Another Sydney Visit

We have just returned from another visit to Sydney.  This was our first winter visit and, even though the temperatures were in the high teens, we really did find it quite chilly!  It was kind of odd to see, the shops are often quite open and all of the shop keepers would have on their winter woolies to stave off the wind chill.  In the summer the breeze is refreshing, but in the winter it is quite nasty!  We spend plenty of time indoors and out of the wind.

Harbour Bridge

This was our fourth trip to Sydney are there are still so many things that we haven't done.  This trip we went to a show in the Opera House, the Aquarium and the Sydney Museum.  The highlight, however, was taking in the sights from the Sydney Tower.  We had really lucked out and booked half price tickets on-line (clever JT!) and practically had the place to ourselves.  The tour begins with a four minute "4D" movie covering the highlights of the central Sydney area.  It takes place by following a bird as it flies around buildings and tracks people on the water  (the fourth dimension, as far as we can tell, is the water spray that hits the viewers in the face).  It was an amazing show and well worth the trip all on its own!

The tower is just over 300m high and provides a fantastic 360 degree view over the entire CBD, the Sydney Harbour, the Darling Harbour, the Blue Mountains and everything in between.  We spent about an hour walking around and going through all of the places that we had only glimpsed before and planned out things to do for the rest of that trip and for subsequent ones.

Wharf area in greater Sydney Harbour

It was a very nice and secure feeling to be able to get those kind of views from the safety of a nice, glassed in enclosure...we can't imagine what it would be like to be one of the crazy people who actually pay to walk around the OUTSIDE of the tower!  We definitely aren't planning on doing that!

St Mary's Cathedral

(And we would be remiss if we didn't point out that Australia's famous mare Black Caviar has now won her 22nd race in a row, and in front of the Queen at the Royal Ascot, no less!)