SO LONG TO OUR CRUISE
We had to say good bye to our cruising and hit the ground running in Australia. The cruise around New Zealand was filled with beautiful scenery, great shows, lots of good food and drink and some relaxation. I don’t think the ship was at full capacity but it was crowded enough for me. I have to say that is the only thing I don’t like about large cruise ships, way too many people. The buffet was always packed and we struggled to find a table at times.
Departing the ship was fairly organized but apparently I didn’t read all the departure information and didn’t tag my bags properly before putting them out in the hall for pickup. So yes, they got lost and we had to hunt them down. But other than that it went smoothly.
All in all, a great first leg of our trip!
On to the second part of our trip ……….
The second part of our trip is four days in Sydney. The Australian people seem to like us and are very welcoming. I never knew Australians were so tall! Even the women!
I feel like a bug in the land of giants!
Downtown Sydney
We were able to get an uber and check into our new home, the Courtyard Marriott before our first Australian tour, “Sydney Like a Local”.
Our tour guide was Andrea (pronounced Ah n dray uh) and she was excited to show us Sydney. Two hours wasn’t long enough for all she wanted to show us but we made the most of it.
Downtown Sydney is bustling with activity and has some beautiful sights.
Rabbitwoman and Dogman
On Patrol
Our first stop was the QVB, or Queen Victoria Building. It is five stories high and full of high-end stores. A really beautiful building inside and out.
She showed us some really cool things in Sydney, including a street with hanging bird cages. These cages symbolize all of the birds that can no longer live in Sydney because they have cut down all the trees. On the ground are plaques with the names of all the species included. Not exactly a tourist attraction but a very cool dedication.
ABORIGINES
There is also a timeline for when the aborigines inhabited most of Australia before the “White Australian” settlers came over from Europe. There is a preserved area of where the settlers first lived. The area is called “The Rocks” and although they have built all around the area, they have preserved the original rock walls and cobblestone alleys.
Most Australians will tell you that there is quite a prejudice towards the aboriginal community as well as the Torres Strait Islander people. They are known to be primitive and lazy. There is a problem with alcoholism among them and they live within their own communities…… And they were here first.
Remind you of anything?
Like maybe the U.S. and the Native Americans?
Australia even had a vote to secure representation for the aboriginal people and it was voted down.
STABBINGS
Currently all over the news is the stabbing deaths of 6 people in a local mall. One of the first concerns was if the offender was an aborigine but it was found that it was a mentally unstable white Australian. I refer to “white” Australians because that is what I am hearing from the Australian people. There are the Aborigines and the White Australians.
A stabbing seems so personal, doesn’t it?
Australia has no right to bear arms as we do in our Constitution. And wanting a gun for self defense does not fly here. You must be licensed and have a good reason for needing it. This is the way it has always been here so it is more easily controlled. Nothing is harder than trying to reverse someone’s rights, agree?
So I am guessing that is why his method of mass murder was stabbing. BRUTAL!!
We ended our first day in Sydney at the King Street Wharf on Sydney Harbour with dinner at a little outdoor cafe. Australia does not tip their wait staff so therefore, the service is acceptable but not exceptional.
You get what you pay for right?
Most of this was awesome 😆 Got a little dark at the end but love rabbit woman and dog man!
Rabbitwoman and Dogman were really cool!
Very cool! (besides the stabbing part of course lol)
Yea the stabbing was kind of dark but it is HUGE news here.
Very cool!! Love the hanging bird cages and rabbit woman/dog man. 😂
Yea both of those were really cool!
I love the photos. What a lovely place.
Rabbit woman is definitely one of the best sculptures I’ve ever seen. Not to knock Dog Man. He deserves accolades as well.
Rabbitwoman was really awesome! You can see she is strong and confident right?
Wow. Downtown Sydney is beautiful and looks like it’s definitely thriving. It was enlightening to hear direct from Australia about the stabbing contrasting the gun violence we have here. Does Australia have a problem with violence? If so, we don’t hear much about it. Also eye opening about the Aborigine population. We’re touring vicariously with you, Denise. Thank you!
Downtown Sydney is beautiful! From what we have learned, Australia has crime but not really major crime. Although the story changes according to who you are talking to. Or I should say which Uber driver. That’s where we get most of our information 🙂
Sooooo interesting! It is especially interesting to me, as I used to live in Sydney as a child. My parents moved to Australia when I was 9 years old. I remember it all very well. The first day in Sydney, we put our luggage in the hotel room and immediately went exploring. I have a vivid memory of coming out of the hotel and seeing and smelling the diesel engines of the double-decker buses and going to a museum. I absolutely loved it.
So, I’ve never heard of some of these things that you posted about and they are so cool…the Queen Victoria Building…the bird cages (WOW – how powerful) and the Aborigine area called “The Rocks”. We probably saw that, but I had forgotten.
When we moved to Australia, so were only allowing professional educated WHITE people in. My dad was Geologist. They paid for us to live at a hostel, just a few blocks from Bondi Beach. It was amazing walking to that beach, while my dad was looking for a job on those days.
I had no idea you lived in Sydney! How long I wonder? I’m glad I was able to share new things about it with you, well new or forgotten :). Bondi Beach was a suggested place for us to go but we didn’t make it there. Small world!