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Sidney, Australia

Wednesday - February 13-15, 2008 - Home to Sydney

We left home at 11:30AM. Dropped off Katie and headed to the airport. We got there about 2PM. Monty dropped me and the luggage off and took the car to master Park. Got up to check out and couldn’t get anyone to help us for almost an hour, so we didn’t meet up with everyone else until almost time to board the plane. Grabbed a hamburger and a couple of drinks and got on the plane to LAX, where we had a few more drinks and as a group found our way to the Int’l side of the airport for our long flight to Nadi, Fiji.

WOW, we were impressed with both the food and the service, except for the long ten hour flight it was a pleasant trip. Arrived about 6AM their time on the 15th of February, a Friday. We lost a day going over the International Date Line. We lost Valentine’s Day in total, so we celebrated it on the 13th in Los Angeles. In Fiji we had another 3 hour lay over and another 4 ½ hour trip to Sydney. Everyone got some sleep on this flight.

We arrived in Sidney about 11:20AM Friday, their time. Got through customs Ok and grabbed the shuttle to the Radisson. The Radisson is an older, but nice hotel right down town. Had a couple more drinks and are wondering what is next. Made contact with most everyone else in our group.

As a group, we went out and walked the town and hit the Friday evening down town business area rush hour – WOW. What a sight that was. All the bars were packed for hours and couldn’t find any place to get a drink or something to eat. Ended up at a Chinese place for dinner, which was very expensive, but then I think everything is expensive in Sydney.

Most drinks are $7 to $8 each and meals start at $12.00 for something simple. And that is in Australia money, which is almost equal to the dollar, so not a great deal of difference between the two.

Back to the hotel for a swim and bed. Over all we had flown over 17 hours and are very tired!!!

Saturday - Feb 16, 2008 - Sydney

Circular Quay is situated around Sydney Cove, and was once a large shipping area. This is where are ship, The Mercury was docked. On the western side of Circular Quay is the Famous Rocks area, names because of the buildings built by cutting of the rocks in that area. Manly Beach is one of the most popular seaside areas, named this by Captain Arthur Philip after his encounter with the confident and manly Aboriginal people of the Kay-ye-mycian who livid there. It is surrounded on three sides by water.

We spent a great deal of our time at Darling Harbour, and right after breakfast we are off to the aquarium at the harbor, and then who knows what! It depends upon the day, as it is suppose to be a little rainy in the morning and then sunshine in the afternoon. We plan on meeting up with everyone around 10AM for breakfast.

What a fun day. We all meet up for breakfast and decided to go to the aquarium first and then to the Wild Life Zoo after.

Both were unreal and showed so many neat things. WOW!!! We were there from about 11AM UNTIL 4:30 OR 5PM. We found a couple of places for a beer along the way. Then we came out into the harbor and again what a neat place – WOW!! The city of Sunday and the harbors are beautiful and offer such a magnificent sight, especially since the sun had come out as well. We sat at one bar and watch at least three or five different wedding or bachloret parties. You cannot believe the dresses these girls were wearing – way out of sight. They had wild top hats of all color and were doing body dances, etc etc. It was an amazing sight, and then they would all get on their separate boats and sail off into the harbor. What a way to get married! It has got to be very expense, but with the cost of everything in Sydney, I guess why not.

Ate dinner at Nick’s on the docks – very expensive but so good!!!! Again WOW!! At lest $40 to $60 per person. This is a very costly place. It was a great evening and we all think the best bargains are the taxis, only $10.00 each way; everything else is amazingly costly. Tomorrow we need to pack up and move to the ship.

Sunday - Feb 17, 2008 - Sydney

We were up at 8AM to get ready to leave and go to our ship the Mercury... (Click here for 'Facts and Figures' on the Mercury)

The bottom picture above is the view from our stateroom looking at the opera house!

After breakfast we will had some time to waste so we took a walk around the area, which is down town stock market area of Sydney, very pretty with all the old and new buildings intermixed. We stopped in the Opal museum ad I saw a piece of jewelry that I just couldn’t pass up, so I purchased it, I am still very please with it, and hope to wear it often. After arriving at the ship we went to see the Opera house up close and then a slow walk back towards the boat and through the little shops where Monty bought me a gold Platypus for my up coming birthday.

It is so cute and looks really nice on our dinning room table along with the Manta rays from Hawaii. We had dinner on the boat this evening, which was fun to meet back up with everyone. It was a fine beautiful day and we enjoy our relaxing time very much. We walked past the ferry docks and watch the activity it is a shame that we never made it on the ferry or the city bus, maybe next time, just too much to do. We also past a group singing Australia songs and playing the Didgeridoo.

I really wish that I had purchase their music; it is so different and enjoyable to listen to. Again what a pretty harbor this is, and there is so much going on. We will be staying on the ship this evening, but we don’t set sail for another two nights.

Monday - Feb 18, 2008 - Sydney

Again we were up early to take the bus tour up into the Blue Mountains. It was an interesting drive through the city of Sydney, and all the smaller cities just on the outskirts of the bigger town. Each one so much different then the last. We stopped for just a really short time at an Animal park where we got to feed kangaroo, saw several baby Joey’s, and koala bears, they are all so cute and to get to touch them and feed them is extra special, what fun. Just not enough time to see everything.

The drive up to the mountains and the tram was disappointing as the clouds had come down and covered everything up. We couldn’t see a thing it didn’t lift until just as we were leaving, so we got to see a little bit of the beauty. We did make another stop farther down the road where we could see the Blue Mountains, and then hop back onto the bus. Poor Win, just couldn’t make it back up the high, fortunately the bus was willing to go back down and pick them up, as it was just too much for his legs.

On the way back we went to the Olympic Park of 2000. The first picture below is of the feathers from each country in the event. The middle picture is the torch.

The day over all was disappointing. Went and had dinner and went bed, as it had been a very long day. Tomorrow we will have all day at sea, going towards Melbourne. We stayed out side to watch the ship leave the port and had dinner at the buffet, which was just fine; food was good there as well. This is such a petty harbor, what a pleasure to watch, Monty really enjoyed watching the ship and all the actions that goes along with leaving the dock.