Sydney 7th January 2010

Postscript on New Zealand
A couple of things I wanted to mention before finally winding up New Zealand.
Someone might be interested in the distances I travelled. The total was 2861km of which 2117 was in the South Island. This is not an obsession I hasten to add! The figure is printed on the Hire Car invoice!
The second really fascinating issue concerns the role of the Maori in New Zealand (which I mentioned briefly) and especially, now that I'm in Oz, the comparison between the Maori and Aborigines in society. Of course the overwhelming number of place names in NZ are Maori (despite those associated with Cook etc); there is a significant Maori political party; and there is a Commission report which is being implemented after many years delay.

Sydney
I said I wasn't going to post a blog about Sydney, and I'm not. However, here is my itinerary!
Sunday 03/01/10. Only arrived in the evening so didn't do much except wander around and get some bearings.
Monday. Spent most of the day on the Hop-on/off bus Sydney (the ticket is $25 for those of us of a certain age - incidentally I didn't get concessions anywhere else except the Sydney Opera House tours as they are reserved for Aussies).
Tuesday. The ticket lasts 24 hours and has two two routes, the second being Bondi. So I took this to Bondi North and walked along the beaches/cliff tops between North Bondi and Coogee, where there's a marked path. It's not so far but took most of the day. Then I got normal service buses back to Bondi and then Circular Quay. This was great except the sun is hot here and I got burnt feet.
Wednesday. Ferry to Darling Harbour and return. This is regarded as the best way to see the Opera House and the harbour in general. I visited the National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour which was disappointing. However the replica of Cook's ship HMB Endeavour was terrific. Just watch your head! On the return to Circular Quay I visited the Opera House, walked through the Botanic Gardens ( the large (fruit?) bats are impressive and noisy); and in the evening went for a city tour on the Monorail.
Thursday. Took another ferry ride to Manly, where I hired a bike and cycled around part of the Sydney National Park. Worked well and took most of the day.
Friday. My plans for the part of the day I have available are to visit the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum, and take the Opera House tour.
Not everyone's choice but perfect for me.
Back to the land of ice and snow...and it'll be nice to be home.