The Zuiderdam sailed into the Sydney Harbour under cover of darkness too early this morning for all of us to get a scenic sail-in. Back in the old days, the ship would have arrived at daylight, and there would have been a running commentary on all of the outside decks, as well as inside the lounges. That does not happen anymore, due to local regulations forbidding noise coming from the cruise ships. And another good reason for the early docking is the fact that ships our size must use the White Bay terminal, simply because we can fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. According to Captain Friso, we had just enough room to clear the bridge legally because of the higher tides. Now there would be two other choices of where we could dock. The first option was at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, located at Circular Quay. That had always been our spot, until the mega-ships began visiting here. The other option could be anchoring across from the Opera House and tendering to shore. That would be our last choice, so having to take a shuttle bus to Darling Harbour from White Bay wasn't such a bad idea. By the way, we will be here for two full days.
Also in port at White Bay today was the old Prinsendam, now called Amera and owned by Phoenix Reisen. Considering it was launched in 1988 as Royal Viking Sun, it still looks great. We went on her last world cruise in 2001 when the ship was the Seabourn Sun, and again in 2005 and 2010 for grand voyages after it was sold to HAL. The other ship in port was docked at Circular Quay, and that was the Carnival Splendor, launched in 2008 with 2974 passengers who are described as young couple with families.
Sydney has been described as a glamourous city with all of the beaches, boutiques, high-end shopping, and bars. They are big on shellfish, bugs (shovel-nosed lobsters), snapper, trevally, and whiting. Oysters and prawns are common entrées.
Tours offered today included a walk on your own in the Rocks -$50, or a stroll in Manly and North Sydney - $50. A city tour and Bondi beach was $90, while for the thrill-seeking folks, a climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge was $500. Sydney sites and Opera House tour was $130, and a visit to the Taranga Zoo was $140. A drive to the Blue Mountains was $200, and an evening performance at the Opera House was $400 for A seats or $300 for B seats. That did not even include cocktails or a dinner.
Yesterday we had been given instructions about the Australian Immigrations procedures. Our time slot was 9am with group 7, but we inquired about getting off later, and were told that was fine, as our group has that option. So we went to breakfast at 7:30am, and finally left the ship around 9:30am. By then, most of the ship's tours should have been off and cleared immigrations. By the way, we were asked to wear masks in the terminal, although, the note that came with the complimentary masks stated we "may" be asked to wear a mask. It's a fine point, but tomorrow we will have to look for the mandatory mask sign, since today we don't recall seeing it.
The line to present ourselves to the officials was like being in Disneyland. Zig-zagging for about six lanes, it took way longer than most people expected. Of course, we were mixed with the tour groups, and not all of the agents were proficient at their job. The fellow we got ended up asking his lady colleague for help. Once we cleared, we were handed our passports and off we went to the waiting coaches. The ride took only 20 minutes across the Anzac Bridge to the backside of the Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour. The last shuttle was at midnight. One thing we missed were the offerings of maps with lots of information. In fact, they only had a few street maps left, and some brochures. Then they ran out according to Barb who followed behind us.
We have to mention that the weather was really looking like rain….very cloudy and humid. Greg and Heo had mentioned that if it rained, it would be light and passing. Boy did that turn out differently, but not until later in the day. We did have some sprinkles along the hike, but for the most part, our umbrellas kept us dry. But more about that later.
Locating Market Street by going up the escalator, we followed it to the Queen Victoria Building, then on to Pitt Street. It is a pedestrian only street lined with every high-end store that exists. Even at this early hour, there were street artists playing music for some tips. Judging by the store window displays, the clothing is geared towards the younger group and quite colorful and up-to-date fashionable. The famous Uggs are sold here, but we figured it is way easier to go online at home and buy them that way. We are restricted by weight for our luggage, so we have to be careful. Window-shopping was as good as it gets here.
Going downhill, we found we were close to Circular Quay and the many ferries that leave from here. That's where we saw the Carnival Splendor docked with lots of folks coming and going with luggage in tow. We are not sure, but it appeared the ship may be having a turn-over today. Most of the passengers we saw were very young with kids. The cafes and restaurants were in full swing by now since it was close to lunchtime.
We made our way to the Opera House, and that's when the sprinkles began. Just enough to wet the umbrellas, but then stopped. The drizzle was off and on for the next hour or two. After circling around the back of the Opera House, we got many more pictures to add to the collection. The entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden was right there, so we hiked through the entire park, checking out each display and testing several nice park benches. It was the least crowded we have even seen, but that had to be due to the weather. Despite the drizzle and occasional winds, it was still warm. One spot we had not seen before was the Calyx, which turned out to be a nice garden with a snack corner and restrooms. And a shop of course. If there was a display there, it was closed.
We made our way to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, situated on the point opposite the Opera House. One of us climbed down the rock steps to reach the actual "chair" created from natural rocks. This is where Mrs. Macquaire sat while watching for ships from England. On the way back, we passed by the staging area of an entertainment venue with the Opera House and Sydney Bridge in the backround. Following the path along Farm Cove, we made our way back to the park's entrance once again.
Our destination was The Rocks, the area where convicts lived in barracks in the 1800's. It is thought that these prisoners worked for the government during the day, and the rest of the time, built the houses, shops, and pubs creating a new life for themselves. The Rocks is a living museum these days and every place has a story to tell. After passing by the busy ferry area of Circular Quay, we began the climb up George Street. We noticed that many of the pubs and eateries had expanded their seating areas into part of the street, closing it to traffic to all but one lane. This practice has popped up where we live as well in downtown Walnut Creek. Some of the side streets have closed totally with tables and chairs with many umbrellas for shade. This really took off during the Covid period and has remained popular with the diners.
Near the top of the street is a plaza where you can find the best pizza ( in our humble opinion ). It is called Caminetto's , and despite it being after 2pm, we were lucky to find a table outside mostly under the overhang. We ordered two draft beers and one Hawaiian pizza to share. So far, this was the best pizza we have had, since it was covered generously with ham, pineapple, and tons of bubbling hot cheese. By the time we were finished, thunder and lightning exploded right overhead. Numerous times, we saw the flash followed by cracking thunder. Naturally, the rain began and soon became super-heavy. We scooted under the overhang as much as possible, then one of us pulled out the umbrella to keep the spray from getting us too wet. The patio was full of locals, who did not seem to skip a beat during the passing storm. We ordered a different dessert of ice cream rolled with nuts and chocolate in the center, enjoying every bite until the rain let up. By now it was after 3pm, and time to find our way back to the shuttle. We noticed that all of the street dining venues had emptied out totally all the way back down George Street.
It was a long hike back to Market Street, then back over to Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay where the bus was waiting. By now the rain had begun to fall again, so our timing happened to be perfect by accident. A few more passengers were waiting at a different spot, and the nice driver stopped to let them in the bus. The ride back this time was slower due to a previous accident that caused a back up on the roads. Since we were so close to White Bay terminal, we exited the freeway and were back to the ship by 4:30pm. We had completed a 7 hour hike and appreciated relaxing until dinnertime.
Watching from our veranda, we began seeing groups of mostly well-dressed guests heading off for that performance at the Opera House. Rather amusing to see some of the tux-wearing gents sporting white tennis shoes. Actually Greg and Heo said these days, the locals are nowhere near as formal as they used to be. Casual is the common dress code for most venues, including the Opera House.
Susie and Woody mentioned that they had gotten a notice to bring Woody's wheelchair to an inspection session prior to leaving the ship. One of the staff members had to check the tires and make sure they were soil-free. Interesting, as we have never heard of that before. Must be heightened biosecurity measures. By the way, they passed.
Although the dinner menu seems to be repeating itself quite often, a few appetizers appeared that we like. One was the Thai beef salad and the other the deep fried rice and cheese treats – arancini. Mains were everyday salmon again , since there was no other fish option, and one plate of meatballs and spaghetti. Made one of us very happy. Greg and Heo had made a run back to their home, taking care of business and checking on family. Greg also went shopping, and brought back some tasty Tim Tams, a favorite treat for all of us, including our waiters. And because the cranberry sauce that is made on the ship is so unappetizing, Greg brought two jars of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce in jars, no less for Susie. Speaking of waiters, we had a nice surprise when a new head waiter appeared at our table. It was Oscar, who we have known from many a world cruise. He had boarded today and made it a point to search out the folks he knew. And he hasn't changed one bit….always friendly with a smile and a laugh we all remembered.
Tomorrow will be another day to explore, but we hope the sun will be shining.
Bill & Mary Ann
