Well, here we are, docked in the White Bay Terminal, berth #4, but arriving around 7am. The scenic sail into this fabulous harbor was done in the dark of the early morning, shortly after 4am. The Captain had no choice but to follow orders from the port authorities that dictate his position in the line of vessels arriving this morning. Since we have done this sail into the harbor several times over the years, we were not disappointed to miss it. But for those that were doing this for the first time, it was too bad. Of course, they still could have listened to the commentary in the Crow’s Nest by Ian, we assume, at 4:30am. They did advertise orange juice, coffee, and Opera House rolls at that ungodly hour. By the way, it is a law now, and has been for some time, that no outdoor commentary can occur with any cruise ship, or there could be an $11,000. fine for each infraction. You better bet there was no sound at all. Other ships in port today were the Sun Princess next to us, and the Radiance of the Seas in Circular Quay. Since that ship will not fit under the Sydney Bridge, they got the good spot.
Between 7 and 10am, every passenger had to be inspected by the immigrations officials. Those guests who chose to return to the ship, had to wait until everyone was cleared. And since we were not in our usual spot, the waiting area was under a large extended tent. We exited the ship when the final number #19 was announced, which was around 9:45am The procedure moved quickly, except for those few that did not fill out their entrance cards according to the instructions. After our passports were scanned, we turned them back in to be returned to the lock-up on the ship. Job completed, we were off to wait for the next shuttle to Darling Harbor. And the good thing was that it was going to be a warm day in the 80’s with a breeze and sunny skies in the morning.
The ride was quick, since the worst of the commute time was over. Our friendly bus driver dropped us off near the Aquarium, same as last year, although, we could have sworn we were brought to the Rocks. Would have been nice to be closer to Circular Quay, but those days are over. The center of the business district is still undergoing renovations to put in a light rail system, and many of the major streets are closed to traffic. It looked much the same for the last couple of years. And probably will for a few more.
But first, here’s a little info on the country of Australia. It has a population of over 21 million people whose main language is English. This country is big, but compared to the USA, they have far fewer people. That is mostly due to the fact that the majority of Aussies live in cities scattered along its coastline. The interior, the Australian Outback, is a combination of sunburnt horizons, red hues of Uluru (Ayers Rock), opal mines, cattle stations, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, platypuses, and wombats. It is also a nation of contrasts, with crocodiles, deadly spiders, sharks and snakes….some of the deadliest in the world. Or you have the cosmopolitan cities, like Sydney, with iconic opera houses, fabulous beaches, spacious wineries, pubs, football, rock oysters, and vegemite. It truly is a country with immense character and some of the friendliest folks you could ever meet.
The city of Sydney is the oldest and largest in the country. There is no other harbor like it in the world that compares to the sail-in, in our opinion. And two days here is hardly sufficient to see it all. But we have done many tours over the years where we did tour the city as well as the outlying areas not to be missed. The ship offered many of these excursions for today and tomorrow. Some of them included local site-seeing, a harbor cruise, a trip to the Taranga Zoo, or a chance to climb the iconic Sydney Bridge. Hard to believe, but the cost to do this through shore excursions was $600 per person. Wow. Out of the area tours went to the Blue Mountains or a flight on a sea plane. This evening, some folks will attend a performance at the Opera House, setting them back between $255 to $335 for A or B seating. However, for some, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We followed our usual hike pattern which brought us up and over the hills from Darling Harbor to Circular Quay, around the Opera House, then into the gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens. That has got to be one of our favorite places in Sydney, besides the pizza restaurant, that is. Taking our time strolling through this spacious garden, we tested the several benches with viewpoints along the way. We covered most everything, with the exception of Mrs. MacQuarie’s Chair. At one point, we crossed paths with Eddy and Callista, who were also taking in the garden sites. Like us, it is right up their alley, considering they are the ship’s expert florists.
The time was slipping by, so we left the park, and made our way towards the Rocks area above Circular Quay. Our lunch destination was Caminetto’s, a small Italian mostly outdoor café In the Argyle section of the Rocks. In fact, the same table for two we usually have was available this afternoon, a good sign. Ordering two happy hour draft beers, we shared a delicious Margherita pizza, and a Jamaican mud cake for dessert. Once again, the best part was being able to relax and watch the world pass by for over an hour.
There were two more stops we wanted to make before heading back home. That was a stroll through the Queen Victoria Building for photos, and a shopping opportunity at Woolworth’s, the one stop lace for most everything we needed. The best buy of the day had to be the one liter of #50 sunblock lotion for $9 Aussie dollars, which equates to $6.50 USD. Here in Australia, they take their sun safety seriously, and make the lotions very reasonable to encourage their use. In the ship’s shop, we paid $15 for a 3 ounce tube. Yes, it is convenient that we can buy it here, but something is wrong with that price. The second best buy had to be Tim Tams, which we will savor ever so slowly.
The shuttle bus was waiting for a few more folks before leaving on the ½ hour. They will operate this shuttle until 11:15 tonight. By the time we arrived back to the pier, the Sun Princess was on her way out of the harbor. Around 6:30pm, while we were busy with photo processing and reports, the ropes of the Amsterdam were dropped, and we moved into the Princess ship’s berth. Why, we really don’t know. Anyway, we are here until tomorrow with all aboard at 6pm. It is also the end of another segment and tomorrow close to 40 or so folks will be leaving, with an equal number joining.
Barb had a great day with friends Greg and Heo, who picked her up with two other buddies for an afternoon drive and lunch. The guys will be joining us in Singapore for the remainder of the grand voyage. Looking forward to welcoming them onboard. The dining room was not busy this evening, since many people were off the ship or dining earlier. There was no show at all in the Mainstage, but there was an 8:45pm Mardi Gras Bead Party in the Crow’s Nest. The big draw was happy hour drinks, music, and dancing to celebrate Fat Tuesday.
Got to rest up for another marathon day tomorrow…..
Bill & Mary Ann
