Friday 22nd February
(Morning)
We got up at 6 this morning to watch the ship sail into Sydney Harbour. It was just getting light and this picture of the Opera House was taken just before 6.30. Our ship is berthed opposite the Opera House and next to the Harbour Bridge. The view from our balcony is of the bridge and the old Rocks area. We have a long day here as we don't sail until about midnight. As there is so much to see we left the ship at 8 and walked around the harbour to the Opera House. Mostly joggers about at that time. After walking around the outside of the building we went back to Circular Quay to get a ferry across to Manly. Granny and Grandad were always talking about Manly so we just had to go there. It was a 30 minute trip and as it crosses by Sydney Head it was very choppy. Manly is a peninsular so we went to the ocean side first. Manly Beach is a wonderful surfing beach with waves crashing loudly onto the sand. Lots of surfers were in the sea today. The sand is lovely golden sand. We walked along the promenade there to a little cove called Shelly Beach where the water was quite calm. We saw school groups having their swimming lessons there. We walked back to the ferry station and on this side of Manly is Manly Cove. The water is more sheltered here as it is the harbour side. Here the school children were paddling on surf boards. Again the beach was lovely golden sand. We got on the ferry to go back to the city and the sea swell was even worse this time. As we crossed between the heads the water splashed over the front of the open deck. It was rather like a roller coaster ride!!