This is a long overdue trip report which we wish to share with all the readers, hoping our experiences will be of help to others. Thank you to the many people who shared their knowledge and experiences with us to help us make this trip a reality and help me with planning. We were very impressed with the kindness of the many people with whom we had the opportunity to speak with in Sydney and New Zealand. We were also impressed with the general accessibility of the city which allowed us to have many of our memorable experiences.

Feb 15 - We arrived in Sydney at 8:30AM after a relatively short trip (9hours) compared to many other Americans since we live in Hawaii. As my husband uses a wheelchair, we had requested assistance upon arrival. Waiting for us at the Qantas gate was a very helpful employee who helped to get our wheelchair which was to have been brought up to the airplane door but there was a mix up. After the wheelchair arrived, she took us to baggage claim and the fast way through customs/immigrations. We then stopped by an information desk and picked up numerous and helpful brochures. We splurged on a taxi (AU$27) as we were a bit tired. Unfortunately, our room at the Quay Grand on Circular Quay was not ready and they did not expect the room to be vacated until 2:00. We left our luggage and wheelchair/walked the short distance to The Rocks to explore the market as it was Saturday morning. There were lots of interesting things to buy and people with whom to chat. The Rocks area is very hilly for a wheelchair and having not done enough prior research in this area, restaurants which looked interesting were not very accessible. After a few hours, we headed back to the Quay area and had a light lunch at an outdoor café, Quayside, close to the Opera House. We purchased an Entertainment Book before we left home which allowed us to have lunch or dinner there at a 2 for 1 price ? our final price - AU$45.90 for Fish and Chips, Chicken Caesar salad, Ice Coffee, fresh apple juice, fresh lemonade, 2 beers). We returned to what would be our home for the next 7 days and were very pleased with our large, beautifully appointed, one bedroom apartment. After unpacking, we went out again and walked around the Quay, familiarizing ourselves with the immediate area. Dinner at the Eastbank restaurant on the Quay which was right downstairs and outside on the Quay ? also used the Entertainment book 2 for 1? don?t remember what we had to eat but our receipt said we paid AU64.50. We were in bed by 8:30 after I indulged in a whirlpool bath in our bathroom while Stan watched a bit of Australian TV.