Sydney, Australia-Day One

Our Australian vacation began in AU with a flight out of SD on Jan 5th. Because of time changes and the International Date Line, we didn't land in Sydney until Jan. 7, 2013. There were 12 of us/6couples on the trip. Two of the couples we went with on the Asian trip. So we had new people to meet which is always fun.

Our vacation gave us 3 days in Sydney before boarding the cruise ship for a 14 day trip around parts of Australia and New Zealand. When the cruise was over we stayed in Aukland, NZ for an additional 4 days before heading for home.

After a quick check through customs we headed for the Marriott (where we finally applied for a points card), threw our stuff in the room and headed out for the Hop On - Hop Off Bus. We had already purchased tickets through Viator before we left the states, so we were ready to go. The cruise wouldn't start until the 11th, so we had a few days to adjust and see some of Sydney at our own pace.

The bus is a great way to see a city you are unfamiliar with because there is informative narrative as well as opportunities to snap a few pictures and make notes of where you would like to return. Tickets are relatively inexpensive and last for a full 24 hours. In our case, it was a way to begin the vacation while suffering from plane dehydration, exhaustion (try sleeping with a crying baby on a 15 hour flight), and jet lag!

We saw sites such as Hyde Park, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Wooloomoolou Bay, the Parliament House, Sydney Opera House and Bridge, and the Sydney Fish Market. Several of these sites we were able to get back to for a closer look. For lunch we ate at a little outdoor cafe and I tried my first ginger beer. It is their idea of ginger ale. NOT the same! Very gingery, but good. Food wasn't any different than home, although it is prepared differently and much more expensive. By the way- it is summer in the southern hemisphere so we had to scrounge around to find some shorts to take!

Our day ended with an outdoor waterfront Italian dinner that was within walking distance of the hotel. With full stomachs we headed for the hotel along the boardwalk and I was able to get this picture of the Opera House. I took several daytime shots too, but those will be in another post. Because we often would spend the day in small touring groups, dinners were always together to catch up on the day's events and plan for the following day. Needless to say we were ready for a good night's sleep and excited about another day in Aussie-land.