| Sydney
by Linda
SYDNEY IS THE PLACE TO VISIT IN
2000! Welcome to a land where convicts were the first settlers,
where kangaroos, koalas, and wombats still roam, and where everything
seems a little different. When it is summer here, it is winter
there. The Pacific Ocean is on their east coast. Driving on the
left is right. Welcome to Australia and the land Downunder!
Having just returned from a delightful
visit to Sydney, I can say that Sydney tops my list of favorite
cities. The people there are very friendly and genuinely like
Americans. There is an enormous range of interesting things to
see and do. Central Sydney can be easily walked. It is a city
where my husband and I were able to explore historic buildings
along the waterfront, wander through lush parks, shop for bargains
in the street markets, enjoy exceptional entertainment, and sample
a vast array of fine food. It is easy to access the beaches and
outlying areas by ferry, bus or light rail.
The city was settled in 1788 when the first convicts arrived from
Britain, establishing a prison colony at Sydney Cove, now known
as the Rocks. Today many Sydneysiders are proud to trace their
heritage to these original settlers. One can catch a glimpse of
the past in this bustling area that was named for the rugged cliffs
that were once the dominant feature here. The Rocks Market, open
every weekend, is a beehive of activity. It has a wide variety
of quality craft and food items. The two dominant features of
Sydney Harbour are the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The
bridge is best remembered as the site of the spectacular millennial
fireworks show. My husband and I awoke one morning to see over
5,000 marathon runners crossing the bridge. This was the run to
determine who would compete in the Olympic marathon in September.
The famous Sydney Opera House,
with its unusual multi-arched roof, is home to the Sydney Symphony
Orchestra and Australia's premiere opera, ballet and theatre companies.
We had the privilege to attend a performance of the Symphony in
the Concert Hall, the largest hall with seating for 2690.Sydney's
restaurants are not only numerous and of the finest quality, but
they are remarkably inexpensive when compared with other cities
of the world. There is something for every taste. Some of the
regional specialties that we sampled included kangaroo, emu, crocodile,
octopus and a wide variety of fresh seafood including Balmain
bugs.
We spent one morning exploring
Homebush Bay, the site of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The architecture
and immensity of the complex is overwhelming. The Olympic Park
Railway Station will be able to accommodate 50,000 people per
hour during the games.A day trip that I highly recommend is a
tour
of the Blue Mountains, an area of dense forested valleys, canyons
with steep cliffs and waterfalls. We took a four-wheel drive adventure
along an exciting back road to the Cathedral of Ferns, a pre-historic
rain forest, before visiting the famous Three Sisters rock formation.
One of the most rewarding stops was at a wildlife park where I
had some eyeball encounters with koalas, kangaroos, snakes and
emus.
A two-hour drive along the coast north from Sydney is the scenic
way to get to the Hunter Valley, Australia's oldest wine-producing
area. Our two-night stay included accommodations at the Convent
Pepper Tree, a beautifully restored 1909 convent that is now an
elegant guesthouse. It is located in the heart of more than 80
wineries and 40 restaurants. The highlight of our stay was soaring
1200 feet above the vineyards in a hot-air balloon.
Australia is a very affordable
vacation for Americans now with the great exchange rate. The Aussies
are superb hosts, and Americans will feel very much at home with
their casual way of life. Particularly this year, you couldn't
choose a more exciting place to visit than Sydney.
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