2011 - H & A WORLD CRUISE - SYDNEY & CAIRNS

SAILING INTO SYDNEY HARBOUR.

I GET UP EARLY ON A SUNDAY TO SEE THIS, BUT THE CREW HAVE BEATEN ME TO IT,

THE LADY WHO IS JUST IN THIS SHOT, WILL BE CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE LATER TODAY. WHERE THE FLAGS ARE.

RATHER HER THAN ME. IT LOOKS AWFUL HIGH.

SAILING PAST THE OPERA HOUSE....

AND NOW WE ARE DOCKED AT THE ROCKS. BETWEEN THE BRIDGE & THE OPERA HOUSE. WE BROUGHT OUR HOTEL ROOM ALONG WITH US.. HATE TO THINK WHAT A ROOM WOULD COST HERE.

A COUPLE OF CONVICTS BEHIND BARS.. OLD HABITS DIE HARD...

I GET THE GO ANYWHERE BUS & FERRY PASS & HEAD ACROSS SYDNEY HARBOUR TO MANLY. TAKING IN THE LOCAL WILDLIFE....

THESE GIRLS WERE VERY FUNNY..

AND AT SHELLEY BEACH I GRAB A BOTTLE OF WATER & ASK A GUY WHAT HE THINKS OF THE WALK I AM THINKING OF DOING UP OVER THE HILL & BACK TO MANLY.
EASY WALKING HE SAYS...

THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF SPIDERS ALONG THE TRAIL. ALL AT JUST ABOVE HEAD HIGHT.

I MENTIONED THIS TO A LADY IN A TOURIST PLACE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL & SHE EXPLAINED THAT RANGERS OCCASIONALLY GO ALONG THE TRIAL & KNOCK THE WEBS DOWN & THE SPIDERS LEARN TO NOT BUILD THEM SO LOW.

TRUE?

MAYBE SHE'S RELATED TO THE GUY BACK AT SHELLEY BEACH.

NEAR THE TOP AND THE PLANES ARE GOING BY AT HEAD HIGHT...SO MUCH FOR THE EASY WALK.

MORE WILDLIFE,.....

AND BACK TO THE ROCKS. THAT WAS A GREAT WALK.
I WONDERED IF I WOULD MAKE IT UP THE HILL FROM SHELLEY BEACH BUT THE HIGHER I GOT, THE LESS CHANCE I HAD OF GOING BACK DOWN, WHICH LOOKED HARDER THAN GOING UP..

MIND YOU, JOGGERS WERE PASSING ME, SO IT'S NOT THAT BAD.

ANOTHER FERRY RIDE NOW TO WATSONS BAY & THE GAP. THEN A WALK ALONG THE CLIFF PATH TO BONDI.

EXCEPT I TOOK A BUS FOR PART OF THAT.
THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT GO ANYWHERE PASSES.
THEY ARE CHEAP & CONVENIENT. NO MUCKING ABOUT WITH MONEY. SEE A BUS , GET ON IT.

THE GAP?

BONDI BEACH... HOME OF THE FAMOUS MOB DANCE. THAT WAS REALLY FUNNY,

AND A BUS BACK TO THE ROCKS TO GET SET FOR MY EVENING IN THE SYDNEY OBSERVATORY. I HAD BOUGHT A TICKET ON LINE BEFORE LEAVING HOME. I AM GOING TO GET TO LOOK THROUGH THEIR BIG TELESCOPE..
NO PHOTOS UNFORTUNATELY BUT A SPECTACULAR SUNSET....

AND AN UNUSUAL LOOK AT THE BRIDGE....

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS BY NOW....

THAT WAS A FUN DAY.

THE FOLLOWING DAY I TAKE THE 'CAT' UP RIVER TO PARRAMATTA.

A NICE ENOUGH RIDE BUT NOT TOO EXCITING SO - SOME MORE SYDNEY PHOTOS.

LOOKS LIKE KIDS GETTING DRESSED UP FOR A SCHOOL OUTING. I SEE SOME WITH A PRISIONERS MARK ON THEIR SHIRT - MAYBE LEARNING A LITTLE HISTORY...

THE BAND GOING ASHORE.....

AND THE FINAL VIEW OF SYDNEY.....CAIRNS IS NEXT IN A FEW DAYS. A BIG STORM IS IN OUR WAY. LETS HOPE IT MOVES OUT BEFORE WE GET THERE.

IT DID, BUT IT LEFT SOME UGLY WEATHER BEHIND.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HIGHLIGHT OF THE CRUISE.

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

A GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR IS ON THE AGENDA BUT A FEW FOLKS WERE HOPING IT WERE CANCELLED.

THIS GUY IS HEADING FOR THE SIDE-RAIL....

SOME CORAL... BUT NOT TOO COLOURFUL

AND THIS DOES NOT LOOK AT ALL LIKE THE ADVERTISEMENT..

YOUNG LORRAINE ENJOYING THE ROUGH WEATHER....

PADDY TOUGHED IT OUT ON DECK BUT IT WAS NOT TOO MUCH FUN.

A BIT OF A WASH OUT & I DID NOT GET TO SEE CAIRNS AT ALL.

IT GETS A BIT EXOTIC FOR A WHILE NOW AS WE MOVE AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA AND ACROSS THE CORAL SEA...