We arrived in Sydney on Thursday 29th September and managed to get a minibus lift to our hotel which is fairly close to the city centre. As it was getting dark, we dumped our cases in our room and walked out to investigate somewhere to eat. We eventually walked alongside the Botanical Gardens to the point opposite the Opera House and Sydney harbour Bridge. What a grand view!! Awesome.

On Friday we had booked a city tour and lunch on board a harbour cruise ship. We went north Sydney in the morning and had coffee on Manly Beach. On the way we stopped at various points of interest and had a most informative time. Lunch was great. We had a table by the window with a great view of all that was happening in the harbour. My, some of the houses are expensive. £16 million!!!! After lunch we toured the southern part of the city including The Rocks, Mrs Macquarie's chair and Bondi Beach for a tea break.

On Saturday we spent the day walking around Sydney. First stop the Sydney Tower with a 4D presentation with water squirting at you from a boat and surfboard, fortunately, and not from the parrot!! We then ascended the tower, effectively 55 stories high!!! Fantastic views all round and we could see as far as The Blue Mountains. (I didn't realise that Sydney Harbour was so vast until we flew over it. We seemed to be hovering above the water for ages with nowhere to land!!) We walked through the Botanical Gardens on our way to the Opera House where we managed to get on a tour. We sat inside the concert hall. What an amazing place. I'd love to go to a concert or opera there. Maybe one day. Our final walk was across Sydney Harbour Bridge. No not the long way round (over the top) but on the flat as it didn't cost anything!!! By 6pm our feet were tired and we caught the train back to the closest station to our hotel.

On Sunday we went on a trip to The Blue Mountains. We had to get up early as the clocks went forward. The minibus collected us at 7.15am and drove north then west. It was very wet and the clouds were low. Our first stop in the lower section was reasonably dry. John spotted a kangaroo on the edge of the paddock and then four more over the fence by a stream, so we spent time watching them. They were out and about as it was cooler today. We had coffee out there in the bush before going further into the mountains to the viewpoints. As the clouds rolled in and out we managed to see some of the waterfalls and the Seven Sisters peaks before going to a hotel for lunch. We returned to Sydney via a wildlife park where we were photographed with the koalas and fed the kangaroos once again.

Yesterday we had a long drive to Canberra, but well worth the journey to see this new captial city. We viewed the city from Mt Ainslie and then spent time at the War Memorial for a lunch break and guided tour. We spent an hour at the National Art Gallery on a guided tour and another hour at the Parliament building viewing both inside and out. All very interesting, particularly as we had guided tours. During the long drive back to Sydney, the coach driver put on Crocodile Dundee!! We watched some and slept through the rest.

Now off the Melbourne. Hope you are all well.