Sydney is in the state of New South Whales. 

Our hotel 

The view from our hotel window 

Our hotel, at the southern end of the Harbour Bridge, is in The Rocks, one of the oldest parts of town. When the city was first settled by convicts and their jailers, the convicts were forced to cut the rocks from the land to build their prisons. The Rocks today is one of the trendiest parts of town, with great stores and some of the best views of the harbour.  

An Early Morning Walk on The Harbour Bridge

We were up early Saturday morning to take a before-breakfast walk over the Harbour Bridge. We walked on a sidewalk adjacent to the roadway, not up on the superstructure. The walk on the roadway is free; the walk on the superstructure costs $200 per person.

This picture and the eight below it are from that walk, shortly after sunrise. I believe that the early morning Sun and clouds made the view far more beautiful than it would have been later in the day.

As you will see as you go through these pictures, I have many, many pictures of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. I took pictures from way up high, from way down low, from near, from far, from land and from water. These two structures are to Sydney what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris or what Big Ben is to London. Almost everyone in the world recognizes both of them immediately. And with good cause. I hope you will find them as beautiful as I did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Picture and the Picture of the Bridge Below Were Taken from the Deck Just Outside Our Hotel

 

A Stop at Macquarie's Point

This point sticks out into Sydney Harbour just to the east of the Opera House. It's at the northern tip of the Botannical Garden. In the second half of the 19th century, Governor Lachlan Macquarie's wife Elizabeth would come here to sit and view the harbor, watching ships come and go. A chair was carved out of a ledge in the cliffs presently offering a fine view of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. This is called Mrs. Macquarie's chair. We didn't see the chair, but it's a popular tourist attraction.

I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Here on Carla's shirt is just one of billions (or trillions) of flies calling Australia home. They don't bite, but they love to land on your face in their quest for water. I nominate the fly as Australia's national symbol. 

Bob mugs for the camera. You can take the boy off the camel ranch, but you can't take the camel ranch out of the boy. 

Carla and Loren 

Jo 

Doris's Tree - Doris had me photograph this remarkable tree. I've tried to find out something more about it, but to no avail. 

Boxing lessons 

 

Warship near Mrs. Maqcuarie's Point 

A Visit to Bondi Beach

On Saturday morning, we went by tour bus to Bondi Beach. It was the first of two visits. On Sunday, we went again on a public bus to take a walk on the cliffs and see a sculpture show. Bondi Beach is just a few miles southeast of downtown, and a little more than a mile south of the entrance to Sydney Harbor.

Until the first few years of the 20th century, swimming was banned during daylight hours at Bondi as indecent. It's a very popular place for surfboarding. That's changed, obviously. During the 2000 Olympics, Bondi was the site of the beach vollyball competition.