Sydney, Australia: The Bus to Bondi Beach and Beyond

Sydney Touring Day 3

An almost free bus tour – sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It was true, though; approximately $14 U.S. for transportation costs, and the tip was up to us, for an excellent three-hour tour. Our tour guide Martin drove the big rig as he narrated our ride out of Sydney proper to beaches, lookouts, ocean cliffs, far-flung Eastern suburbs, and more incredible views, which seem to be absolutely everywhere. I wonder if Sydneysiders yawn about all this gorgeousness after awhile; I really hope not.

We began the day in Hyde Park, part of the City’s green parkland corridor running right through the heart of the city. What a great idea, to plant parks in the middle of a city.

Seattle hoped to build something like this a few years back, but voters turned it down. Silly Seattle voters; check out Sydney’s downtown to see what might have been.

Padre agreed to be my picture prop at our first stop, Mrs. Macquarie’s sandstone bluff chair, from where the wife of Sydney’s first governor (1810-21) enjoyed her view of Sydney Harbour. And there are views everywhere we turn, like this one from the other side of her chair.

I figured Mrs. M for an arrogant woman, rock chair and all, but no: As an influential politician’s wife, Elizabeth prodded her husband to create many of the public spaces, gardens, and buildings Sydney is known for today, and her writings reveal a woman with a social conscience. Lots of evidence for the resourcefulness of Australia’s ladies around; another early Australian inhabitant, Mary Haydock, arrived in Sydney in 1792 as a 15-year old-convict transported from England for stealing a horse. She became a wealthy businesswoman and a respected member of colonial society. That’ll show those Brits, I say! (Just kidding, if you’re a Brit).

Then there were views and more views along the bluffs and shorelines that seem to stretch forever away from Sydney. Along the cliff tops we parked the rig to visit the Gap, a notoriously dangerous location for many shipwrecks and suicides (prominently placed suicide helpline numbers everywhere).

Scenic lighthouses line the bluff, like this one named, of course, Macquarie. Governor Macquarie obviously enjoyed the naming thing, since everything that’s stationary in this town seems to have the name ‘Macquarie’ splashed across it. I think I would have liked his wife better.

And then on to famous Bondi Beach, where slashing sand blew into our faces hard enough to keep us off the stunning stretch of beach in front of us.

Towering waves pounded the shoreline, and even seasoned surfers were giving it up, returning to the boardwalk with their boards. At least I didn’t have to worry about Padre being dragged out to a watery grave by the riptides today. He went off to find a cookie, instead. Just as good.

After we said goodbye to Martin, Padre finally found his funerary photo subject in St. Mary’s Cathedral.

He pointed out that the imposing cathedrals in Europe are usually filled with the crypts of wealthy influential people, or the bones of powerful saints. Here, though, we found this tomb, honoring unknown, everyday soldiers. Just right. I lit a candle in honor of my parents, as I always do, and enjoyed a pipe organ practice session while I captured some frames of the architecture.

After that, our tired tourist selves hiked back to the Sir Stamford for dinner in the cozy bar – that’s ‘our’ table by the window there (all of two meals! It’s ours now, right?).

About the only thing we haven’t seen so far; kangaroos, darn it. I forgot to include them in our ‘must see’ list, and half-hoped one might hop by at any moment, but no. No kangaroos, since we decided to skip Sydney’s Taronga Zoo on this trip, where I hear there are lots of kangaroos and other exotic Australian critters.

I did come up with a sort-of solution to the kangaroo dilemma that the grandchildren will like: I found this cool little book that teaches children (or us) how to draw Australian critters, including kangaroos, wombats, koalas, spiny ant-eaters, and the frilled lizard. And there are poems. How cool is that? (Note to self/still on bucket list: See a kangaroo).

On our next-to-last day in Sydney we hit a few more museums, including the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. We found that place so interesting that I’ll go on about it in another post, but right now I’m looking out our hotel window, waiting for the Diamond Princess to nose up to the pier right outside. Later today, we’ll make our way up her gangplank to begin our long journey home, from Sydney, through Southeast Asia and Thailand, Japan, and over the Bering Sea.

So stone the crows, mate! (that is an expression of astonishment in Australian, my cheat cards say). Let her rip, and no wukkas, cobber! (That means, ‘Let’s get started, and no worries, friend!’). And of course they really shouldn’t sell Australian translation cards like this to tourists. We misuse them, obviously.

So off we go – eager to finally meet all our Cruise Critic internet friends, and check out the view lounge as we sail around the vast Australian coastline. More soon – thanks for joining us on the epic journey!