Our last full day in Sydney and the highlight was to be the climb over the Harbour Bridge. The weather wasn't looking too good at first light so we were expecting showers and poor visibility but in fact, it opened up pretty well and we couldn't have asked for more.
Annette still wasn't sure but the staff on the climb were excellent and she decided to go ahead anyway. There was an extensive safety briefing and lots of special kit - all very impressive. Our guide, Matt, was excellent and kept the commentary up for the entire walk. Once the initial, horizontal section over the approach road (only about 55 metres high) was completed the worst was over and then it was on up to the top where the views were stunning. And, not really surprisingly, even Annette enjoyed it.
From there we went back up one of the decorative towers (they're not actually part of the bridge) for photos as no cameras are allowed on the climb) and the a take-away sandwich/pie lunch before catching the bus to Bondi Beach.
Bondi is clearly a beautiful beach but the town is very run down and everything closed up at 4 o'clock so it was a bus back to the city and we caught the ferry back to Darling Harbour for dinner again but this time a lot less tired.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Day 18 - 14th Aug 2007
Yesterday was the city, today was the countryside. We started by picking up a (very small!) hire car from the hotel and headed out of town. The Sydney traffic was pretty dire but thankfully things did get better.
First stop was a wildlife park where you can stroke Dingo Pups & Koalas, feed Wombats & Kangaroos and a multitude of birds fly around you. For a small zoo, the whole thing was well managed and you couldn't ask to get closer to the animals.
From there it was onto the Blue Mountains - bit of a misnomer this. They certainly are blue-ish (a haze caused by the many types of Eucalyptus trees), but it's really more of a huge gorge than a mountain range. When to get to the top, you're suddenly at a massive cliff dropping down into the valley which goes on for miles. Think of the Grand Canyon but covered by rain forest. All incredibly spectacular. One of the highlights was a group of three stone towers called the Three Sisters and you can walk down a precarious staircase and narrow bridge on to the first one - good training for the bridge walk and even Annette made it, although not entirely happily.
Lots of photo stops and the weather was good for most it with rain only while driving back to Sydney which again was a slow process due to traffic.
First stop was a wildlife park where you can stroke Dingo Pups & Koalas, feed Wombats & Kangaroos and a multitude of birds fly around you. For a small zoo, the whole thing was well managed and you couldn't ask to get closer to the animals.
From there it was onto the Blue Mountains - bit of a misnomer this. They certainly are blue-ish (a haze caused by the many types of Eucalyptus trees), but it's really more of a huge gorge than a mountain range. When to get to the top, you're suddenly at a massive cliff dropping down into the valley which goes on for miles. Think of the Grand Canyon but covered by rain forest. All incredibly spectacular. One of the highlights was a group of three stone towers called the Three Sisters and you can walk down a precarious staircase and narrow bridge on to the first one - good training for the bridge walk and even Annette made it, although not entirely happily.
Lots of photo stops and the weather was good for most it with rain only while driving back to Sydney which again was a slow process due to traffic.
Day 17 - 13th Aug 2007
This was the "do Sydney in a day" tour! First stop was the guided tour round the Opera House which was definitely a good idea - very good guide and got to see both the major theatres and a couple of the smaller rooms. Of course the star is the building itself which looks different from every angle (or even the same angle as the light changes)
Then onto a ferry to do a boat trip around the harbour - commentary wasn't great but at least the views were good and we got a good idea of where everything was.
One of the tasks for the afternoon was to book the Bridge Walk over the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge which we were all looking forward to apart from Annette. The staff at the reception couldn't have been more helpful and professional and did a lot to give her confidence but she was still looking pale as we left the office!
Then onto more walking - around the harbourside of the lovely Sydney Botanical Gardens and we almost got to Wooloomooloo Bay before the weather turned so we turned right headed into the city centere ("CBD") to see the cathedral, Town Hall and the impressive Queen Victoria Building ("QVB") - probably the world's poshest shopping mall.
We then caught the ferry to Darling Harbour which is the entertainment center of the city with an IMAX theatre and loads of bars & restaurants. It's also currently home to an impressive outdoor photographic display highlight global environment issues. By this time we were all shattered so settled for a simple pizza & pasta meal before getting the ferry back to the hotel.
Then onto a ferry to do a boat trip around the harbour - commentary wasn't great but at least the views were good and we got a good idea of where everything was.
One of the tasks for the afternoon was to book the Bridge Walk over the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge which we were all looking forward to apart from Annette. The staff at the reception couldn't have been more helpful and professional and did a lot to give her confidence but she was still looking pale as we left the office!
Then onto more walking - around the harbourside of the lovely Sydney Botanical Gardens and we almost got to Wooloomooloo Bay before the weather turned so we turned right headed into the city centere ("CBD") to see the cathedral, Town Hall and the impressive Queen Victoria Building ("QVB") - probably the world's poshest shopping mall.
We then caught the ferry to Darling Harbour which is the entertainment center of the city with an IMAX theatre and loads of bars & restaurants. It's also currently home to an impressive outdoor photographic display highlight global environment issues. By this time we were all shattered so settled for a simple pizza & pasta meal before getting the ferry back to the hotel.
Day 16 - 12th Aug 2007
We had the morning free to do a bit of speedy siteseeing in Christchurch before heading to the airport for the flight to Oz. Speedy was definitely the word! Annette was jogging between photo-ops!
At the airport, Avis couldn't have been more helpful with the ski-rack incident and even gave us a free day's hire to compensate for our inconvenience.
On arrival in Sydney we took the easy way of getting to the hotel - by taxi. Once there, we were more than pleasantly surprised to find we had complementary access to the executive lounge (free breakfasts, drinks & evening desserts!), which is probably due to the amount of time I've spent in their hotels when traveling on business. We were also surprised by the stunning view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the room.
We went out for a quick stoll to get our bearings as the hotel was so near the waterfront and the weather was pretty good. Lots of the usual tourist photos and we ended up at an outdoor restaurant on "The Rocks" overlooking the bridge & Opera House for dinner - probably one of the best meals of the trip.
Back in the hotel we even saw a firework display by the bridge before crashing out.
At the airport, Avis couldn't have been more helpful with the ski-rack incident and even gave us a free day's hire to compensate for our inconvenience.
On arrival in Sydney we took the easy way of getting to the hotel - by taxi. Once there, we were more than pleasantly surprised to find we had complementary access to the executive lounge (free breakfasts, drinks & evening desserts!), which is probably due to the amount of time I've spent in their hotels when traveling on business. We were also surprised by the stunning view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the room.
We went out for a quick stoll to get our bearings as the hotel was so near the waterfront and the weather was pretty good. Lots of the usual tourist photos and we ended up at an outdoor restaurant on "The Rocks" overlooking the bridge & Opera House for dinner - probably one of the best meals of the trip.
Back in the hotel we even saw a firework display by the bridge before crashing out.
Day 15 - 11th Aug 2007
Second long travel day in a row to get back to Christchurch to fly to Australia tomorrow. The first part of the journey was up and over the mountains again and the weather wasn't too bad but pretty gusty. When we had the chance we took the road down to the east coast of the island and headed up on the coast road - although beautiful, we'd seen enough mountains and had enough pummeling by the wind!
At least the weather in Christchurch was better than when we were here last week but our hotel was a little outside town and it was quite late by the time we got there so no one felt like wandering around to find somewhere to eat so Helen & Andrew had a quick swim and we ate at the hotel.
Helen says-
more driving to Christchurch this time
wen we got there we cba to go out for dinner so me n andrew went for a swim then ate in the hotel
At least the weather in Christchurch was better than when we were here last week but our hotel was a little outside town and it was quite late by the time we got there so no one felt like wandering around to find somewhere to eat so Helen & Andrew had a quick swim and we ate at the hotel.
Helen says-
more driving to Christchurch this time
wen we got there we cba to go out for dinner so me n andrew went for a swim then ate in the hotel
Day 14 - 10th Aug 2007
This was going to be a long day - the plan was to travel down to Milford Sound to take a boat trip through the fijords. The weather forecast wasn't good and the road is tricky and often closed due to avalanches or landslides. It was hard to find out whether the road was going to stay open all day or not but we set off anyway with the view to check the status at the half way point in Te Anau.
The weather for the first part of the drive wasn't too bad although very windy (forecast had been for winds 100+ kph) which we discovered for real when the ski rack blew off the top of the car! Luckily there wasn't any one behind the car (again, the roads are empty) but the rack was broken and a nice dent left in the boot lid.
By the time we got to Te Anau the weather was definitely closing in and we decided to pick up an organized coach & boat ride from there as the drivers would know the road and conditions better. This was definitely a good move - the coach was excellent with good commentary from the driver, stops to enjoy the views and a safe journey. The clouds and rain were everywhere but they seemed to make the landscape even more dramatic. No one had ever seen as many waterfalls as on this journey.
The boat trip was almost as dramatic. The mountains of the fijords are staggering and look like they're straight out of Lord of the Rings. The 100 kph winds were combined with the speed of the boat and it was almost impossible to walk around outside - which made it even more fun! The wind was so hard that the waterfalls were actually "falling" vertically upwards!
We were very grateful to catch the bus back to Te Anau to get some zzz's in before picking up the car and heading back to Queenstown. Although the weather had been bad for us, it got a lot worse the next day and the roads did close so were lucky to have made the trip.
Helen says-
today we headed dwn 2 milford sound to catch a boat ride but one of the roads dwn there gets closed sometimes cos tehy get avalanches tehre so we thort it wud be betta to catch a bus from a place called te anau and let them do all the hard work.
wel we managed to get there and bk fine and the boatride was fun mum dad and andrew went all on top wen a waterfall came and got soaked but i didnt feel up to it because i think that the first busy week or sp is catchng up to me
The weather for the first part of the drive wasn't too bad although very windy (forecast had been for winds 100+ kph) which we discovered for real when the ski rack blew off the top of the car! Luckily there wasn't any one behind the car (again, the roads are empty) but the rack was broken and a nice dent left in the boot lid.
By the time we got to Te Anau the weather was definitely closing in and we decided to pick up an organized coach & boat ride from there as the drivers would know the road and conditions better. This was definitely a good move - the coach was excellent with good commentary from the driver, stops to enjoy the views and a safe journey. The clouds and rain were everywhere but they seemed to make the landscape even more dramatic. No one had ever seen as many waterfalls as on this journey.
The boat trip was almost as dramatic. The mountains of the fijords are staggering and look like they're straight out of Lord of the Rings. The 100 kph winds were combined with the speed of the boat and it was almost impossible to walk around outside - which made it even more fun! The wind was so hard that the waterfalls were actually "falling" vertically upwards!
We were very grateful to catch the bus back to Te Anau to get some zzz's in before picking up the car and heading back to Queenstown. Although the weather had been bad for us, it got a lot worse the next day and the roads did close so were lucky to have made the trip.
Helen says-
today we headed dwn 2 milford sound to catch a boat ride but one of the roads dwn there gets closed sometimes cos tehy get avalanches tehre so we thort it wud be betta to catch a bus from a place called te anau and let them do all the hard work.
wel we managed to get there and bk fine and the boatride was fun mum dad and andrew went all on top wen a waterfall came and got soaked but i didnt feel up to it because i think that the first busy week or sp is catchng up to me
Day 13 - 9th Aug 2007
Day 2 of skiing and we headed for the next nearest ski area - The Remarkables. The journey up was a bit more hair-raising than Coronet as the road was "unsealed" and not many crash barriers. Once at the top, we had a quick breakfast (but the food was pretty poor) before hitting the slopes. Remarkables is smaller than Coronet and we covered all the slopes pretty quickly. The weather was definitely on the turn so we skied hard until around 1pm before heading back down the mountain before it got too bad.
Once down we had a quick lunch and then headed for the Shotover Jet Boat ride. This was definitely a highlight of the trip so far - the boat travels at impossibly high speed up the Kamuara River gorge between very tight rocky cliffs. The drivers really know what they're doing. Everyone came off soaked but with big grins!
Helen says-
we went skking agen today but only for a half day bcos we had a very fun afternoon (im not bin sarcastic it was amazingly fun more bout that in a mo) neway we got ther and teh first run we had to dowas one of the hardest becasue there was a special lift which sed advanced skiiers and borders only and that was dawnting enough and wen we gt to the top mum didnt want to ski dwn a thin path so we went the other way and ended up on the top of a ridgre on the mountain on the one side you looked dwn u cud c queenstwn and then on the other side you could c the run we were about to do which looked almost straight dwn but with a little hill at the end we went dwn it fine but later on we did that run agen and bcos the lst time i went dwn i didnt get quite to the other side of the hill i throt i shud take a longer run up and go in a straight line for longer before the hill. So i did the top bit fine then , a little bit too early for me , i got into my tuck and went for it i was goin faster than i ever had before and the wind pushed me bkwards i throt i was going to fall over and that wud have hurt and then i wud have had to have climbed this hill but , i dnt no how, i sat on the bk of my skis and wen i got to the top of the hill i managed to stand bk up fine that was the best trick i had ever done and noone even saw it nicht so gut.
neway in the afternoon we went on the shotover jet which is a jetboat ride which goes along a river and thru a valley and goes really fast and gets really close to the rocks and you are expected to get wet so they give you these sexy fisherman overalls type things which i looked absolutely amazing in not lol yh but it was still really fun probably the best so far.
Once down we had a quick lunch and then headed for the Shotover Jet Boat ride. This was definitely a highlight of the trip so far - the boat travels at impossibly high speed up the Kamuara River gorge between very tight rocky cliffs. The drivers really know what they're doing. Everyone came off soaked but with big grins!
Helen says-
we went skking agen today but only for a half day bcos we had a very fun afternoon (im not bin sarcastic it was amazingly fun more bout that in a mo) neway we got ther and teh first run we had to dowas one of the hardest becasue there was a special lift which sed advanced skiiers and borders only and that was dawnting enough and wen we gt to the top mum didnt want to ski dwn a thin path so we went the other way and ended up on the top of a ridgre on the mountain on the one side you looked dwn u cud c queenstwn and then on the other side you could c the run we were about to do which looked almost straight dwn but with a little hill at the end we went dwn it fine but later on we did that run agen and bcos the lst time i went dwn i didnt get quite to the other side of the hill i throt i shud take a longer run up and go in a straight line for longer before the hill. So i did the top bit fine then , a little bit too early for me , i got into my tuck and went for it i was goin faster than i ever had before and the wind pushed me bkwards i throt i was going to fall over and that wud have hurt and then i wud have had to have climbed this hill but , i dnt no how, i sat on the bk of my skis and wen i got to the top of the hill i managed to stand bk up fine that was the best trick i had ever done and noone even saw it nicht so gut.
neway in the afternoon we went on the shotover jet which is a jetboat ride which goes along a river and thru a valley and goes really fast and gets really close to the rocks and you are expected to get wet so they give you these sexy fisherman overalls type things which i looked absolutely amazing in not lol yh but it was still really fun probably the best so far.
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