Sydney...What a Treat!!!!

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

Before starting this job on cruise ships and even before this cruise I could not wait to get to Australia. Of course never being there and not knowing too many people from there I did not know what to expect. I mean, I knew all the things that we all know about Australia without going there, the poisonous animals, the rugged accents, the 2000 Olympics, The Crocodile Hunter, etc, etc, etc, but I never knew I would get to experience it like this. The one place I could not wait to get too was of course Sydney. Home to the magnificent Sydney Harbor Bridge and the iconic and impressive Sydney Opera House, Sydney defines everything great about the country. From the moment we arrived to the last glimpse of the skyline no one could stop saying how much they loved this city.
Pulling into Jackson Port where Sydney is located you get your first sight of the Opera House, skyline and the Harbor Bridge. We arrived around 7am in the morning and everyone was up to steal a first look. Everybody on the decks began to clap as we rounded the corner into the harbor and no one could put down their cameras. Naturally the city and surrounding landmarks offer awesome picture opportunities which cannot be beat. This harbor is by far the prettiest harbor in the world. To make it better the ship docks right in the middle of Circular Quay which is right in the middle of everything. You could throw a rock and hit the Opera House, downtown and the Harbor Bridge from where we were docked (check out the pictures. Step off the ship and your in the middle of everything. It doesn’t get much better then this. Right next to us was the Park Hyatt Hotel which offers rates for $600+/ night, so being able to dock where we were and having everything around us for free was amazing.
Unfortunately the first day I had IPM so I had to stay on the ship. I was bummed but I would have 2 days ahead to see everything. I spent the day lounging around and taking pictures of the bridge and opera house from the ship, both in the day and night. Being that this night was Halloween the city was full of people out having a great time. As some of you know Halloween is not celebrated widely in this country and only recently has gained popularity. Even though this is true, most people coming back that night said it was crazy. I managed to get off at 3:30am with Laura (our female singer/dancer from Italy) and got to get some breakfast at the “City Café,” which was a 24 hour eatery similar to “Jerry’s Famous Deli” back home. We then returned back to the ship after walking around the harbor a little and went to sleep.
The next day was all to myself. I woke up and headed out with my camera and planned to see everything I could. I started out in the first settlement of Sydney called “The Rocks.” The Rocks neighborhood is located between Circular Quay and the Harbor Bridge and still has many of the original buildings that were built after 1788, when the First Fleet stepped foot on this land. Today the neighborhood offers a glimpse into the past as well as many areas to entertain you. Restaurants, pubs, shopping and the very popular weekend market make up the majority of the area. I had to browse through the market and was able to check out the more than 100 booths set up. Yes, Christmas shopping was done here a little.
(Okay, I’m back from just taking a killer kick boxing class that whipped my butt…Suzy, you would have loved this class. )
From this area I made my way to the famous Sydney Opera House. Construction began in 1958 by architect Jorn Utzon and completed in 1973 after going through problem after problem. The opera house has 7 theaters with approximately 3000 shows a year. The original cost of the Opera House was supposed to be $7 million (AUS), but when all said and done came to a whopping $102 million (AUS). The design of the building is unlike any other in the world and is gorgeous. You can see the building from most places around the harbor and it offers great angles for pictures. I had to go up and touch the actual building just to believe I was there. Being able to stand under the huge shells of the roof was truly amazing. As usual I will be putting up many pictures of the Opera House on my Facebook account so please check it out.
From the Opera House I then walked back around Circular Quay where the ferries come and go traveling to various locations throughout the harbor. I was headed to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, aka “The Coathanger”. The following day I was to climb this bridge so I wanted to see what it was all about. Just like the Opera House this structure is also visible from anywhere in the Sydney area. Standing 134 meters tall and 45 meters wide it is the longest single arch bridge in the world. Surprisingly enough the Opera House weighs more than the bridge….how I have no clue. The bridge was completed after a 9 year build in 1932. It took 1,400 workers to build the bridge and only 16 died during the construction, including one survivor. The worker fell from the bridge and thanks to the advice of his friend who was a diver, fell feet first into the water, splitting his rubber boots to his thighs. With only a couple broken ribs and his life, this lucky fellow returned back to work 2 weeks later. The bridge has 8 lanes for vehicles and 2 rail lines to connect the City Centre to the North Shore. Crossing the bridge offers impressive views of almost every place in Sydney.
On the North Shore of the bridge and to the west about a block is the old “Luna Park.” Similar to Coney Island it offers free admission and rides that are ticketed. I especially loved walking through here and taking photos of the park. From here I returned to Circular Quay by ferry and after lunch at McDonalds headed back to the ship. Later that night Laura and I went to the “Italian Village” restaurant which was part of 4 separate restaurants located in an old building next to the ship and had spectacular views of the water, the bridge and of course the opera house. It was time to call it a night cause we had bridge climbing the next day.
Waking up early and grabbing a quick breakfast was hard because our adrenaline was flowing for our next feat…The Bridge Climb. Laura, Nicole, Alexa and I were about to climb to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Started in 1998, the climb, depending on which one you purchase) takes you to the top of the bridge. You are actually standing on the highest point of the bridge right under the Australian and New South Wales flags. This is probably Sydney’s #1 attraction for thrill seekers and that it was. Upon checking in you sign your life away hoping it will not need to come in use and take a breath test to make sure you are not “under the influence” to climb. Next you meet the rest of the people in your group, receive your ever stylish blue jumpsuit and go into the dressing room to put it on. The following step is to walk through a metal detector to make sure you have nothing on you that can fall off. This includes cameras and such. Nothing is allowed on the climb and for good reason. After this you get fitted with your safety harness, hats, hankies, rain coat, radio and earphones (to hear your guide) and then try a simulation of stair climbing. Throughout the whole climb you are attached to a railing that’s hooked to your harness. From here you begin the climb. After a walk on the underside catwalk of the bridge, about 100 feet above the ground, you then begin your stair climb. Each section has about 15 to 20 stairs and takes you right past the road and rail way of the bridge to the beginning of the arch. To tell you the truth that was the hardest and most nerve racking part. When I say stairs I mean more of a ladder and it’s a nice feeling looking straight down on vehicles passing within feet below you at 50 miles per hour. Awesome!!! The beginning of the arch is where the fun starts as you begin to climb to the summit of the bridge. As you can probably imagine this is the best way to see Sydney. The view as you climb is insane and at different locations throughout the climb you stop to have your picture taken by your guide. Throughout the climb your guide offers facts and commentary on the bridge, surrounding areas and the city itself. The climb gently flattens out as you reach the top and until you look down you can’t really tell how high you are. 134 meters is highhhhhhh. All in all you climb over 1,400 stairs and I would guess the complete trip to and from is about a mile. At the top we were treated by a police helicopter stopping to say high on both sides of the bridge. Our guide said she had never seen that before and that was something that never happens. Unfortunately because we didn’t have any cameras, I couldn’t take any pictures of it. From here we crossed over the bridge to the other side and descended down and back to where we started from. The whole tour took about 3 hours and is one of the coolest things I have every done before. I am truly lucky to have had the opportunity to do this. If anyone ever goes to Sydney you will have to do this climb. Even if you are scared of heights you can do this…trust me.
At this time of the day our group went to the ferries and boarded one for Manly Beach. Manly beach is a 30 minute ride to the north side of Jackson Port. The beach is home to many surfers and that’s exactly what’s it known for. You can compare this place to Huntington Beach with surf shops, little eateries, souvenir shops and lots and lots of tourists. The waves were not too big and after a quick pizza and some shopping it was time to head back to the ship. Upon arrival back to Circular Quay we had another photo shoot at the opera house where you know we took those infamous jumping photos. One last memory and it was back to the ship for boat drill. We had a number of guests disembark the ship in Sydney and more came on so we had another boat drill.
As we pulled out of Circular Quay I couldn’t help but think how awesome this was. As we left and the ship let go the horns hundreds and hundreds of people all over the harbor, the bridge, the Opera House and on the North Shore stopped to watch us leave. Talk about a huge spectacle when leaving. As we backed up under the bridge people on top began to yell and whistle down to us. Passengers and crew on the aft (rear) section of the ship cheered back and it made me stop and think how awesome a moment this was. How many times in my life would I get to experience something like this. Yes it was sad to leave Sydney but I think doing it on a ship is the best way to do it. The sun was setting and the bridge, opera house and skyline offered once again gorgeous photos that symbolized how amazing this trip is. As we pulled away I told myself that this was not the last time I would see this place again and guarantee I will be back soon.
As of now we are headed to Melbourne. The Melbourne Cup was today, which means we missed it by one day. The Cup is the same as the Kentucky Derby but bigger. Businesses close for the day, schools let out, basically the whole country turns to the televisions to watch. Also comparable to the World Series or Super Bowl people go crazy. Maybe I’m glad we are at sea today and can se the aftermath tomorrow once we arrive. Wait and see what happens when next time I talk all about it. Take care and see you soon.

More of Australia....Brisbane. Koala's - Kangaroo's - Dingoes

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Our next stop in beautiful Australia was in Brisbane. This city is also located in the region of Queensland and is located about a two days sail south of Cairns. We ported here on October 29th, and after having to do a General Drill for the Australian Coast Guard we disembarked the ship to head to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, one of the most famous intimate zoos in the world. The zoo not only is home to many species of Koala’s, but also has many Australian specific animals including Red Kangaroos, Dingoes (basically a wild house dog), native birds, wombats, and the very cute and cuddly Tasmanian Devil(not so cuddly). As we entered the park we went straight to the kangaroo area where you got to get right up to them. Being close meant actually being able to pet them and feed them. The enclosure was quite big and was home to at least 40 to 50 kangaroos. Most would let you come right up to them and take pictures with them. One thing you notice about the kangaroos is how they move. They can be very slow and sneaky and then take off in huge leaps covering some distance. When they stand up on their rear legs it can be very intimidating. After spending about 40 minutes with them and taking a ton of photographs we headed to other parts of the zoo. We next saw the Wombat which looked like a little fat furry brown pig. Don’t be fooled though…they bite!!!! Next we found what we ultimately came to the zoo to find…the Koala’s. First thing I had to do was take a photo with one. When or where else would I get to do this? Sixteen dollars later I was holding a cute little Koala in my arms and taking pictures with it. For the life of me I cannot remember the little guys name but he was cute. They move very slowly and this one would keep looking up at you probably trying to figure out what kind of tree he was climbing on. After few moments of holding him I had to give I’m back so more people could share this experience. Yes, I did try to sneak him under my shirt but his sharp claws preventing me from getting to far away. Better luck next time.
Following this we ventured to an area which housed your everyday wild Australian animals and was able to take many great pictures of them. The park has different enclosures for different types of Koala’s and we checked a few of them out. Everyone loved the babies and Mom section s you could find a baby Koala riding on their Mom’s back up a tree. After spending some time here we then found our way to the Crocodiles. One of the only things I want to see in Australia is a wild Crocodile and here they had two of them. No bigger then four to five 5, these crocs still looked quite menacing as they made no movement. Being so still as they were you could tell they knew exactly where everyone was at all times and could react at a moments notice to catch a meal…if you know what I mean. By this time it was time to leave the park and head downtown for some shopping…well the girls did that anyways.
Once downtown, I also did some Christmas shopping…I have to be productive and was able to score some items in “Australia The Gift,” which is a huge souvenir shop in these parts. As the time got nearer to our all aboard time I began to get nervous. I was just told that the last shuttle back to the ship was gone and that meant time to flag down a taxi. This took of course forever and I began to sweat looking at my watch as the second and minute hand raced by. Finally a driver found us and stated he didn’t know where the ship was but “had an idea.” This was not very reassuring, but luckily we made it back with minutes to spare. Phewwww. Just another day living the life on the M.S. Amsterdam. Next we were off to the much anticipated port of Sydney for a 3 day 2 night stay.

Adventures In Australia

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Welcome to Australia…
We finally have made it to Australia and it is amazing. I cannot explain how awesome this country is. Who wants to come live here with me??? I’m kidding but after reading this I’m sure you will want to come visit as well. The Country is gorgeous, the people are very nice and they have great accents. To begin this part of our trip we made our first stop in Cairns. Cairns is located in Queensland which is situated in the Northeastern part of Australia. The famous and gorgeous Great Barrier Reef is situated right off the coast of Cairns and attracts a huge amount of visitors. Cairns is also a huge stop for backpackers making their way down and up the western coast. The city is just like any city with hotels, casino’s, bars, mall, etc, etc, etc. They even have a Target in one of their malls. We got to Cairns on October 25th at 5pm. Shortly after a group of us got off the ship to explore the town and of course eat. As you walk from the cruise terminal and through town you will notice a couple things. First off the city is very clean. The second thing you notice is they drive on the opposite side of the road here throughout the whole country. The third fact you will notice is that people are very friendly and willing to help you out. This is the general feel we have got from most locals in the ports we have been to in Australia. The 4th and final thing I noticed…the gift shops. They are everywhere and lets just say...Christmas this year is all about Australia. As we got closer to the center of the city we found a public pool sort of area located right by the water. Being that there are not to many beaches close to the city and that there are dangerous jelly fish in the water, the locals have this pool to use as a substitute. On the weekends the whole swim area is filled with kids playing in the water, young people and families sunbathing on the grass and tourists just stopping by to take photos of the fish fountains located on the far end of the pool. The pool and fountains offer great picture opportunities, especially at twilight. We found a Thai restaurant to eat at and then went to some bars and clubs. I went back to the ship to sleep because of our next activity.
After waking up early (I’m saying 7:45am is early) and then going to breakfast we headed out to the Reef Terminal. Today we were on our way to snorkle on the Great Barrier Reef. Our original plan was to find a scuba day trip but being that we had to be back on the ship at 4:30pm and trips come back after that time, we were out of luck. Because of this we settled on a half day trip to Green Island to snorkle. Green Island is one of the only islands located on the Great Barrier Reef and is about a 30 minute boat ride from the city. The island is privately owned and offers many activities. Being the island is a resort there is a hotel on the island and many activities can be done on the island including snorkling, scuba diving, parasailing, a dip in the pool, walks through the lush green rainforest and a chance to see some of the biggest crocodiles in Australia. Upon arrival we dropped our gear on one of the beaches and quickly put on our snorkle gear. Surprisingly the water was actually quite chilly, yet that didn’t stop us. As you swim out into the water you begin to see why this place is what it is. Things that come to mind when you think of the Great Barrier Reef are tropical, colorful fish, awesome colors in the coral, animals not seen anywhere else and crystal blue waters. That is basically what you get. I have never seen fish this colorful and in such numbers. Schools of fish would pass us and practically look like a rainbow underwater. The coral itself has vibrant bold colors and camouflage some creatures and unless they move you might pass right over them. We had about an hour to spend in the water and right before exiting the water we spotted 2 sea turtle. We swam with them while trying to take photos and videos of them…which we got. They were gorgeous swimming through the water and didn’t really seem to mind 5 people that were chasing them. As we got back to land it was pretty normal tourist things, eating and shopping, and then back to the ship to head to our next stop…Brisbane.