So MiniMax and Mommy left Cairns and flew down to Sydney. That was Day 3. Not much to share.
Then Day 4 we took a tour of the city,
visited the famous Opera House
and got a lesson in Opals. (Fun fact: the SOH has the largest mechanical pipe organ in the world. On view, 138 pipes. In itself, spectacular. Behind the scenes, 10,000 pipes! Ginormous!)
And that was just in the morning! Then we had the afternoon to ourselves to explore the city on our own. And boy, did we explore! Mommy’s FitBit recorded over 7 miles of walking!
First we walked up the street from our hotel to visit the Queen Victoria Building, or as the locals call it, the QVB. This building originally housed Sydney’s produce markets. Those Victorians truly appreciated their farmers to build them such a glorious place! The ceiling is glass and there are several examples of the typically ornate iron balustrades and stained glass. The place is a shopping mall now.
After that, we walked a couple blocks up Market St. to Hyde Park. Not as large as its namesake in London, but on a beautiful and sunny day, still popular for a leisurely stroll. Then we turned, heading back down Liverpool St. to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. This garden was given by the Chinese as a symbol of their friendship with Australia. It’s simply lovely. And incidentally, across the street from our hotel. Our room overlooks the garden.
We made a new friend
Or two
Scattered throughout are little sculptures representing the 12 animals of the lunar calendar. Mommy found all twelve.
By then Mommy was tired so we stopped for a gelato, did a little shopping and ate supper before heading back to the hotel. Now it’s Day 5! In the morning we headed out of town to the Koala Park Sanctuary. This is a privately owned sanctuary first started in the 1920s. They started as a hospital for koalas injured or orphaned but now they have wombats and several species of kangaroos; cockatoos and cockatiels; dingoes and echidnas; other native birds and even a possum or two.
In Australia, it is illegal to hold a koala in most states. So all we were allowed to do here is stand close to her and snap a photo. Now, the only state where it is still legal to cuddle a koala is Queensland, which is why we were lucky enough to get that photo in Cairns. So if you’re planning a trip to Australia and want to hold a koala, plan to visit Queensland. I highly recommend Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures in Cairns.
Mommy was really hoping to see a wombat, but they were not feeling social today. On the bright side, the koalas were feeling pretty lively
as were most of the birds.
And Mommy got to feed some kangaroos too!
Then we headed back to the hotel and after such a busy couple of days, Mommy decided to take a nap. This evening we take a dinner cruise around Sydney Harbour, so look for some nighttime pics of the Opera House soon! Tomorrow we fly to Christchurch, New Zealand!
Where are you planning on visiting when you come to our country?
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We spend one night in Cheistchurch, then off to Twizel for a day, followed by 3 nights in Queenstown with day trips around like a day in Arrowyown and a day trip to “Hobbiton” then it’s off to Fiji before heading home. So South Island. Though I do spend some time in the Auckland airport:)
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My typing is terrible. Apologies
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Oh I woish I could fee the Roo’s with your mom and mini max :o)
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Their fur is similar to an alpaca. A little wiry but soft underneath
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I keep trying to leave a comment, but have forgotten my Google PW for the umpteenth time! Glad to see you in a picture…. lots of animals, so I guess you are liking that. Keep having a good time!
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Aw. There I got the PW right, finally. Love the beautiful building details. Wow! I didn’t realize Australia would have so much European similarity, but I guess some of it could be Asian too. Really beautiful!
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Especially like the QVB mall…. love to shop there. Are there a number of people in your tour group who together to see these sites, or have you been venturing forth on your own? Either way, lots to see and you’ve covered lots of ground!
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Sometimes we go in a group, but in Sydney I mostly ventured out on my own. Too much I wanted to see and do, they wouldn’t have been able to keep up!
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Yesterday I wanted to walk The Rocks district-lots of history there-but the weather refused to cooperate
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Wow, it is a really jam-packed trip. Everyone who goes there loves Queenstown. We live in the North Island, often the beaten tourist track. Hope you have a great time in Aotearoa (Land of of the long white cloud) Let me know your impressions?
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Andrea It looks like you are having an awesome trip. Australia and New Zealand were always on my bucket list. Love the pictures.
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