Sydney, Australia - Another Wonderful Time Spent with Friends

Sunrise in Sydney Harbour

As the millennium rang in across the world over 13 years ago, I remember watching celebrations near the iconic Sydney Opera House and the nearby Sydney Harbour Bridge and thinking what an amazing city that would be to visit, but as far away as it was, I knew it was a mere fantasy that I ever might go there.  My impressions were further confirmed when watching the 2000 Sydney summer Olympic Games.  Australia had always fascinated me but I just knew that long flight put a trip to Australia out of the picture.

That was before we began to cruise…

In July 2008 we had booked the Grand South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand cruise for 2009 which included the first visit to Sydney with the ship docked for three days looking out at the Sydney Opera House.  As the three days ended, we had fallen in love with Australia and Sydney!  Last year, our two day visit to this amazing city made us more familiar with a new favorite city.  This year’s world cruise itinerary became much more appealing with the full month of February being devoted to New Zealand and Australia. What could be better?

So, while we regretted leaving beautiful New Zealand, at least we knew we were headed for Australia to visit amazing Sydney once again.  Two days before arriving in Sydney, a notable even occurred on the ship.  Our seats at dinner look out at the sea and we can always see the ship’s wake from our table.  But that night, we noticed a bird gliding and swooping gracefully behind our ship.  I happened to have my camera at dinner and captured several pictures of this bird after zooming in on it.  Then, after enhancing the size, it appeared an albatross, probably a Wandering Albatross, was following us.  Once while walking the deck a couple days after leaving New Zealand in 2009, I saw an albatross but had no camera available then.  But this time, the camera seemed to leave no doubt that we were watching one of the most amazing birds of all, the albatross – a true sight to behold.

Although we had visited Sydney twice before and had watched the impressive sail in, we decided to get up at 5 (having set our clocks back the previous night, we had an extra hour of sleep as it was) to watch the Amsterdam pass the Sydney Opera House and to view the Amsterdam as its highest points barely sailed below the bottom of the Harbour Bridge.  There was only the first hint of daylight when I looked out but noticed we were passing the islands that anticipate the beautiful Sydney harbor would be fast approaching. Even before daylight we were passing the Opera House, sailing under the Harbour Bridge, and turning into Darling Harbour and our dock.  It was even too early to capture the sunrise since once we turned into Darling Harbour area, there were too many buildings to permit a good sunrise view. 

Once safely docked, the ship was cleared by immigration officials by 7:15.  We remember last year, it seemed to take a very long time and guests were anxious to get off the ship.  Then we were greeted by our friend Andrew whom we had met during a World War II land tour in Western Europe in 2010.  This year, cruise friends from the 2011 Voyage of the Vikings cruise and 2012 World Cruise, Ros and Gary, had volunteered to meet us and to show us nearby parts of Australia that cruise shore excursions wouldn’t take us. 

We had agreed to meet them in the cruise terminal as close to 8 AM as possible and as we passed through ship security and into the terminal, there they were.  Knowing that since we had seen Ros last, that she had been treated for colon and liver cancers, we didn’t know what to anticipate, but we were pleased to see her looking so good!  She admitted that she wasn’t feeling that well, but after all she had been through ten rugged sessions of chemo.  She has one more scheduled next week before they leave on March 9 for the US to begin a Grand Mediterranean cruise.  She has been determined she was going to do this cruise and knowing what a fighter Ros is, she is committed to do this long anticipated cruise, particularly after the difficult year she has just experienced.

Ros and Gary had told us that they would take us down along the south coast of Australia, south of Sydney to view the spectacular coastline views.  As we left, we noticed a huge black cloud ahead of the ship.  Gary commented that that would be the direction we were going but assured us that the sky would clear up.  I began to have my doubts as the rain began to come down and the skies got even blacker.  But hearing how the area needed rain badly gave us mixed feelings.  We stopped at a scenic view called Sublime Point Lookout which, under normal circumstances would afford a magnificent view of cliffs and villages below with the sea beyond.  Instead, the rain and fog hung over the treetops and all I saw as the tops of a few trees.  It reminded Barb and me of our separate views at separate times of the Grand Canyon in the rain – for each of us, the only time we visited the Grand Canyon!

We continued on to the pleasant town of Kiama where we headed for a nice lighthouse and a blowhole that put on a show dependent upon the kinds of waves the weather afforded.  We did see several good displays of water in the blowhole.  Barb wanted a couple Aussie stamps from a post office there for the postcards that she is sending some friends’ granddaughter as a part of a school project.  As we walked, the rain began to come down harder – harder than any time on the trip to date, so Gary returned to the car to bring it where we waited under the canopy of the stores we had passed.  From there, we drove to Gerrora, where we had our lunch at restaurant called Fisherman’s Club.

By the time we were coming out, skies were clearing and sure enough, Gary was right.  The weather was improving substantially.  We made another stop along a cliff near where some people participate in hang gliding.  While one person lifted off as we drove up, we didn’t see anyone do it while we watched.  Nevertheless it was a great view and yes, there were the bright blue skies.  Finally we drove along a winding bridge along the coast and through some small towns, were we could look UP at the cliff that we tried to look DOWN in the morning for what would have been a great view of the coastline and small villages. 

From there, we drove back to Sydney with a stop at a mall near where Gary and Ros live so Barb could buy some lipstick and so I could get lens of sunglasses secured since one had popped out during the trip.  That business conducted, they dropped us off after a wonderful and thoughtful tour of some of Australia’s beautiful southern coastline.  At dinner, we met other Australian friends, Gerda and John from Brisbane. They had booked a 24 day segment between Sydney and Hong Kong and we made arrangements for them to be with us at our table. We had met them last year as our tablemates for most of the second half of the cruise.  John and Gerda are well traveled and interesting and we had enjoyed their company so much last year that we wanted to have them eat with us during the short segment of our trip that they have joined.

On Saturday, our second day in this world class city, we joined Gerda and John by taking a city bus to an area called Birkenhead Point where there is an outlet mall.  Gerda had shopped there many years ago when she lived in the Sydney area.  Because we are docked at Darling Harbour, we had to take a ship shuttle to Circular Quay where the “action” is – the Opera House, another cruise ship dock, lots of shops, and street entertainment.  It was there that we got the correct bus to Birkenhead Point.  After we got off the bus, we had to walk several blocks to the mall.  Barb found that the walking, particularly on a hill, was affecting the foot she hurt in Wellington six days previously.  We decided the best thing would be for Barb and me to go back to the bus stop and return to Circular Quay. The bus came promptly and as we rode, we noticed the sky getting black, very black!  As we neared Circular Quay, the heavens opened and the rain came in sheets.  When we stepped off the bus, I opened the umbrella and we huddled with several others under a small bus shelter.  By now, the rain was soaking our supposedly waterproof jackets.  We darted from overhanging canopy to canopy, occasionally stopping in a store to look around.  When we finally reached the shuttle bus stop, fortunately, it was there so we got on and made the return to the ship.

Barb decided that though she really wanted to browse “The Rocks” craft market near Circular Quay, the combination of her somewhat painful foot and the wet weather, she wouldn’t go back on the shuttle after lunch although the skies were improving.  I, however, decided to give it a try since we like Sydney so much but we have little choice but to sail on with the ship!  I took the opportunity to wander the shops and the markets and just enjoy the beauty of Circular Quay, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge.

It was a more leisurely day partly because we know Sydney so well and it is such a safe and friendly city.  Sydney was one of the highlights of our cruise and we look forward to returning for a brief time next year!

CT