Trip Report on Sydney and the Blue Mountains
 

This is part Four

The other Trip Reports were (1)Tasmania, (2)Melbourne and Alice Springs and Ayers Rock and then (3)Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

We flew from Cairns to Sydney..Gee I was just here (Sydney Airport) two and a half weeks ago on my way to Tasmania !!

Out Tour Guide was there to meet us and it reassuring to see his smiling face.

It is more difficult to do a report on Sydney because it is such a large city and there is so much to see.

Our hotel was pretty centrally located and I think this is a key factor.
You want to be walking distance to many of the major attractions.

I was on York Street and Martin Place..only a few blocks from the Sydney Tower revolving restaurant.

From here I was able to walk to the following places.:

1.The Sydney Tower,I booked for an evening meal here and the view from here is absolutely fabulous.

The service was slow but we did not mind as we just admired the view. We came at 6 PM and stayed until 9 PM, so this afforded us to see the city lights also.

2.On Market Street is the Cenotaph where the Remembrance services are held each year.

3. The Strand Arcade is a great place to go in and walk around and see the terrific shops.
This place joins George Street and Pitt Street...so it is a block long.

The entrance from Pitt Street is a green archway and it reads " The Strand 1891".

4. Okay in this area is also the Grand Lady of them all, The Queen Victoria Building.
This is a MUST see place .

It is affectionately called the QVB, it has three large copper clad domes and it was built in 1890's depression.

Today it is a 4 level shopping place.

Pierre Cardin called this " The most beautiful shoppping building in the world."

I certainly will not argue with him about that statement.!!

The building itself is something to see and wait until you go inside, the architecture is terrific.... so give your eyes a treat.

George Street is one of the major streets and this will help you get better orientated.

I would recommend that you walk down Macquarie Street as this is where a lot of the major old building are.

Here are some of the places you will see walking down Macquarie Street:

1.Hyde Park Barracks
2.St.James Church.

3. The Sydney Hospital...rub the nose of the bronze boar in front of the Sydney Hospital ( for luck !!!)

4.The Lands Title Building
5.The State Libary of New South Wales.
6. The Parliament House

See I told you there was lots to see along this street...PLUS, it lead you right to the famous Sydney Opera House.

Once you pass the State Libary building,then the Royal Botanical Gardens are on your right hand side all the way to the Opera House.

As you approach the Opera House then right to your left is the walkway called the Writers Walk.

The Walk is where plaques are layed down on the sidewalk and dedicated to Writers along with some of their quotes and comments...it is a nice pattern ...so walk it !!!

As you are approaching the water,the Royal Botanical Gardens sort of branches into two parts........like a thumb and index finger.

At the tip of the thumb is the Opera House.

At the tip of the index finger is Mrs.Macquarie's Chair.

It is HERE at Mrs.Macquarie's Chair that a lot of those classic pictures are taken that you have seen in countless magazines with the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge together in the same picture.

This is the spot...so position yourself accordingly and snap away !!!!

From Mrs.Macquarie's Chair you take Mrs.Macquarie's Road back into the inner city

On the edge of the Royal Botanical Gardens (and to your left )is the Woolloomooloo( I just love that word !!!) Bay with a finger wharf of the same name.

As you walk you will see a swimming pool a level below.
This is the Andrew Carlton Pool and it was named after a boy who won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1924 at the age of 16......amazing

The Circlar Quays:

I took several cruise from here.

This is the main ferry terminal from which you take all those ferry rides to the various places for a harbour cruise.

This is also the location of the Writers Walk and you can walk along the East side of the Circular Quays to the Opera House.

The Quays face the Sydney Cove, the next Cove is the Farm Cove and the Opera House is at the point between these two coves.

See it is nice to be centrally located and to be able to walk to as many places as you can.

There are some nice to see along the west side of the Circular Quays.

Some of these are:
The Museum of Contemporary Arts....this is the light choclate sandstone builidng.

Cadman Cottage.... where a Government Official once lived.

Sailor House....(1864)
..This place used to be for sailors that visited the area....it is The Visitors Ceentre now.

Campbell Warehouse...
these are string like row of house that now contain nice sidewalk restaurants...and offer super views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

I also visted the Hero of Waterloo Hotel

because I wanted to see the place that used a tunnel to recruit drunk sailors !!!!

The Garrison Church
is about a block away ...a nice sandstone building with a red door in the archway.

Of course I knew the history of all the places I visited .. and had my notes with me.

Darling Harbour:

This is the Convention and Exhibition Centre of Sydney, built around Cockle Bay.

The Pyrmont Bridge spans Cockle Bay and the Tram runs above and on top of the bridge.

The Sydney Aquarium is really worth seeing ,especially if you do not make it to the Great barrier Reef.

Right Across from the Aquarium is the Martime Museum..if you are a seafaring buff.

When you walk across the Pyrmont bridge from the Aquarium side, then at the other end of the bridge you turn left and descend some stairs.

Here you will find lots of open air restaurants and shops.

In my opinion everything here is over priced but if you want to dine outside and look at all the activity across the Pyrmont Bridge ...then grab a table and a light lunch and people watch !!

I had a terrific guide and he took me to places I would never have seen.

I saw where Russle Crowe lives and also Nicole Kidman home.

He also showed me areas where all homes are a million plus.

We drove across the Sydney Bridge several times and went to Manly and the Taronga Zoo.

We also visted lovely Watsons Bay, this place is located on the edge of a cliff with great views( also went to Vaucluse ..nice homes here)....

then onto Dover Heights and Bondi Beach.

After 3days in Sydney... tomorrow it is off to the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains are less 90 minutes from Sydney.

Vapouriation of the oil from the Eucalyptas trees gives a blue colored hue to the mountain range....so it is called the Blue Mountains !

There is a big driving loop that you can do through the Blue Mountains and there is a shorter one also depending on where you make the cut off.

On our way we stopped at Featherdale Wildlife Park and saw a lot of animals here...including an Albino Wallaby.(all white !)

You will pass a series of small towns along the journey. Katoomba being the largest and main tourist town.

The quaint town of Leura has nice shops and neat cafes as well as a few upscale restaurants.

It is good to stop at all these places and just browse around and maybe pick up a treat !!

At Mount Tomah there is a lovely Botanical Gardens, take a walk through here to enjoy the lovely flora.

We had lunch at Mount Wilson...you will see ferns along side the road as you approach this place.

Lunch was in a large Victoria style hotel with period woodwork. Very nice

As you travel along Bells Line of Road ( just the name of a part of the highway) ,
stop off at Bilpin, they have fruit for you to sample and purchase as this is the orchard area of the Blue Mountains.

Make sure you do stops at Cahill Lookout and admire the Megalong Valley.
(I like that word, Megalong!!)

Also stop at Govett's Leap,they have some nice waterfalls here.

No!! Govett's Leap is not named after some lover who jumped to his/her death because of a lost love.!!!

Rather a gentleman from Scotland named the place(Govett) after a similar place called Govetts in Scotland.

The "Leap" part is because of the way the waterfall "leaped" back up after striking the bottom.

And of course you would not miss Echo Point and seeing The Three Sisters.

This is one of the main viewing attractions sites.

There is a Aborigines "Dreamtime" story about the Three Sisters.

I could tell you the story ...but better you do your homework on this !!!
(OkayI will tell you if you want.!)

On the way back we went to Euroka Clearing and this is where Kangaroos are in their natural environment... running wild.

The guide set up a table and opned some Champagne and we toasted.....!!!

Well,let us just say that we toasted a lot of things !!!!

Ahhh!! sipping Champagne and watching Kangaroos hopping about everywhere...yes it is a tough life. !!

From here we went to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Site and walk around and he explained a lot of the building to me... what a nice place it still is.

From here it was off to Homebush Bay .

Where I boarded River Cat ( ferry) for our cruise back to Sydney Harbour and into Circular Quays... from here we walked back to our hotel.

What a great day this was.

One more day here and then I am off to New Zealand for two weeks.

Percy

Good report Percy..glad you enjoyed Sydney and you certainly got a lot in! Just in case any other visitors are interested, the cenotaph is actually in Martin Place not Market Street. Hope you enjoy New Zealand!

Peteralan:

You are 100 correct . I meant to say Martin Place and not Market Street.

Thanks for correcting me.

Percy

Percy, that was a great report as it suggested things to see and do and not just your own comments. In fact I think you reminded me of several things that I have forgotten to catch up with over the years.

For those people going to Sydney if you possibly can go and see the oldest
Street in Surrey Hills, I think it is called Burnett Lane or it is opposite Burnett Lane. Here is a street which has kept its character since the early days of Sydney and the street is now as it would have been way back then. It is lovely to walk up it and have a look into the cute little "Irish style"houses. Please can any Sydney expert put me right on this little Street as it also wins the prize for the neatest street in Sydney. A look in the past.

Percy - Thanks for the report, so much to learn! Who was your tour guide? What was the name of your hotel?

Percy, I don't know whether you had a great guide or whether you'd just done your homework before coming here, but that sounds like a GREAT trip, and you hardly missed a thing! I was so happy, for instance, to see that you'd visited Mt Wilson, which in March and April is one of the most beautiful places in New South Wales.... and also to know that you visited Euroka Clearing, which I have recommended so often but which most people give a miss to because it's just a little "out of the way".

It seems that the only thing in that area that you missed was the Glow Worm Tunnel at Newnes; next time you visit (and I hope that's SOON), ask your guide to organise a trip out there. As long as your car can take the pot-holed road, you won't regret it!

lizF:

Thank you for all your comments and your very helpful additions.

I visited many other streets that had beautiful Victorian style home.

I also visited other locations in Sydney but to keep the report from being too long,I did not include them.

BarbaraS:

I stayed 3 nights at the Wynyard ( near a park called Wynyard) and 3 nights at the Westin(near the Sydney Tower)

I will try to get the last name of the guides....I only have their first names.
And the other lady in our group who has the last names is out of town.

I should have kept the full names and e-mail address of all the guide.

I know that "Dennis" took us on the Blue Mountain trip ,as I have several pictures of he and I ...... sipping Champange.!!!

Alan:

Yes you are correct, I REALLY did my homework before coming to Sydney.

I knew where every place that I wanted to see was...and also the history about the place.

A tour guide is good BUT you have to know something,and also to tell him to take you to places you want to see.

I remember the guide turning to me and saying, "Boy,You really know a lot about this place."

Like I told him I wanted to see the Sydney Observatory in Observatory Park .

I also walked to the Archibald Fountain and the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park etc.

I just do not want to name every little place I visited .

If you are coming to Sydney then:

1.Stay downtown,it is easier to see the majority of the places

2. Xerox some nice simple maps of the downtown area that show you where all the major places are.

3. Know what you want to see...make a list,and try to see everything on your list !!

For example,I knew about the Elizabeth Bay House on Onslow Avenue.... so I told the guide,

" I would like to see the lovely Elizabeth Bay House."

He said, "Great and I will show you some nice place around there also."

So you see the more YOU know the more you will see !!

Alan I fully agree that Mount wilson and area is just beautiful.

And Alan as you mentioned,

Euroka Clearing may be a little out of the way as you take the long winding road down and down.....but it was just great once you got there ....to see all those Kangaroos just hopping around.

They would eat the grass, stand up and look at you, then keep on chewing and keep onlooking at you !!!

And the Kangaroos were in the Natural environment and not in a Zoo..it was just great........and don't forget we were sipping Champagne !!!

Alan, I am sorry that I missed the Glowworm Caves...but I did go to the Waitomo Glowworn Caves on the way from Rotorua to Auckland in New Zealand.

So at least I know what the glowworn caves are.

Yes Alan, I had a Great time in Sydney and a great time in Tasmania ,Australia and New Zealand.

What a lovely country you people have "down under."

Percy

Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Percy, it was a pleasure to "know" you... from your reports, anyway!

A personal observation: yes, we Aussies are lovely people..... or, at least, other lovely people think so. A few not-so-lovely people think we are not-so-lovely. Funny, isn't it?

I reckon that, wherever you choose for your next holiday, you'll have a great time and meet great people!

Alan:

Believe me ,I sure hope I can come back.

I'm from Canada ,so at least we are all part of the Commonwealth.

I have to make this statement to all others who may be reading this:

I was soooooo pleasantly surprised with everything I saw in Australia.

And your country is so big.

As I mentioned in one of my previous trip reports(on Australia)...
that if

you superimpose the map of Australia on top of the USA ( not counting Alaska), then Australia is bigger.!!

I did not know that..but I do now!

So Australia is not some small average size island ...it is big and beautiful.

Those of you who have always been thinking of going to Australia.....Well,"Get Going."

or ,to add to the controversy:

"Where the bloody hell are you ."

Goodnight

Percy

You see Alan, everyone who has been living in Edmonton is NICE!

Percy and Alan,
I'm a little confused about the direction of the tour. I have a lovely HEMA map here, and I can't find a Euroka, and none with a clearing - except for a small one south of Katoomba which appears to be off a secondary, unpaved road. It doesn't seem to be on the way "back" from anywhere - let alone Mt. Wilson. Can it be that I am totally underestimating these distances? Percy, over what period of time did you do this tour? An overnight? We were intending to overnight at Katoomba, then return to Sydney through Richmond and Windsor as Alan has suggested. But Euroka sounds very lovely indeed and I don't want to miss it. Can you clarify, please?

lizF:

Well Thank You Liz.
Nice for an ex-Edmontonian to stick up for another one !!!

I enjoy reading all your comments on other postings.

oliverharry:

On your map I would guess that Euroka Clearing is near Glenbrook.

Yes it is out of the way a bit depending on how you make the circular loop.

The road was paved all the way down... I do not think they use the word "paved" in Australia.

I will let Alan describe your route in more detail as he knows waaaaay more than I do about the area.!

We did a full day tour with a private guide.
He picked us up about 6AM( to beat the morning traffic rush) and we had breakfast at the Featherdale Wildlife Park on the way to the Blue Mountains.

He knew all the places to take us and we did not miss a thing.

I knew all about the places to see , so we did the bigger loop.

And yes, it was on the way back that we went to Euroka Clearing.

We arrived back in Sydney about 7-7:30PM via the Ferry Cat.

If I was doing the driving ,then of course, it would have taken longer...or I would have missed some places.

We must have stopped a dozen times along the way.

If you are doing the driving then stop near a place called Narrowneck Plateau there are great views of Megalong Valley.

Alan:

Would you please help oliverharry outline their drive through the Blue Montains.!?

Thanks

Percy

Alan, no need! I've gone back and read the Euroka clearing posts from the last year or so, and now have a picture of its location. I'm not sure I want to risk my hire care liability on a few kms of unsealed road (the better term for paved) so will stop at the Glenbrook TIC and see what they suggest. Since we are doing this over two days, we'll return to Sydney via 40 from Bell, Mt. Wilson, Richmond, etc. Thanks all. Cheers, Percy!

oliverharry:

Good Luck and have a nice trip.

Yes "sealed" is the word I was looking for to describe a road that has been.....well...er... I guess sealed over with asphalt or cement.!!!!!

Maybe you can solve the mystery of the Three Sisters.!!

Safe driving
Percy

I just read a review of a place at Bilpin that might be worth checking out for lunch, the Apple Bar (open Wed-Mon, 12:00-22:00). Also serves bush food flavoured liqueurs such as quandong and lemon myrtle. Review at:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/restauran...335700512.html

Neil_Oz:

Oh sure ,now you tell me , after I am back home.!!!!

Ha ha

Take Care and remember what to do when you come to Victoria (British Columbia Canada)

Percy

Well, Percy, you didn't ask, and if you had I wouldn't have known anyway. I grew up in that general area but developed an aversion to the Bell's Line of Road in my youth after writing off my car in an altercation with a gum tree one night.

I know the feeling, though - I end up with a long list of should've-dones after every trip. (Don't worry re BC, I'm taking notes.)

Oliverandharry, the road from Glenbrook to Euroka Clearing is paved for all but the last four-or-so kilometres. I think you are right when you say that hire car companies won't cover you for insurance if you come unstuck on an unsealed road, so I won't advise you to take the risk; all I will say is that the unsealed part is not much of a problem.... it's fairly well-graded, to the point where Percy thought it was sealed all the way! Also, you seldom see a car on that part, and there's only one real bend, right at the end.

Neil_Oz :

Drop me an e-mail when you get to Victoria.

Hmmm,altercation with a gum tree.!!!

I have all kinds of thoughts how tat could have happened (LOL)!

Alan:

I just thought the road was paved all the way to the bottom, ...guess when you are not driving, but looking everywhere, the road being paved does not register.!!

You said there is "only one real bend,right at the end."

Do you mean that at the end you turn Right .?
I thought the bend at the end was to your Left.!!

Oh well , I'm wrong again !!

Good Night everybody.

Thanks for all your most interesting comments, I have learned a lot from all your posts.

Percy

No problem, Percy (but I'll need an email address :)

"I have all kinds of thoughts how that could have happened"
- And you'd probably be right. I gave my own theory, but the constable was a born sceptic.

OOps! It's the old "you turn right here..... what I meant to say is you turn left, right here" problem, going all the way back to Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz in "The Long Long Trailer". Let me rephrase.... "only one real bend, at the very end of the unsealed stretch".

Alan:

Amazing !!! I was just watching part of the Long Long Trailor with Lucy and Desi on a Classic Movie's Channel.

Okay, so "Right near the bottom you turn Left."!!! See I was sure it was Left.!! ( Ha ha )

Neil_OZ:

My e-mail address is:

[email protected]

You guys take care down there !

Percy

What, exactly, do you mean, "down" there?? Haven't you seen the Aussie maps of the world with the South Pole at the top? Left, right, up, down.... it's all a question of which way you're looking, right? (I mean, "correct?")

Careful, Alan, let's think about this. We don't want the Tasmanians getting big heads, not to mention those upstart Kiwis. And we'd have to start calling Queensland the Deep South, and the area around Darwin the Bottom End.

Come to think of it, the name Australia might have to be looked at if we're going to be in the northern hemisphere. Borealia maybe?

Both you guys are toooo funny !!

Good Night (" Up There")

Percy

Thanks Percy, You've pinpointed a few spots I didn't know about - and I've been tootling up & down that road for more years than I care to think about :)

Bokhara:

Isn't that just the way !!!

I have travelled in our Rocky Mountains for year and think I have seen every place there is.

Then a tourist does a report and mentions the places he has visisted and I say to myself... "Gee, I never knew about that little place."

Glad I could help.

I loved everything about the Blue Mountains area.

Percy

ttt

For mgtr

Percy

Percy

A really good post. Hurry back - there's more to be seen yet!

You need to do some of the south coast (that bit south of Sydney!)

margo_oz

I would love to come back,as I only scratched the surface,but at least having done:

Ayers Rock
Alice Springs
Melbourne and area
Cairns
Sydney and the Blue Mountains

Tasmania and

New Zealand...both Island......I at least got the flavour of the places.

You are right ,there is more to see.... Oh boy, so much world and so little time.!!!

Thanks you for the invitation to come back

Take Care
Percy

Percy,
I would like to read your trip report on Cairns and the GBR, but cannot find it. Can you please help me out here?
Thank you kindly.

lechar

Yes you can click on my name and all posting that I have done or answered will come up ...toyour left.

Then you can scroll to find the ones you want.

But , wait I will find them and bring them "to the top"( ttt) for you.

Percy

Percy,

Please try to get the name and e-mail address of your guide for the Blue Mountains. We are going there in July. We are still contemplating going with a tour group or finding out own way around. It sounds like you guide was great, and if not too expensive, he may be the way to go!
thanks

Hi Indianagirl

Okay I will try to get his name and e-mail for you.

I will ask one of the other people on Monday and then I will e-mail to another lady in Ontario Canada.

I will do my best...it is my fault for losing the e-mail.

I can send you a picture of Dennis and I at the Euroka Clearing...just as he is opening up the Champagne ..but I doubt this would help.

I will do my best

Percy

Good luck, and thanks so much!

Sydney is a modern city and has lots of tall buildings in the centre. For those of us who live in Europe the absence of historical buildings is significant.Americans will be quite at home there. The city is attractive and the views of the harbour both day and night are first class.I saw nothing spectacular in the Blue Mountains.The climate when I was there was perfect. While it was well worth a visit I would prefer to visit again many of the old cities I have enjoyed,such as Rome,Florence,London,Paris,Vienna and St Petersburg to name only a few.

Indianagirl

I am waiting for a reply from Australia.
Will keep you posted.

Percy

Edmundus

I guess people go on holidays to the places they go to for their own reason.

I did not miss that Sydney did not have the amount of historical building that Melbourne has.

Sydney is not London nor is it Dublin nor is it Edinburgh Scotland....BUT I do not want it to be like any other place.

I went to Sydney ..to see Sydney!
I knew what it had and I was not disappointed at all.

I returned from Cairo Egypt a few months ago.... do you not think it would be unfair for me to say,

"I think I will go back to Egypt because it has more Pyramids and Temples and History.
Besides Egypt has the Nile River." There is no Nile River in Sydney."
Yep, I am heading back to London & Paris and Scotland & Egypt...

gee!!
even Turkey has some great Mosques , like the Blue Mosque.


I loved everything about my trip to Australia and Tasmania and New Zealand.

I did not want it to be like any other country I have been to...that is why I went there.
Take Care
Percy

Edmundus

"To liken them to your auld-warld squad, I must needs say comparisons are odd. "
Robert Burns

Indianagirl

Just got a reply from Australia and the fellow's name may well be David , with a nickname of Dennis...Go figure.

So I just sent them a picture of Dennis(?) and I.

Will let you know as soon as I know.

Stupid me ,lost his e-mail .!

Percy