Australia on Top -- Sydney

Shall we talk about the Harbour views? The two famous icons of Sydney -- the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House -- cause you to snap into the reality that you are finally and truly in the country I now consider to be on top of my list of desirable tourist destinations -- Australia! Fatigue vanishes as you realize that a major lifetime dream has come true. You are in Sydney. Drop your bags at your hotel and trot over to the Circular Quay for a morning coffee at the City Extra Cafe. Sit outside in the fresh air and watch Sydney's seafaring rush hour and workers come off the ferries by the thousands. You may be dizzy from jetlag, but now you know that it is all worth it. Enjoy every minute. In the back of your mind, you know that you will have to go home eventually, but for now you are in the true Emerald City.

Quick Tips:

Remember the travel moves on the left. They drive on the left, climb stairs and escalators on the left, and walk on sidewalks on the left. To prevent injury, be safe and cross streets only with the green man on the walk signals until you get your brain reorganized. Left over from the Olympics are a few 'look right' signs painted on the streets. Force yourself to think about how you are walking.

Best Way To Get Around:

The views! Sydney Harbour view gives you the Opera House and often the Bridge. The city views are long strings of office buildings and street (also less expensive). The Darling Harbour views are excellent from the upper floors. This is the hotel I will recommend to my best friend! The lobby is beautiful, the location perfect and the atmosphere quiet and restful. The best cure for jetlag. You can tell these are my own photos as I usually leave some of my own things on view.

Location: 5 minute walk to the Circular Quay transportation hub (trains, ferries and buses), 10 minutes to the heart of the Rocks district for history, shopping and restaurants, 20 minutes uphill to the Queen Victoria Building and other major shopping on George Street and well located for Darling Harbour. The view from the hotel's heated pool is outstanding both the Bridge and the Harbour. For location in Sydney, you can't really do better than this hotel.

Wonderful pumpkin and Minestrone soups served with a large bread roll. Fish and chips are great, as is the pumpkin frittata. The top dessert is likely the Pavalova, but my husband also enjoyed the chocolate mousse. Wine and beer available.

The views of Sydney Harbour are great. I especially enjoyed all the activity of the ferries. Buskers, that is street performers, just outside the restaurant in fair weather. This is an active restaurant. The ferries and trains run 24 hours. This restaurant is very popular with Sydneysiders. The waitresses are cheerful and check back often to see if you need anything. Service is quick, but you won't be hurried if you want to linger. This is a classic cafe! Just great! Prices are OK to feed the family (children's menu).

Cash, Bankcards, Diners Club, VISA, and Mastercard accepted.

The food is awlays fantastic at any Doyle's (also at Watson's Bay and in the seafood market), but the views are incredible. (There I go again, running out of adjectives to describe the experience of looking at Sydney Harbour!) Doyle's on the Quay has the queen of views with the Bridge to one side and the Sydney Opera House across the water. This restaurant is also not far from the Hyatt Hotel. By day and by night a supurb situation. Inside and outside tables. They use overhead heaters to keep you comfortable on chilly days. Even though our night was breezy and a touch cold in late May, we sat at an outside table. I couldn't bear to give up the view. We began our dinner just as the sun set and watched in awe as the Opera House first began to disappear in the increasing darkness and then reappear as its own lights came on. This has to be the very best view in the world.

A word about tipping. Tipping is not traditional in Australia, however we did tip in situations where the food and service were really good. As there is a place for a tip on credit card slips, I would say that tipping is, at the very least, encouraged. In general, prices compared to what you would pay in a city, say Dallas, for food. However, wine was usually less expensive than Dallas and always good to great as my husband tasted his way through the Australian wine lists.

Hours for this Doyles are: lunch noon to 3:30pm, dinner 6 to 9:30pm. Let them know when you make your reservation if you have a ticket at the Opera House. You can leave Doyle's by water taxi for a zippy trip across the Harbour to the Man of War steps at the Opera House or you can make the walk around the Quay in about 20 minutes.

You zip up to the top of the zoo and begin walking gradually down. Accessible for people using wheel chairs. Heavily shaded by tall trees, you might feel the heat of summer, but you won't get sunburned. At this time, the zoo is making a major expansion. It will be world class when completed. Not that I missed anything although my first glimpse of a kangaroo was difficult as it was sleeping in tall grass. Great bird collection including penguins. Many native birds have also made their homes in the zoo. Walk-ins shall we say? Zoo food was pretty good. Plenty of serious walking!

You have got to see the giraffes. They have a million dollar view of the Opera House! I tried to get the famous photo of the giraffe lined up perfectly with the view, but they weren't having it my way. Koalas yes, but the condors were a surprise, a wonderful surprise. For adults, plan about four hours for the ferry, look around, and lunch. If you have children along, add one more hour as there are special places for them to tour including 'Backyard to Bush'. Look for a 2004 completion of the improvements.

Look carefully for the original parts of the building such as the fabulous circular stairs that go up into the dome and the original tiles in the ladies restroom (I don't know about the gents!). This is a world class restoration of a wonderful building. At its financial peak at the time of the Olympics (what wasn't?), some of the shops have less expensive merchandise on offer. Too bad I only have four slots for photos!

Some of the stops are: Kings Cross, Double Bay, the Gap Park (very fine stop), Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach and Oxford Street. You can reboard the bus at any of the places where you see the blue Bondi Explorer signs. Traffic, weather and other conditions may change the route and times. Listen to your driver as he advises you along the route.

No tipping. Wheelchair accessible. This is not as interesting a route for families with small children as the Sydney Explorer Red Bus route.

Designed by Joern Utzon, this incredible building is a world icon of civilization. When you see it, your feelings are those of wonder and gratitude for being in Sydney, Australia. How fantastic! The white shell roofs rise above the Harbour often looking like the sails of old ships. The four major performance halls have beautiful wood floors and walls. The sound quality of performances is amazing. During the tour, you will be taken up to some of the best seats in both the symphony hall and theatre (comfortable and plenty of room for your legs). The theatre has no centre aisle so sometimes you have a long trek through the seats to your own place.

I attended a performance of "Underland" by the Sydney Dance Company in the theatre. Absolutely wonderful. Pre-performance not only wine and other beverages were sold in the lobby, but a selection of snacks and sandwiches so that people can attend a performance at the Opera House coming straight from work . . . and they do.

The tour varies with the goings on at the Opera House. No photos are allowed of any of the interiors. The tour finishes with a descent of the exterior steps. Think of a Mayan Temple. Although Sydneysiders are practically reared on these steps and trot up and down them with abandon, I found the descent difficult. The sun was shining and reflecting off the white surface. I felt as if I was stepping off the edge of the world.

In the next few years modifications will be made to the Opera House to make access easier for those who have problems with stairs. For performances only it is possible to enter at the stage door and use an elevator up to the lobby level. Access to the seating areas is another matter. The ushers do help people along the way, but if you use a wheelchair, the available seating is extremely limited. Make your needs very clear when booking a ticket. This is not a criticism, but data for those who wish to visit this building that was designed 50 years ago.

There are restaurants at the Opera House. It is often possible to purchase a combination deal of dinner and a ticket to a performance. The shops at the Opera House have wonderful merchandise. The profits help to keep this building in good repair.

Don't miss this tour!

It is usual for the first bus to depart at 8:40am and the last one at 5:20pm, but heavy traffic, weather, and/or road conditions may cause variations. Once you have your ticket you can reboard the bus at any stop where you see the Red Sydney Explorer Bus sign. For those of us use to driving on the right, remember that the buses will approach the stop from your right when you are standing facing the street. If you are jetlagged, this may take a bit of getting used to.

Examples of stops are: Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Hard Rock Cafe, Queen Victoria Building, Star City Casino, Darling Harbour, the Sydney Aquarium, and the Rocks district. Your Explorer ticket can get you some discounts along the way.

During peak tourism periods, the buses may be crowded leaving Circular Quay so plan an early arrival. An unexpected thrill was a drive through the tunnel under Sydney Harbour and a fast return over the Harbour Bridge. The drivers can suggest general areas to find lunch, but don't try to sell you on specific restaurants.

The drivers do not accept tips. One told me that he was properly paid with his salary. The drivers can also point out the best places to take photos. No food or drinks allowed on the bus. No onboard toilets. Wheelchair accessible.

This place is a good alternative for people with small children to the big trek and expense required if you visit the Sydney Zoo. The claim is that this is like being out in the bush. Well, only to the extent that you can really see the animals. I don't call cement walkways and chain link fencing bush!

There is an extensive collection of birds. Either visit in the summer or at least on a brighter day if you want to take good photos.

On sweet summer days, you can take along your swimwear and swim off the public beach.

There are many restaurants to choose from, including two Doyle's and many bars and pubs.

Lovely hikes up to the Gap and the Heads for those who want to see what's on the other side of the hills.

Mostly family entertainment at reasonable prices.

The beautiful park down at the bay is an incredible shade of green with huge fig trees and lovely flowering plants. A pure bit of pleasure for very little cost.