Milford Sound and Sydney

After Dunedin, we had three days at sea, although one was billed as scenic cruising through the National Fiordland Park of New Zealand. 

If you can call a few tall mountains and inlets "scenic" then okay. But for me it was a big snooze fest. I'm sure others have raved about how beeeeeyouuuuuuteeeeefullll the Milford Sound is, but honestly, unless you're there during the winter months (June-August) then there's a whole lot of nothing. In the winter you sail past tons of gushing full waterfalls, sail under beautiful snow-capped mountains and enjoy lots of bird life about. It's just not the same in the summer!  I can say this with some authority because I was here in July of 2002 with Sam and it was gorgeous. 

Enough whining. It was still a nice and relaxing day. And they served pea soup in the afternoon which a lot of people enjoyed. 

Two more days at sea and we arrived early Saturday morning in Sydney. Now, here's a place I cannot complain about. Sailing into and through this harbour at any time of the day or year, is a wonderful treat. The iconic Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, the skyline - everything is lovely. People say it's one of the most beautiful ports in the world and I'd have to wholeheartedly agree. 

We've spent two full days here and both have been great, if a bit tiring. 

First day, I went to the Taronga Zoo. It's a great zoo and I was happy to be able to see koalas, kangaroos, wombats, ibises and even a Tasmanian Devil. Can't find any of those at home easily!

Back at the ship, I talked Jack into happy hour up in the Crow's Nest and we enjoyed gin and tonics while socializing with old and new friends. 

Today, I woke up with a bit of a head cold. NOT HAPPY. I'm going to blame it on the deacon. That's all I'll say. Because it's a gross story and this is a public blog. 

Not letting that stop me, armed with a box of Kleenex in my backpack, I got on the ship shuttle to Darling Harbour and then bought a ticket for the Hop On Hop Off bus. I love these buses. Such a great way to get around and see the sights. At your leisure. Key words. My goal was to first visit the Sky Tower, the tallest building in Sydney, take in the 360 degree views from the observation deck and then pop back on the bus and head out to the famous Bondi Beach. Such a great beach! Soft soft sand, warm water, lots of surfers and wanna-be surfers out in the water. Bronzed (and sunburned) bodies of all shapes, sizes and ages. Such fun people watching. I stayed for lunch (no beer) and then rode the bus back through the neighborhoods and on to Darling Harbour, where I got off and had a wander. And a beer. 😀

Thanks Sydney. Your city is lovely, your people are so friendly and I hope to return soon as there's still lots more to see and do. I've just scratched the surface. 

Another day at sea and then we will be tying up in Hobart, Tasmania.  

A couple of comments about my pictures. There's one with a man on our shuttle bus this morning - he's a volunteer with the Sydney tourist center, when I saw him my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. He looks exactly like my Dad when my Dad was 45-50ish. I almost hugged him and called him Daddy but I restrained myself. I did, however, see him again this afternoon and I told him. He was very very sweet and kind. He said "I hope it made your heart sing". Sigh. 

Also, there's a statue of a soldier taken on the ANZAC bridge. We had a war veteran on board the shuttle who wanted a picture. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. They fought together during the Great War 1914-1918. The shuttle driver slowed way down so he could get a picture. Lots of us did, too.