Sydney-- City of Arts and Architecture

Famous for its Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I enjoy ranking various sites and in the category of most beautiful harbours, Sydney is right up there with Rio and Hong Kong.

We landed on time at 6am Wednesday morning. I must have slept too long as I only got to watch 2 movies. Clearing customs would have been fast, but I decided to keep my peanut butter crackers and wound up having to stand in 2 lines before they were approved for entry into the country. The woes of being a "foodie."

Leaving the airport, we had a leisurely drive as the sun rose over the city. With a brief stop at Bondi Beach for coffee to give us a caffeine jolt, we continued on to Watson Bay where we boarded a boat for a Harbour Cruise. As we cruised past the famous landmarks, I thought about the changes that had occurred since the British First Fleet landed in 1788 with their human freight of convicts, soldiers and officers sent from England to forge a new British colony. Our Qantas flight in Premium Economy class was definitely an improvement over 2 months in steerage class!

Landing at Circular Quay right beside the Harbour Bridge, we were treated to a lovely lunch at the Park Harbour Hyatt. I remember staying there several years ago and loved the view of the Bridge and Opera House from my room. Lunch was lovely, but the Australian wines didn't help our energy level. From there we went to The Observatory Hotel where I had also stayed and were treated to desserts and coffee -- more caffeine to balance the wine and keep us going. I slipped out a little early to check into the Four Seasons and run down the street to buy a new camera. Mine breathed its last as we crossed the International Dateline.

It's been a wonderful day, and my only regret is that I don't have more time to savour this beautiful city. We leave in an hour for a cocktail reception at the Intercontinental and then back to the Four Seasons for a welcome dinner.

Tomorrow is an early day as we bid adieu to the Four Seasons at 5:45am to catch a flight to Adelaide. So much to see and don't won't to waste precious time on sleep!

More to follow from South Australia as we head to the Outback!

Linda