The link isn't working for me

Looking forward to your report. We leave for Sydney next week on our way to Tasmania. Can't wait!

Patty, have a great trip!

Maybe the slideshow link will work for you.
http://www.flickr.com//photos/76264535@N02/sets/72157630486985798/show/

Nice photos sassy_cat, thanks for sharing those.

Thanks Mel, Sydney is very photogenic.



My serendipitous trip came about when my daughter was invited to a friend's grandmother's home in Florida for a week. DD was already spending the weekend prior to this with another friend in New Hampshire so suddenly I had 10 days of 'home alone' time.

I briefly considered getting some serious yard work done and promptly dismissed the notion in favour of joining my husband on his business trip to Australia. It was a very easy decision

DH had already booked his flights and would be leaving 3 days ahead of me for Perth where he stayed for 2 nights before flying to Sydney.
I arrived bright and early on the Saturday morning after non eventful flights from BOS to JFK to LAX to SYD and caught the Airlink train to Circular Quay.

Picked up a weekly MYMULTIPASS for $61 which included 2 x airport gate entries and a weeks worth of travel.
I'm not sure if I technically got my monies worth but for the ease of jumping on and off buses and ferries without a second thought I think it was invaluable.

Unbelievably as I was crossing the street from the train station I glanced up at the Marriott and Tony was looking down from the executive lounge at the Marriott wondering what the chances were of spotting my arrival! He met me in the lobby right by the elevators.

After a quick coffee in the lounge I showered and we were ready to go out around 10.30 am. I felt pretty good and not as jet lagged as I expected to be. The beautiful sunny day might have helped and it was warm (67F)

Plans for the day were to tour the Rocks area, potter around Circular Quay taking the first of those iconic photos of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge then take a ferry to Manly and on our return walk across the bridge.

more later...

Fantastic photos sassycat thanks for sharing!

Great photos, sassy_cat. I recognise some shots similar to those I took in October! Look forward to reading the rest of your report.
Hope you are over your jetlag now.

Super!! I can't wait to get back to SYD in two weeks! Your photos are beautiful! So many fond memories of Sydney and its gorgeous harbor. I can only 'hope' that I'm in a similar room at the Marriott, for that view you had!! Wow!!

Keep the report coming. So glad you enjoyed your trip. Are you planning your RETURN yet? haha

Carol

I briefly considered getting some serious yard work done

I can't believe you even considered it

The second link works for me, thanks! We're also staying at the Marriott. Looking forward to more.

Carol, we were on the 29th floor @ the Marriott directly below the lounge. The view was lovely.

The return IS already planned.. we had originally planned to visit Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns next June and this trip was an extra treat.

Patty, yeah I can't believe it either!

So Day 1..

We wandered around the outdoor market craft stalls in the Rocks area and I bought a few souvenirs including an old Australian penny set into a magnet and a cheap bag made from an animal feed sack with something written in Thai on it and an image of a chicken.
The bag was supposed to be for my daughter but I ended up using it during my stay as my camera fitted in it easily.

After an hour or so we walked back to the wharf and caught the ferry to Manly.
The ferries were a highlight of my stay and I spent this trip moving around the various decks, taking photos and admiring the water views of the bridge and Opera House.

On arrival we headed to the beach via the Corso stopping briefly at a Vodaphone shop to pick up an inexpensive phone for me with a plan that lasted until my last night in Sydney.
I actually ran out of minutes and couldn't respond to texts but could answer calls on my last morning and didn't get a chance to top up my phone!

We walked along the beach working up an appetite and Tony decided it was time for fish and chips. I wasn't hungry and my body clock wasn't sure what meal to expect so I shared a little of his lunch then caught the ferry back to Circular Quay.

We figured we had time to walk across the bridge before sunset but we only got half way before our energy levels dipped quicker than the setting sun and we called it a day at 5pm and walked back to the Marriott.

Too tired for dinner we nibbled on hors d'oeuvres in the lounge. The food was good, a nice selection of crudites, a hot dish, cheese platter and some small savoury tartlets.

I was asleep before 8pm.

Day 2

Such a great day in the Blue Mountains!
Rented a car with Avis in the hotel lobby which was so convenient and headed out after breakfast. We were on the road by 8.30 am and we first visited Wentworth Falls, walked to a couple of viewpoints. It was rather chilly and my teeth were chattering but fortunately it warmed up as the day wore on. Seeing the rainbow parrots and other birds was a treat

more later!

I'm platinum with Marriott so maybe I'll get booked into a high floor with similar view. The lounge sounds great! I always enjoy the lounges/food/drinks, etc.

Carol, You'll probably get a room with a great view (they have Opera House views too if you prefer).
My husband has lowly Gold status with Marriott and we were very happy with our stay.

Too tired to add more tonight due to the combination of jet lag and return to the daily grind.

Those photos are absolutely beautiful! I wish I was so clever! Glad you enjoyed our town.

Great photos! Can't wait to read more. We were in Sydney 2 years ago and your report is bringing back fond memories. Lucky you to have a return trip planned already!

I hope you are right, sassy_cat. I'll have two stays at this Marriott. One night at the beginning, and 2 at the end of my trip. I can maybe get both views!

Thanks Peteralan and Florida1, The return trip is 'planned' but not booked yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything pans out.

Carol, both views would be fantastic and you'll get that just by visiting the lounge. I preferred the Harbour Bridge view from the lounge as the Opera view can be a little too bright in the mornings when you're looking into the sun.

So back to the Blue Mountains..
We were feeling peckish after our walk around the Wentworth Falls lookouts (Princes Rock Lookout and Weeping Rock/ Queens Cascade) so we stopped in Leura around 11.30 am. With eyes peeled we drove through the main street looking for a parking place and found one just past the The Bakehouse at Wentworth.

We intended to get just coffee but the pies looked tempting and while queuing to get coffee we saw them rapidly snapped up by other customers. Tony was lucky enough to score the last sausage roll and I chose the curried vegetable pie. Sausage roll was deemed excellent and the pie was good. The bread and pastries also made on the premises looked tempting too and the place was full by the time we finished our coffee and left for Echo Point.
We stopped at Sublime Point lookout en route.

We weren't prepared for how busy Echo Point was going to be. There had been a few other people at Wentworth Falls but when we reached EP around noon it was packed. Cars were lined along the roads and we were lucky to find a space in a car park nearby ($4 for an hour).

We enjoyed the spectacular views of the Three Sisters from a couple of different vantage points and took the necessary photos. I was disappointed we didn't have more time to hike in the area as we saw people climbing between the Three Sisters.
Tempting as it was to set off on a trail I had to consider that DH had work the following day and he wanted to be back in Sydney before dark. Maybe next time!

Popped into the information centre and souvenir shop to pick up a few postcards and ask about Govett's Leap and the route to Blackheath and then pressed on.

Govett's Leap was thankfully less busy (no tour buses) so after admiring the view from the top viewpoint we studied the information provided and decided we had time to walk along one of the trails to another view point so we step off on the track to Pulpit Rock.

A family of 4 were just returning to the parking lot and I noticed how muddy their feet were but somehow it didn't really register that this was ahead of us!
The trail quickly became rather wet and muddy and we squelched along avoiding the puddles as best we could.

We caught up with a group of 3 and commented on the mud and one guy pointed to his feet. He was wearing crocs! Those socks won't be fit to wear again I told him and he laughed adding that his suitcase would be lighter going home.

We pressed on and the views were definitely worth it. At one point we could just see both falls. I was determined to photograph the birds that were flitting about and had limited success due to the mud. I didn't want to lose my footing that I was certain of.

We've hiked in lots of places and I'm pretty sure if this had been in any US National Park there would have been warning signs everywhere or more likely the trail would have been closed and if it had been in Iceland then the guardrails along the edge that we were very grateful for would not have been there!
So Australia seems to be somewhere in the middle LOL.

We drove back to Sydney and I spotted two cockatoos on the way but only managed to catch a tail feather in my viewfinder! Saw a sign for kangaroos on the road for the next 2km and even though I sent up all sorts of prayers, offerings to any and every deity that I could think of we did not see one. Thank goodness for the Taronga Zoo!

More later as life intervenes again...

After reading this section of your report, sassy_cat, I think we might have to include Blue Mountains in our itinerary. We had a very quick look-through many years ago, but sounds like it deserves a better look.
I sympathise with the last paragraph- have had those experiences so often!

Hi dottyp, I knew I wanted to see the Blue Mountains and even though it was winter we really enjoyed our short visit. If you go in October it will be even better I'm sure!

Day 3 I was left to my own devices as my husband left for work around 7am. We were checking out of the Marriott and into the Westin so we had packed the night before. Tony put the cases in the back of the car (he'd needed to keep the car for the week after all so it was handy to leave our luggage in the boot).

I had arranged a late check out at the Marriott (3pm) and an early check in at the Westin to make things easier! I just had my small backpack to carry but decided to leave it an go out after breakfast.

I didn't have any major plans today so I strolled to the Opera House thinking I should maximise my time in this area before we moved further away from Circular Quay.
Then after a few view shots I walked into the Botanical Gardens and around to Mrs. Macquaries Point and Chair... more photos and I took several for others with their cameras.

I like to offer to take photos for groups of people so everyone is included and often they are very grateful. Sometimes they don't speak much English and it's funny explaining in sign language what I'm attempting to do.
Two women were very pleased with their photo and I admired the lace parasol that one of them. They then offered to take my photo for me and lent me the parasol for the shot!

I enjoyed the gardens even in winter as there were lots of birds; some with interesting calls that I attempted to photograph.
I had lunch at Botanic the restaurant in the gardens around 1pm and returned to the Marriott around 2pm to grab one last coffee in the lounge, pack up and check out.

30 mins later I was at the Westin and we were upgraded to a very nice tower room on the 26th floor. The view was of the clocktower and surrounding buildings with a glimpse of blue water in the distance.

I really liked the Westin room especially the bathroom which was very modern with a glass window between it and the bedroom complete with a motorised blind for privacy!
The tub was excellent and so was the rain shower but the shower could only be used for s minute or two before the bathroom flooded as the water pressure was so strong and the drain just couldn't cope.

Overall this was a better room but I missed the view from the Marriott. We didn't have lounge access here but our rate included breakfast and the buffet @ Mosaic was excellent. There was a 'superfoods' section with fresh juice concoctions that I really enjoyed. Kiwi with mint and watermelon splash were my favourites. The breads and pastries made in house were always very fresh, well presented and most importantly tasted divine.

I spent the afternoon relaxing, tried out the tub and Tony got back in time for dinner so we ate downstairs in the GPO. We shared a wood fired pizza and some olives. Good but not something I'd go out of my way for.

Day 4 (Tues) A great full day out. After breakfast I walked to Circular Quay and caught the ferry to Taronga zoo. This ferry was much smaller than the Manly only but it was fairly empty and I enjoyed the views. I arrived at the zoo about 30 mins before it opened. Caught the bus to the main entrance and paid $44 entry.
I started by taking the cable car for a round trip. Nice views of the city at the bottom but you don't get to see many animals.

I didn't expect to enjoy the zoo as much as I did but getting to stroke a kangaroo made my day! I loved the zoo and spent almost 4 hours here walking around, back tracking at times and spending most of my time in the Australian section.

I caught the ferry back and jumped on a bus to Bondi as it was leaving. I was a little too quick putting my ticket in the machine and it jammed as the card was the wrong way round.. oops.
The bus driver was nice and said oh just sit down and everyone boarding after me used the spare machine.

Getting off I asked nervously about my Multipass and the driver was surprised as she thought I'd used a single ticket. She spent couple of minutes writing down my hotel details and then scribbling a note on another ticket to say I'd lost mine and to allow me free travel until it was returned.

I was very sceptical of ever seeing my ticket again but around midnight the following day it was pushed under my hotel room door. Where else in the world would that happen?? I was amazed! And the scribbled note I used in the meantime worked like a charm

Meanwhile Bondi Beach was a little cool and very breezy so after a quick brisk walk on the beach I decided to postpone my coastal walk and I found a small coffee shop with a view.

I regretted postponing as when I did get around to walking to Bronte it was far windier and there were a couple of showers too but as the weather had been so good so far I assumed I would continue to be so lucky! Well, I did get to see rainbows so I suppose the rain was worth it too.

More later.. I'll have to finish this up as I have a busy weekend and I'm going away next week so I'll be more concise.

I have not been to Taronga for a number of years. Maybe I should visit again! Is there still "the zoo with the view" at the giraffe enclosures?

Good story about the bus ticket, Saasy_cat, someone went out if their way to get it back to you- nice one!

This is a terrific trip report, lots of info & wonderful photos. I offer to take photos for others too and it's funny sometimes trying to get the message across, isn't it?

Looking forward to the rest of your travels.

Good story so far.....waiting for the rest!

Carol, there were some great views from the zoo. It's certainly a prime real estate spot those animals should count themselves lucky to live there.

Thanks Bokhara2, I wish I was still there!

Thanks margo

Day 4
Solo breakfast as Tony had left early for work.
The plan was to go to Spit on the ferry and then walk to Manly but the weather wasn't exactly cooperating for the first time and I got wet just walking down to the Quay.

The sun came out again and I made a quick decision to take the bus to Bondi again and take the coastal walk to Bronte that I'd skipped out on the day before.
The bus driver barely glanced at my hand written 'ticket' and waved me on and I enjoyed the bus journey a second time as I now knew where I was going.
I liked picking out imaginary suitable places to live along the route and the choice improved along the stretch on the hill above Bondi. Flats with views!

After a quick walk down to the beach I hesitated before setting out as it was windier than the day before and no one was in the water. Yesterday I'd seen several surfers in the water but today the sea was deserted.
I shopped at a store called 'Between the Flags' as it displayed a shirt with 'Applecrumble and Fish' on the front. An obvious play on the American company name of Abercrombie and Fitch which made me laugh and I bought a t-shirt for each of my children.

Now I had an extra bag to take on the walk! Anyway I enjoyed it. The start was difficult as I was walking headlong into a seriously strong wind. It was the type that you could lean into and feel supported. The eye candy along the path was interesting. Lots of attractive male joggers making the 'walk' look easy.
Fantastic views of the coastline and I took many photos then returned the same way just as a rainbow came out.

I stopped for coffee at Crabbe Hole at the Bondi Iceburgs pool overlooking the beach. Beautiful view

It started to rain again quite heavily as I made my way to the bus stop and several people had the same idea. The bus filled up quickly and I stood for the first part of the trip back to CBD.

Rather than returning to the Quay I jumped off before that but I'd misjudged it slightly and still had to walk for 10 minutes to the Westin.

I had an hour or so to get ready before I had to leave again to meet Bokhara at the NSW Art Gallery.

more later!

The Bondi trip sounds lovely, other than the windy conditions. I'll have to put this on my to-do list for the NEXT time I'm in Sydney. I have only ONE full 'free' day on this upcoming trip, and I really want to do Manly and shop along Pitt and David Jones and the QVB, etc etc.... Too much to do and too little time to do it.

Your photos are really great! I have enjoyed them at least twice now.

Carol

Carol, I did enjoy the coastal walk from Bondi despite the wind and I imagine the path gets crowded during better weather so I appreciated the relative lack of walkers and runners.

I met Bokhara at the Art Bar inside the Art Gallery of NSW for a glass of wine and we chatted until it was time for the Biennale talk.
One of the co curators from Canada was present and he attempted to answer some difficult questions. Perhaps it wasn't the right time or place to ask 'which are your favourite pieces' in front of an audience that includes some of the artists!

After the talk Bokhara showed me around a few sections of the gallery including some of the biennale installations. We were having such a good time that when she suggested dinner I was more than pleased to say yes with the warning that I might fall asleep at any moment as due to jet lag I'd been in bed every night by 9pm and up before dawn.

After a quick tour by night of Sydney we ended up at The Macleay St Bistro in Potts Point/ Kings Cross area. Food, wine and conversation were all enjoyed and a hearty thank you to Bokhara for introducing me to this little local gem.
Apparently this area is not recommended after dark but we survived unscathed.
Bokhara very kindly dropped me off at my hotel and I was very surprised to be awake at midnight as my bus pass was slipped under the door!

Day 5

The next morning I had a bit of a lie in until 7 and after a lazy breakfast I left for Wharf 4 for the ferry to Watson's Bay.
Again the weather was very changeable but I enjoyed the short ferry ride and fantastic views to this old fishing village.
I walked through the park and up to Gap Bluff then along the cliffside walk. Beautiful views in both directions.. crashing ocean waves on one side and distant views of Sydney with a beach in the foreground in the other direction. I didn't know which way to look or point my camera!

Took the ferry back less than 2 hours later and after a coffee I caught the free ferry to Cockatoo Island. Wished I'd just jumped on the regular ferry as I had mymultipass as this ferry was delayed and I waited half an hour...
I spent an hour on the island taking a quick look at some of the art installations, having another coffee and then headed back via the paid ferry to the Westin as Tony was 'home' early.

Day 6
My last full day. Up early as Tony wanted to walk to the Opera House before breakfast. It rained lightly but that meant no one was around and we took photos of rainbows over Sydney.
T left after breakfast for the airport as he was going home a day before me and I wandered around the Rocks area ending up at the MCA where I had lunch at the rooftop restaurant (thanks susan7 for the rec the views were wonderful and the food was very good too!).
I had an interesting salad with a glass of wine.

The day seemed to disappear and I had an early dinner at the Opera Bar at sunset and then walked back to the hotel to pack and relax.

Day 7
I left at 9am the following morning and got home at 9pm that night after many hours in transit that seemed to disappear technically but my body felt them!

the end.. I hope to return before the end of 2013, the sooner the better!

Hi from Sydney, Sassy_cat. I arrived here just this morning, coming in from about a week in Bangkok. The weather here is delightful today. Hope it holds!!

I had a nice stroll today (with friend and baby girl) around the Rocks, Circular Quay, and all the way to Darling Harbour. It was a nice day for a stroll.

My room at Marriott Circular Quay is on 31st floor, but it does not have either a harbour bridge or opera house view. But that's OK. I have access to the Club Lounge and the view from there is nice.

I was told I was upgraded when I checked in today, so I'm not sure what I would have gotten without the upgrade... probably a lower floor room? Anyway, I'm here for one night and then off with friends to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley for a few days. I will return to Sydney on Sunday night, and will have Monday the 30th to take the Manly ferry and maybe do a bit of shopping on Pitt Street.

Good to be back in Sydney! I can see that you enjoyed your visit and are planning for a return. This is #8 for me. My husband has yet to come here. I've done 5 of my 8 trips as a solo traveller, and on the other 3 of them I had fellow teacher friends come along with me.

I won't be doing a trip report here, but I wanted to check in and let you know that I made it here, and I wanted to tell you about my room at Marriott. It is in a really great location. You are right about that. I've stayed in Darling Harbour my last 4-5 trips, so this is a totally new location for me.

Hi Carol

May I ask which location you prefer - Darling Harbour or the Marriott? And which hotel you stayed in at Darling Harbour?

You probably won't have formed an opinion yet, but would be grateful if you'd post your impressions later. I'm interested in things like restaurants & other facilities as well the location itself, proximity to the places you want/need to visit, etc.

As a local, I'm too familiar to have an objective view, so would be really interesting & useful to have one from someone who has been here enough to know the layout & way the CBD works, and who also has the fresh eyes of a visitor.

I'm glad we've turned on some nice weather for you & hope the HV does likewise. Hot air ballooning is always good up there - would be spectacular with this clear air, if a bit nippy!

Good morning, Bokhara2. I can't yet make the decision of which area I prefer. After my HV trip and Newcastle visit, I will be back here at Marriott and have the time for exploring the area.

Today I will check out by 2pm so I can't get too far away, I don't suppose. There is certainly plenty going on right in this vicinity, including boat rides, which I always enjoy.

I've got my opera house view for the last two nights in Sydney. Manly today (and a bit of shopping Pitt St) and then off to SFO and then ORD tomorrow.

Carol, that's wonderful, enjoy!

I just got back from Arizona and I still haven't unpacked my case from my Sydney trip so I'm doing laundry for the next two days.. I'd really like to swap places with you.

Sassy_cat, it has really turned chilly here in Sydney. Brrrr! I'm ready to head back to hot-hot-hot Chicago, I think. NYC will be in less than two weeks, so I'll have to unpack and pack again.

Manly was chilly but sunny. Very windy as well. The ferry was really rockin' in that wind!

It was a tad fresh today and that sneaky southerly made it even cooler. I'd be packing my bags for warmer climes if I could,too! 10c at 18:45 according to my car.

Sassy_cat - I've lost your email address - could you let me have it again, please?

Carol, wishing you a safe trip home
42 C/108 F was a little too hot for me in Phoenix but at least they're prepared for it with strategically placed jets of mist around the pool bar!
I'm glad it's cooler here in Mass though.

Bokhara2, I've sent you an email.. stay warm!

Packing up this morning. I will head to the airport about noon. I'm going to browse the shops at the airport and then head to the first class lounge for a bit before heading off to SFO. I love first class frequent flier miles tickets!!!