Dec 11 -- Dec 14 Sydney Australia
We're traveling once again, this time back to Australia. We first visited in 2005, then in a few stops during our 2016 Around The World Cruise. This time we are going to circumnavigate Australia, our first chance to visit cities and ports on the western side of the continent.
We left Miami late Monday afternoon, and arrived in Sydney very early Wednesday morning. Our first leg to DFW took us over the mouth of the Mississippi River.
We splurged and went business class all the way. The flight from DFW to SYD was over 16 hours long, so the lie flat beds actually made it possible to sleep. I probably slept over 8 hours, and Cynthia was similar. We arrived in Sydney much better off than sitting up in Economy.
The plane was an Airbus 380-800, a huge mammoth of an airship. Business class was on the upper deck, and I never went downstairs to see how the other half lived. Just the upper deck was huge. I was impressed that it actually got up into the air.
We zipped through immigration and customs. We did Global Entry in the US back in October, and Australia allows e-passports. We scanned our passports at the kiosk, got a ticket to take to the facial scanner, and were through immigration. (Actually, there was a minor hiccup. At the facial scanner you have to take off your glasses, then insert the ticket from the e-passport kiosk. I inserted my ticket upside down, then the screen started giving me error messages in many languages, but I couldn't read them with my glasses off. Since the reader had rejected the ticket, reinserting with the big arrow up made everything work out. Seems to me there's a fatal user interface problem when you have to read a message with your glasses off.)
Being adventuresome (and reasonably rested) we took our luggage to the Airport Link train. Bought our OPAL cards, boarded, and were at the Circular Quay in about 30 minutes. A 2-block walk dragging the suitcases put us at the Marriott Sydney Harbor, and they had a room ready for us. From airport to hotel room in little over an hour,
The best thing for jet lag (8 hour time difference) is to get out in the sun. After putting stuff in the room we headed out for the Opera House and Botanical Gardens right next to the Circular Quay.
Obligatory picture of Opera House and Bridge
Topiary in Botanical Garden
After a few hours of wandering around we surrendered to fatigue and took a three hour nap.
For dinner we went further into the Central Business District and found a watering hole that also offered fairly simple edibles. We were reminded it's Christmas, even though Sydney is having record heat, with the appearance of Santa and Rudolph.
On the pedestrian mall, a big Christmas tree and carolers singing "Let It Snow" as they mop their sweaty brows.
Thursday morning, after sleeping well but waking way too early, we took the bus from Circular Quay (a great transit hub) out to Bondi Beach.
We took the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach to Bronte Beach, when heat and jet lag forced us to head for the bus stop and a bus/train return to the CBD.
Surfing at Tamarama
Poster viewed from the bus window
We wandered through the Victoria Building Mall, lots of elegant shops and dining locations, all done up for Christmas.
Yet another pedestrian mall. This one bagpipers playing Jingle Bells.
A successful trip to Australia, and we're slowly acclimating to the time here. Still have lots of interesting places to go in Sydney before we get on the boat on Wednesday. Love their transit system. No car needed (and I couldn't drive on that side of the road anyway.)
We're traveling once again, this time back to Australia. We first visited in 2005, then in a few stops during our 2016 Around The World Cruise. This time we are going to circumnavigate Australia, our first chance to visit cities and ports on the western side of the continent.
We left Miami late Monday afternoon, and arrived in Sydney very early Wednesday morning. Our first leg to DFW took us over the mouth of the Mississippi River.
The plane was an Airbus 380-800, a huge mammoth of an airship. Business class was on the upper deck, and I never went downstairs to see how the other half lived. Just the upper deck was huge. I was impressed that it actually got up into the air.
We zipped through immigration and customs. We did Global Entry in the US back in October, and Australia allows e-passports. We scanned our passports at the kiosk, got a ticket to take to the facial scanner, and were through immigration. (Actually, there was a minor hiccup. At the facial scanner you have to take off your glasses, then insert the ticket from the e-passport kiosk. I inserted my ticket upside down, then the screen started giving me error messages in many languages, but I couldn't read them with my glasses off. Since the reader had rejected the ticket, reinserting with the big arrow up made everything work out. Seems to me there's a fatal user interface problem when you have to read a message with your glasses off.)
Being adventuresome (and reasonably rested) we took our luggage to the Airport Link train. Bought our OPAL cards, boarded, and were at the Circular Quay in about 30 minutes. A 2-block walk dragging the suitcases put us at the Marriott Sydney Harbor, and they had a room ready for us. From airport to hotel room in little over an hour,
The best thing for jet lag (8 hour time difference) is to get out in the sun. After putting stuff in the room we headed out for the Opera House and Botanical Gardens right next to the Circular Quay.
After a few hours of wandering around we surrendered to fatigue and took a three hour nap.
For dinner we went further into the Central Business District and found a watering hole that also offered fairly simple edibles. We were reminded it's Christmas, even though Sydney is having record heat, with the appearance of Santa and Rudolph.
Surfing at Tamarama
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