Subject: Report # 40 Sailing Towarrds Sydney, Australia February 9, 2016 Tuesday ( Mardi Gras) Partly cloudy & 77 degrees
Report # 40 Sailing Towards Sydney, Australia Tuesday (Mardi Gras) Partly cloudy & 77 degrees
We woke up to the smell of burning wood, as in smoke from a forest fire. Now that is unlikely that this would be coming from the ship, or we surely hoped it wasn't. At breakfast we asked some other folks we knew if they could smell it and they said no. The waiters also said no. But during our morning promenade walk, CD Gene announced that several passengers had reported the smell, and had called the staff at the front desk. Checking into it, he said that there was indeed a fire somewhere in Australia, and the winds were blowing the smoke offshore. Since we are hugging the coastline, we are right in the path of the smoke. Knew we were not crazy. Eventually, we must have sailed past the worst of it, since by the late afternoon, the smell was gone.
There was a reminder that today was Fat Tuesday when we came out of the elevator on deck four, and found the entrance to the dining room decorated with Mardi Gras colors of green, purple, and gold. Wonder if we all will get fancy masks and strings of beads at dinner tonight? Somehow, with the little cutbacks we have been seeing this year, we rather doubt it.
The next two days will be busy ones at least for us in Sydney. The largest and oldest cosmopolitan city of Australia, the population of Sydney is a whopping 4.4 million lucky people. Can't imagine what it must have looked like thousands of years ago, when the Aboriginals inhabited this harbor area.
Eventually, the natural harbor was discovered by Captain Cook in 1770, when he claimed the east coast for Britain. By 1788, 1400 convicts were sent here along with some settlers to establish a new colony. Many Sydney citizens can claim they are related to a convict, and are proud of that fact. By 1925, the population had grown to 1 million people, followed by 2 million in 1965. Must have been due to the fact that this city is rated as one of the most beautiful as well as livable, that the number of people soared to over 4 million.
What is there to do and see? A whole lot. So much so, that you would need weeks instead of two days. There is still enough time to go to Circular Quay, where we are usually docked. This time, we will be at White Bay, with a free shuttle to bring us over the hill. The most famous icon here is the Sydney Opera House, opened by Queen Elizabeth ll in 1973. If you chose to book an evening to see a performance here, it would run you from $255 to $335 per person. That does include a bus to take you and bring you back to White Bay, where the Amsterdam will be docked.
The next most famous sight is the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which can be climbed. A tour booked with shore excursions runs $600 per person, but it does include a walk through the Rocks area. That is another cool place to explore, as it was one of the first places that was settled when the Brits arrived. The history here is fascinating. There is also a very excellent pizza café there.
Walking up the streets from the ferry hub, you will find shopping galore. There is Westfield Mall, the Stand Arcade, and the Queen Victoria Building to name a few. The Sydney Tower is located on these hillside with a revolving restaurant on the top. The height of the tower is 1014 feet. We have had the pleasure of eating dinner up there with our travel group years ago. You certainly never got bored with the view, as it changed every hour or so.
The Botanic Gardens and Domain are 200 years old, and a most wonderful way to spend a morning. You can make your way to Mrs. MacQuairie's Chair and Point from there.
Darling Harbour is a must to see. Besides shopping, there are many attractions to see there. Restaurants on the harbor are plentiful. You can reach Chinatown from there as well. And Paddy's Market, a place chock full of produce and souvenirs.
Going out of town, you can take a ferry to the Tauranga Zoo, or to Manly Beach, or Bondi Beach. Going to the Blue Mountains is pleasant, but it does take all day. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have taken the tour at least twice.
To rest up for the next two days in Sydney, we were pretty lazy today. The highlight was meeting Barb for lunch in the dining room. We ordered spring rolls, soup, ½ sandwich, and a quesadilla. Barb had a hot entrée that wasn't. It has been problematic getting hot food sometimes. When you order your entrees, you have to remind the waiter to bring it hot.
It may have been warm at the aft pool, but we never made it back there today. Now that the ship is headed in a northerly direction, the sun rises on the starboard side and sets on the port side. So if you are walking on the cool side of the ship, you need jackets. The deck is still closed off for continuous foot traffic, because the New Zealand crew is still working on the tender boat. No props or shafts have been replaced yet.
Have we mentioned that we have special guests coming to the ship in Sydney? That would be the new president, Orlando, along with the CEO of the HAL group, Mr. Kruse, the CEO of Carnival, Mr. Donald, and Gerald, the Mariner Society President. They will be sailing with us until Cairns, and we can expect there to be many events while they are here. In fact, we were invited to a President's Club dinner with them on February 15th , the last evening they will be on the ship.
Even though the dining room had minimal decorations at dinner time, the waiters were dressed like jesters. Not sure they like the uniforms, but they looked festive. The big event this evening was a Crows Nest party with snacks and drinks for sale. Barb told us that last year, Gene handed out Grand Dollars to everyone. Good way to draw a crowd up there.
A group by the name of the Australian Tenors performed tonight in the showlounge. We heard from someone that they overheard their practice, and reported their show was going to be really good. Don't want to miss this one, as we believe they are new to the Amsterdam.
Thanks to everyone who has replied to our blog. Love the positive comments. Also, regarding the question about 7056, there is access to the aft deck on seven. However, having seen that room, it is really suitable for one person, tight for two. Don't remember there was a closet to hang your clothes.
Bill & Mary Ann
