Sydney - 2006
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006 low/high temp:
14-19C (58-66F)
low/high humidity: 49-88 %
Wednesday, October 4th, 2006 low/high temp:
12-21C (55-70F)
low/high humidity: 37-77 %
My overall impression of Sydney was positive. That
being said, we found the 'culture shock' a bit odd. While the population
obviously spoke English, they also clearly had a different set of expressions for many
things.
I have NEVER felt so safe or secure in a large city anywhere
I've been before. It was an odd experience, noticing the fact that there
was absolutely NO need for concern for 'security' or safety in such a large city.
I'm not sure why, but having chatted with others who have been to Oz, they also
commented on the same 'sense of security' not only in Sydney, but in most any city,
town or village they visited. While I cannot explain it, I have to
honestly agree with that 'feeling'.
I was disappointed in the fact that the architecture was so
'modern' compared to Europe. That being said, I can honestly say that my
expectations were probably too high. I am not a huge fan of modern
architecture, and the older buildings that we visited in the very short time we
had, one full day, were generally made of sand-stone. Now, I seriously have to doubt
the architects who decided to work with this porous material so close to the bay
and ocean. While lovely, the long term integrity of these buildings should
have been suspect to even the most casual observer 100 years ago. Also,
Australia is a fairly young nation, even younger than the States.
The general architecture in downtown Sydney is quite modern. Once in a
while, a sandstone shows up, but overall, steel and glass are the materials of
choice it seems. I did like the monorail stations, though (The round tube
over the rail).
Cindy catches me enjoying the See ,
pretty modern buildings. Now, really
entering the gardens.
view at the
Royal Botanic Garden.
Cindy LOVES purple, and all those purple flowers... She was in heaven.
Yup, lots of pollen.
I liked that tree.
This was one quick bird.
Native plant starts.
These birds seemed to enjoy the shade and seeds from this tree.
Aloe. My best friend!
Nice view there.
Cindy gets a leg up for a better shot. There's my girl
again...
You don't see this every day!
Please WALK on the grass...
Man, that's one big gnarled tree!
Cindy Loves her fountains, and this one was particularly lovely.
Cindy liked the white, lavender and violet flowers on this bush...
I loved the look of this house, but moving back got the tree, too...
The
Sydney Government House.
It must have been a servants quarters or some such...
The day ended in 'Y', closed...
The Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you look closely, you can see people up there
walking!
It
was WINDY!! See the flags! Maybe on a calm day with more time.
Of course, we had to stop by the
Sydney Opera House. The tour was pricey,
so we decided the outside was good enough.
We took a
ferry from the
Sydney
Circular Quay to
Manley. On the way, we saw some very
nice sites. Another beach, and a place for us to try to take some photos
of the two of us. We really liked the one on the upper right.
Sort of reminds me of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree...
I liked this shot, too...
Playing with camera settings.
A tribute to the loss of the Naval I
am guessing this was the port-master
vessel HMAS
Sydney.
docking area.
In the park, many chess boards. Cindy
and her fountains,
Archibald Fountain, in
Hyde Park, in front of the Cathedral.
This park has a beautiful avenue of Fig Trees, but the light didn't let us get
any good shots of it when we noticed them.
Cindy couldn't get enough of this fountain. Many mythic characters
depicted. Paul, another canon!!!
Above and below are some photos of
St. Mary's Cathedral (designated a Minor
Basilica).
I was reading that this beautiful building was completed less than 80 years ago and
appears to be made of
sandstone.
Apparently, due to the porous nature, it has apparently already required restoration once!
The spires on the towers were not actually completed until the year 2000!
It was worn so badly, that we couldn't even read the cornerstone!
It is, however, a VERY lovely testament to the builders skill!
Very cool gargoyles, They direct the water into the downspouts!
I actually wish it had been raining so I could see/hear the water running.
Off we go to Tahiti!
The Australian Coast looks awesome! There's Sydney Airport!