Flying at last

The last time we were on a plane was March 23rd 2020 when we arrived into London Heathrow from Sydney, via Singapore.  We arrived into lockdown without knowing it had been announced.

Sydney in the distance from Ramsgate Beach where we were staying.

When we booked our flights to Sydney for last month, Singapore Airlines were insisting on face coverings on every plane.  Two of our flights were 13 hours and two were 8 hours plus the airport in Singapore.  However at the beginning of September this requirement was removed apart from the flight from Singapore to Sydney.  A week before we were due to fly, Australia removed the requirement and a couple of days before we arrived , NSW removed the requirement on public transport.  I was so relieved.  This sounded more like 'living with Covid'!

On our first day we took a leisurely stroll along the promenade to meet Andy & Naomi at a local sailing club for lunch.

Our second day involved taking public transport including the ferry to Manly.  Roger & I love going on the ferries.  You get to see so much of Sydney without paying the price of a tour boat.

We have visited Manly so many times that I didn't take many photos.  We walked along another promenade to Shelley Beach.  There were some interesting sculptures along the way.

The sky was rather grey over Sydney as we came back on the ferry.

The next day was much brighter with blue skies.  We went into Sydney again and wandered through the Botanic Gardens down to the harbour.  I spotted this Kookaburra on the way.

We have visited so many times that I have numerous photos of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  But another one never hurts!

We weren't the only people.  It was the school holidays for the two weeks we were there!

Our treat for this day was to go with our eldest grandchild to his swimming lesson.  He's really rather good - although I am probably biased.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Sydney

We have been fortunate to visit Sydney several times.  When I looked for things for us to do on web pages like '30 things to do in Sydney' I found that we had done almost all of them.  If you discount anything that involves getting wet or hanging off a rope then we've probably done all of them.  Or so I thought.

We took the bus from Sydney north to Palm Beach.   We had done this journey with Andy once before but then got on a boat.  This time we went to the end of the bus route and got off at this beautiful beach.

If you are in to Australian soaps, this is where the outdoor shots for Home and Away are shot.

We walked alongside the beach and started the steep walk up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse.  In fact we didn't choose to go up this way but did come down it.

We chose instead to take the sloping zigzag track.

I found it quite hard and we had to stop quite a few times so I could catch my breath and let my aching calf muscles calm down.  However the views were spectacular so it was worth it.  (I had to keep telling myself that!)

We took the bus back to Sydney and met up with the Hopper Juniors at Circular Quay.

The next day we visited Parliament House Sydney.

This is the library.

Then we went to the Hyde Park Barracks museum.  We hadn't visited it before because I thought it was going to be about soldiers and horses.  I really should read the guidebook.  It was an amazing building full of the story of the convicts sent out from England.  If ever you are in Sydney it is a must-see.  I can't believe that we have been going out there since 2008 and never visited it.

We took the train out to where Andy & Naomi live and had dinner with them.  In the evening we went back into Sydney.

We went to a concert by Postmodern Jukebox at the Sydney Opera House.

A final photo was taken of the band by the stage manager.  Can you spot us?  We're in the middle of the Circle!

On our final day in central Sydney we took the ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo.

We walked from the quay for the zoo to Chowder Bay.  We had walked before with Andy from Chowder Bay to Bradleys Head.

We saw quite a few of these guys sunning themselves.

The view back to the Sydney skyline

A kookaburra.  I wonder whether he was the same one we saw last time we took this walk?

We took the train again to Brighton-Le-Sands where the Hopper Juniors live and took a walk along the promenade before dinner.

Later that evening the five of us set out in the car for Goulburn where we had booked an Airbnb place for three nights.  More on that next time.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice