to bring good luck to all that rub its snout.
Ghostly images of the original inhabitants, an exhibit Hyde Park Barracks, originally built by convicts for their own incarceration.
Sleeping arrangements at Hyde Park Barracks.
Interior of the Queen Victoria Building.
Statue of Queen Victoria, in front of the Queen Victoria Building, a large shopping arcade.
Exterior view of the Queen Victoria Building.
Ah, what's more Australian than Vegemite? J actually tried some of it, but it wasn't nearly as tasty as the meat pies.
Australian postal boxes
Sydney shop window, laden with meat pies and baked goods. The food in Australia was great.
A wide variety of sushi, too.
Bridge Climbing
J and M climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge - with the Opera House and the Circular Quay in the background.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, built in 1932, and spanning the bay from south to north. That's what we climbed, up to the flags at the top of the arch.
M, looking out at Sydney from one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons.
Looking down on a party of bridge climbers, from the Southeast Bridge Pylon.
A preview of our Bridge Climb - we shot this the day before from the Pylon.
Views of Downtown Sydney, and the Rocks, from the Southeast Bridge Pylon.
J loves the beach, and in Sydney, J couldn't wait to visit famous Bondi beach. However, Gaye, our invaluable source of all things Sydney told us that Manly was by far the superior beach, and that Bondi (unbeknownst to non-locals), is right by the sewage treatment plant. So Manly beach it was, and Gaye (like everything else she recommended or told us about) was absolutely right. Beautiful beach, great waves (enhanced, that day, by an offshore typhoon passing by), and a lovely trip across the harbour on the ferry to get there.
The Northern Head to Sydney Harbour, with a sailboat cutting across the entrance.
Sydney Harbour, on our ferry ride to Manly Beach, looking back toward another ferry and Sydney.
The rocky southern head, entrance to Sydney Harbour. A few ships wrecked on these rocks.
Manly Beach, Sydney, already crowded by 10am on a hot summer day in December.
The surf, rolling in at Manly Beach, Sydney.
Surfer all tethered and ready to hit the waves, Manly Beach, Sydney.
Manly Beach, Sydney. The waves were incredible, aided by a Typhoon going by in the Coral Sea.
Manly Beach Club swim class.
South Head, Sydney Harbour, looking north across the entrance to the bay