Saturday 23rd October

07:15am local bus to Newcastle, breakfast and then the 10:15 Greyhound to Sydney. It had a very friendly driver who stopped the coach to tell us there was an empty seat at the front and we would have a better view sitting there as we entered the city. He gave us a full commentary all the way. When we told him where we were staying, he said he would be passing it after the terminals and if we stayed on he would drop us at the door. Even Tabby hasn't had her own 48 seater stretched limo.

Well dear reader you may have deduced from the bad weather that for the last week or so the sun has been shining every day. We had been in Sydney long enough to visit Paddy's Market and walk to Darling Harbour before the rain started again. We can only imagine how the glass and steal facades of the high rise buildings would complement the sun and the clear blue skies of a Sydney day.

We ate lunch (if I have much more salt and pepper squid I'll start to grow tentacles) and "paid n went in t the aquarium" What a brilliant design. There are 3 large reservoirs, the first containing many fish and a dugong, the second containing various types and sizes and shark and the third representing a coral reef including more sharks and turtles. They all had a viewing gallery from above and could also be viewed from the sides or underneath via descending steps, which took you below sea level in Darling Harbour. The whole thing was breathtaking, particularly the final tank, the end of which was a window from floor to ceiling. It must have been 25-30ft high and may have been as much as 50ft wide. Other exhibits included various fish, sea horses, sea dragons, turtles, reptiles and amphibians. The most elusive was the platypus and after 1 hour, I was prepared to believe that they were making the creature up, but it did eventually appear later when it became darker - just before we had to leave the aquarium.

Sunday 24th October

Happy Birthday Amie!

She has been happier about the passing year since seeing a VW camper painted with the slogan "Birthdays are good for you. The more you have the longer you live."

We joined a very long queue for the opera house open day but it was fast moving and we were herded like cattle through the complex. It was very interesting and we saw a short organ reciting on the world's largest pipe organ and had views backstage. I've been in theatres that are smaller than their green room.

We booked for 'Gaff Aff', a production showing at the playhouse within the Opera House this evening. Then lunch and a visit to the museum of contemporary art, where we saw some interesting pieces from artists up to the age of 35. A good film 'Saturday Nights' and a series of very small detailed water colours. The artist had also painted a water stain on the ceiling of the gallery and then painted a picture of that as part of the exhibition of his work.

The show this evening was superb, a duo performance with a cardboard set and live music from one performer scratching and mixing vinyl records and cardboard discs. A performance of dance, clowning and physical theatre on a revolving 2 section circular stage which sometimes revolved in opposite directions. It depicted a nightmare day in the life, sometimes becoming very surreal with a cardboard office and a room built in the performance. A manic performance with the resigned inevitability of a Chaplin style.

Monday 25th October

Some time on the internet and booked Blue Mountain tour for tomorrow and our Great Ocean Road trip. Chinese for lunch in China town and a visit to the Barracks museum for the convict exhibition. Extremely well done and very interesting. Macquarie appeared to be a very enlightened man and his treatment of the convicts was more lenient than I had expected. It may have been different on the penal colonies in Tazmania.

We looked at several statues which had been 'dressed up' by various artists as part of the ART AND ABOUT festival lasting 1 month in Sydney. The idea was to bring the statues to the attention of the younger generation. A good fun idea with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (amongst others) dressed in colourful finery.

A lovely day wandering around the museum and town.

There is more about Sydney to come :o)