We explored Sydney harbour from the exhilarating seat of a jet boat.  Sydney Harbour is dominated by the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  The bridge was completed in 1932 and links the city centre on the south side of the harbour and the residential north side.  Before it was completed, the only way from one side to the other was by ferry or a 20 km road with 5 bridge crossings.  It took 4000 men 9 years to build it and 16 of them died. It takes 30,000 litres of paint per coat to paint it which is an ongoing job. Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame was one of the painters.

People told me it reminded them of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco but to me it is reminiscent of the Golden Gate bridge only in that it has a steel arch that supports the deck.  It has hinges at either end which bear the bridge's weight and spread the load to the foundations.  These hinges also allow the structure to move as the steel expands and contracts in response to the wind and temperature fluctuations.  We had a thrilling adrenaline rush and it was great to see Sydney from the water.  The iconic Opera House does look just as good from water as land. It is a beautiful piece of architecture.

After exploring the harbour on the jet boat we walked around to dry off as we were soaked from doing donuts in the boat. It was not meant to be as it was raining again. Of course, the first thing we wanted to see was the Opera House so we made our way towards it.  But first, I had to get myself an Aussie hat to cover my soaked head.

The Opera House truly is a spectacular building; built on  a point jutting into the harbour. We were gobsmacked (astounded). It took 14 years, beginning in 1959, to build and cost over $102 million.  It is a complex of theatres and halls linked under it's famous "shells".  It was designed by Jorn Utzon who envisioned a living sculpture that could be viewed from any angle - land, air or sea - with the roofs as a fifth façade.  The Opera House is one of the world's busiest performing arts centres and hosts more than 3,000 events every year.  It covers 4.5 acres and has a maze of more than 1,000 rooms of all shapes and sizes. 

Vic destroyed his foot on the boat so he wasn't into walking much more. We had a nice lunch overlooking the harbour and reminiscing about the cruise we took for his 50th birthday on "Voyageur of the Seas", which was docked in the port. Good memories. Instead of walking back to the hotel we took Sydney's fantastic train with double decker cars and lots of room and comfortable cushioned seats. We were back at the hotel in no time. Then it was off to the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains, named for the blue haze caused by light striking eucalyptus oil particles in the air, are a World Heritage area characterized by rugged cliffs and rock formations, ravines and waterfalls. 

We travelled about 2 1/2 hours to a lookout at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains with spectacular views and then on to see the Three Sisters, a giant rock formation that takes it's name from an aboriginal legend and is one of the most recognizable and spectacular landmarks in the Blue Mountains. I saw a Lyre bird, which is the emblem for the area and is, apparently, not a common sight apart from seeing it on signs. Back to the Three Sisters: the legend tells of 3 sisters turned to stone by their witch-doctor father to keep them safe from an evil bunyip (monster).  These sandstone rock formations have been sculpted by centuries of natural erosion. They stand 922, 906, and 918 metres tall at 3,000 meters above sea level. Then it was on to the charming village of Leura.  We didn't have a lot of time to explore but were captivated by the scenery of the area.

Leura is a sleepy little town that closes early and is shut up tight by 5:00 pm. We had a group dinner topped off by Donal singing and doing a couple of Irish jigs for us. Talented guy! Everyone was tired except Donal, Geraldine and I who went to Caitlin's suite (yes, suite) where she proceeded to give us all henna tattoos. A couple of mine did not take (thank God). It could have been very embarrassing on the beach when we returned to Sydney (don't ask! What happens in Caitlin's room stays in Caitlin's room)!! Needless to say we had huge laughs but no dancing for me tonight. I did get a fantastic calf massage though. I could barely get out of bed the last 2 days with tight calf muscles so I pressured Caitlin to help out. I think she's done this before!