Queens Birthday Weekend - Sydney & Canberra - June 7-11 2012

We're off to Sydney and Canberra for the long weekend….Yaaaay!! We left home at 4.30pm on Thursday and drove to Wangaratta where we stopped at 7.30pm for tea at Macca's, then continued onto Gundagai, arriving around 9.30pm. I had booked a hotel in advance so it was just a matter of collecting the key and finding the room. The room was really small and very cold but once we cranked up the heater it was good and we were only staying in the room to sleep anyway. At least it was clean and the bed was comfortable. At 6.30am we awoke to -3degrees and an iced up car, however breakfast was warm and inviting and after eating and checking out we scraped the ice off the windscreen and headed towards Sydney. There was a white cloak of ice over the grass and a little bit of fog. I guess that's to be expected as Gundagai is in a valley. We made a detour and had a look at the Dog on the Tuckerbox statue. It's been a long time since l've travelled the Hume and a lot has changed. The dog is how l remember it though. We didn't stay too long as it was still freezing so l took a few pics and quickly hopped back into the car to warm up my toes and we started driving again. Sydney 377k's. Because we only had old maps of Sydney we borrowed a Navman from Matt so we were relying on it to get us to the hotel at The Rocks in Sydney. We haven't had good experiences with satellite navigation in the past and the start of this weekend was no exception…we eventually got the hang of it and it was good, but to start with it was really frustrating! About 4 k's from our destination the traffic into Sydney centre became a nightmare and we crawled along at a snails pace but once we got through the quagmire the traffic wasn't too bad. We were on a road that bordered around Kings Cross and we saw a transvestite along the roadside. He/she was all dolled up and had put on makeup (very badly) to make her/his skin appear as if he/she was African and l reckon the guy standing nearby was the pimp! How exciting…our first transvestite!

Anyway, we got to the hotel (the Intercontinental in the heart of the Rocks area) and checked in but didn't have time to look around as we had to be at the harbour bridge by 2pm for our bridge climb tour. On the way to the bridge we met a lovely lady who showed us where we could grab a bite to eat which just happened to be across the street from the hotel. We arrived at the bridge climb place in plenty of time so l took a look around at the souvenir shop and bought a magnet. Soon after, one of the guides took us through to fit us out in a one piece bridge suit which we changed into and then we were handed over to the guide who was taking us onto the bridge and we were kitted out in a slider which attached to a static line on the Bridge, for the duration of the Climb, a headset so we could hear the commentary of our Climb Leader, a handkerchief for those emotional moments, a beanie and gloves to keep warm and an attachment for holding our sunglasses in place. There are a few different climbs but the one we went on was the called The Bridge Climb and is a 3 ½ hour guided journey to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It took us along the outer arch of the Bridge on catwalks and ladders all the way to the summit, 134 metres above Sydney Harbor. The steady incline to the summit left us free to focus our attention on our Sydney experience, with opportunities to witness 360 degree views of Sydney, including east to the Sydney Opera House, west to the Blue Mountains and the Harbor city surrounds. When we reached the top we had a sense of achievement - we've conquered an Australian icon recognized the world over! It was such an awesome experience!! The guide took photos of us on top of the bridge which we purchased later on and we also received a climber certificate…..wooohooo! The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of Sydney's most famous landmarks and is known locally as the "Coathanger". It took 8 years to build and was completed in 1932.

After that amazing adventure we headed back towards the hotel to find somewhere to eat while taking in some of the sights of the Rocks area. The Rocks is the oldest preserved colonial district of Sydney and has some very interesting places to visit but more about that later. We eventually found ourselves upstairs in a pub overlooking the Customs House. There is a light show on in Sydney (Vivid Sydney) which starts at 6pm every night from 25 May until 11 June and is the largest festival of lights in the Southern Hemisphere, with more than 60 art and light installations displayed throughout the city. Using 3D mapping techniques, images are projected onto the walls of many of the buildings one of which was the Customs House. So we were eating dinner while taking in the images on the façade of the building…..it was fantastic!! I uploaded some pics as l couldn't capture it with my little camera…hopefully they look okay. So after a wonderful dinner we headed back to our hotel as we were pretty tired. Our room is pretty good but if we'd had to pay full price for it l'd have been disappointed (we got a deal through one of the shop-a-dockets thingy's)

But it's in the heart of the Rocks and we don't have to take the car anywhere to see stuff.

Up bright and early on Saturday. Craig wanted to have a look at motor bike suits so after breakfast (Maccas) he walked a couple of city blocks to the shop while l went Circular Quay where l purchased tickets for the ferry to Manly then walked around the Rocks and soaked up the Victorian architecture as l walked down forgotten alleys and cobblestone lanes to find hidden locations from another era. The Rocks is nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and on the western shores of Sydney Cove. I walked around Nurses Walk which has lots of little shops…one of them was a photography studio and they had a beautiful photo of a ballerina in a pose. I really wanted to purchase it but at $2500 unframed it was a little outta my price range so l satisfied myself with a card of the same picture this time with a more realistic price of $5.95, which l might see if l can have it blown up and framed. I walked passed the Fortune of War pub which claims to be one of Sydney's oldest surviving pubs, then on into the Argyle Stores which is a sandstone building with a couple of restaurants facing into a beautiful courtyard, walked past Campbells Storehouse, Cadmans Cottage, and the Museum of contemporary Arts by which time Craig had text me to say he was ready to go over to Manly which is 7 nautical miles via the magnificent waterway of Sydney Harbour and is the original and still best way to travel, arriving at Manly Wharf in about 30 minutes in a Manly Ferry. We passed by the iconic Sydney Opera House which was designed by Danish born Jørn Utzon and was completed in 1973. After we hopped off the ferry we sat at one of the cafes and had a coffee with some fudge l'd bought at one of the market stalls in the Rocks…..it was sooo yummyy! Then we headed to Manly beach stopping at the markets along the way. The beach was nice and there were plenty of surfers riding the waves and although it was a lovely sunny day it wasn't really sun baking weather. After looking at the beach we decided we'd head back to the ferry and back to Circular Quay. We bought lunch and sat eating it with the hungry seagulls keeping an eye out for any crumbs we may have dropped. Afterwards we walked into the CBD to look at the Queen Victoria Building which was opened in 1898 and replaced the original Sydney Markets. Elaborate Romanesque architecture was chosen for the building, which housed a concert hall, coffee shops, showrooms, warehouses and a wide variety of tradespeople. Over many decades, the concert hall became the city library, offices proliferated and many tenants moved in. Today there are high end shops, tea rooms and cafes in the building. From there we took the monorail to the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour and a short walk from Chinatown. Entering the gardens is like walking backwards in time into the quiet solitude of ancient Chinese architecture and it's relationship with nature. The garden combines the elements of water, plants, stone and architecture. There is running water, towering willow trees, cool lagoons with lotus plants and large colourful fish. The gardens occupy several acres combining waterfalls, lakes, pavilions, sculpture and animals; the fish and the ibis. We took some time for a green tea & scones in the traditional Chinese Teahouse. Afterwards we took the monorail to the Sydney Aquarium which is also in Darling Harbour. The Aquarium showcases over 12,000 aquatic animals from 650 species in spectacular habitat displays, including the world's largest Great Barrier Reef exhibit and amazing underwater viewing tunnels. We saw Australia's unique aquatic life up close, including one of the world's largest and most impressive collections of sharks, elusive platypuses, beautiful seahorses, giant turtles, jellyfish, thousands of tropical fish, gigantic stingrays, and so much more. We spent a few hours in there so when we finally emerged outside we found it was getting dark so we hopped onto the monorail again and headed to the Sydney Eye Tower to take in the 360 degree views of the city at night. The tower has been an integral feature of the Sydney skyline for over 30 years. Measuring 309 metres at its highest point, it is one of the tallest structures in the southern hemisphere and by far the tallest. Before taking a lift up to the observation deck we watched a 4D movie which took us on an amazing flight through Sydney, taking in the sights and sounds of the harbour city. It was pretty cool. We walked around the observation deck and pointed out all the places we had been to throughout the day. It was pretty amazing. When we finished looking around we caught the lift back down and who should we run into when we got out of the lift???? Elle McPhearson!!! So l got a couple of photos of me with her but she didn't say much….guess you've gotta expect that with a wax figurine hehehe….By this time we were pretty hungry and as it's Saturday night that means Pizza!! Yeah! But boy was it hard to find somewhere to eat let alone a pizza place. We wandered around in circles before l asked someone directions and when we finally got there we were starving and had soon gobbled up yummy slices of pizza. With out tummies full we wandered back to our hotel too tired and footsore to go out looking at the Viva Sydney light show.

After a wonderful sleep we got up early again, had breakfast then wandered back around the Rocks to look for Susannah Place which was built in 1844, and is a terrace of four houses incorporating a corner store. Susannah Place provides an insight into the richness of community life that existed in The Rocks in the 19th century. Its modest interiors and rear yards illustrate the restrictions of l9th century inner city Iife. The original brick privies and open laundries are some of the earliest surviving washing and sanitary amenities remaining in Sydney. It was too early in the morning to go inside to have a look. Another street up from Susannah Place was buried foundations of an 1820's cottage lost beneath new apartments. Much of the area has been excavated and can be viewed behind a perspex wall which was very interesting. We walked back towards the hotel and across the road to Government House. We were too early to have a look inside but the outside was beautiful. We checked out of the hotel and then drove (with the help of Navman) to Bondi Beach, passing by the beautiful St James Cathedral and Hyde Park. I guess no trip to Sydney is complete without having a look at Bondi and it is really a beautiful stretch of beach along the coast. We saw some life savers running along the beach as well as surfers riding the waves and lots of tourists. So with having seen the famous beach we drove to Parramatta where Craig had a look at a few motor bike shops and then we were on our way to Canberra. We stopped at Maccas (I'm really getting tired of Maccas but it is convenient) for lunch and arrived in Canberra around 4.30pm. We headed straight up to Mt Ainslie lookout and watched a beautiful sunset before setting back down the hill and on to our motel (Best Western Tall Trees Motel) to check in have a cuppa and a toilet stop before heading back out to the Telstra tower at Black Mountain. Rising 195 metres above the summit of Black Mountain, the Tower presents 360 degree views of Canberra and the surrounding rural area. As well as being a look out there is a revolving 5 star restaurant (Alto) where we had dinner. It was pretty expensive ($65 per person was the minimum spend) with a glass of wine costing $13.50! I don't mind paying money for a good meal but l was pretty disappointed with mine. The entree was good and for the main l had a steak but l can cook a better and tastier steak at home. So would l recommend it....no! After dinner we took a drive around Canberra taking in Parliament House, the War Memorial and Lake Burley-Griffin (an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra) before heading back to the motel and into a warm bed.

On Monday after breakfast and checking out of the motel we went back to the lake to see the water jet fountain located in the central basin however it wasn't going which was pretty disappointing. There was a skeleton globe sculpture at Regatta Point showing the paths of Cook's expeditions which l hadn't seen before so we had a look at that then made our way back to the war memorial and immersed ourselves for a couple of hours in Australia's war history. I took some photos of the Roll of Honour commemorative plaques of my great uncles who died in WW1. We could have spent the whole day there but with the long weekend drawing to a close it was time to head for home.