Sydney, Australia

Many people assume that Sydney is the capital of Australia.  While it is the capital of New South Wales, the country's capital is about 287 km (178 miles) away in Canberra.

Sydney's greater metro population is over 5,1 million making it the biggest city in both Australia and Oceania.

Indigenous people have lived in the Sydney area for over 30,000 years.  In 1788 Sydney was founded as a British penal colony during the first European settlement in Australia.  The city was incorporated in 1842.

Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.  At least 45% of Sydneysiders were born overseas.  The best way to describe Sydney is as a modern, very gay friendly, European city with a hip Asian vibe.  It's awesome!

Sydney Tower was completed in 1981.  It stands at 309 metres (1,014 feet) and, after Auckland's Sky Tower, it's the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

The QVB, the Queen Victoria Building, was completed in 1898.  It is home to some 200 shops.



At the southern end of the building is a statue of Queen Victoria.  It was on display in Dublin until 1947 when it was put in to storage.  It 1987 Ireland gifted it to the city.

The Sydney Town Hall opened in 1889 and it was renovated in 1991-1992. It houses the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney plus council offices.



St. Andrew's Cathedral was consecrated in 1868.  The Anglican cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Australia.




St. Mary's Cathedral was consecrated in 1882.  The Catholic cathedral was designated as a minor basilica in 1932.

The Great Synagogue was completed in 1878.

The Justice and Police Museum was completed in 1886.  The building used to be the local police station and courthouse.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is at Darling Harbour.  It opened in 1991 and a destroyer, a submarine, and a few smaller historical vessels are part of the permanent exhibition.

Hyde Park is 16,2 hectares (40 acres) and is the oldest parkland in Australia.  The Anzac Memorial was unveiled in 1934 and underwent refurbishment in 2018.  It honours the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in World War I.

The Hyde Park Obelisk opened in 1857.  It is 22 metres (72 feet) tall.

The Sydney Observatory opened in 1859.  The site was once used as a defensive fort.



The Royal Botanic Garden opened in 1816.  It is 30 hectares (74 acres) and a great place to take a stroll.




The Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1991.  It was renovated in 2010 and is home to over 4000 works.






The Customs House building opened in 1845.  Today it is a museum.





The Art Gallery of New South Wales opened in 1874.  It is one of the largest galleries in Australia.




The State Library of New South Wales opened in 1826.  It's the country's oldest library and is open to the public.





Mrs. Macquarie's Chair is a sandstone rock that was hand carved by convicts in 1810.





The Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932.  It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge and the tallest steel arch bridge.





It's also the world's second largest, widest long-span bridge.





The Sydney Opera House opened in 1973.  It's the city's most well-known landmark.  It consists of multiple performance venues with more than 1500 performances a year.



In 2007 the Opera House was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife Park Tour, Australia

Australia's Blue Mountains are in New South Wales.  The foothills are about 50 km (31 miles) west of Sydney.  The Greater Blue Mountains Area is about 10,000 km² (3900 sq miles) and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Our group tour began with a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park.  The park opened in 1972.  With over 1700 animals from more than 250 species, the park is home to the country's largest collection of native animals.

Every state in Australia has its own rules about koalas.  In New South Wales it is illegal to hold a Koala without the proper accreditation.

Most places don't let you touch them at all.  At the park, you are allowed to take a photo while touching the koala's lower body.  I hear that in Queensland you can hold a koala during a photo which last about 30 seconds.  

There are plenty of kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, emus, dingos, lots of snakes, and the crocodile.  Unfortunately, the Tasmanian devils weren't out while we were there.  Australia is home to some pretty dangerous wild animals.

Then it was on to Scenic World Blue Mountains which is about 100 km (62 miles) from Sydney.  Aside from great views of the mountains, there are a number of nature walks, a scenic railway, a skyway, and a cable way.

Panoramic view of Jamison Valley

The Three Sisters rock formations are are one of the best known landmarks.  They are named Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo.

There are plenty of walkways to explore and several waterfalls.  Even a bit of rain didn't spoil the views.

The Skyway was is a cable-driven cabin that takes about 70 people across the gorge.  Part of the raised floor inside the cabin is goes transparent during the ride so you can really appreciate how high up you are.



Spectacular views, waterfalls, and I got to touch a koala...definitely an awesome day trip!

Canberra, Australia

Canberra is the capital city of Australia.  With just over 410,000 people it is the country's eighth-largest city.

The city is in the Australian Capital Territory which is located inside of New South Wales.  This keeps the government independent from any one state or territory.

Canberra is about 250 km (154 miles) south-west of Sydney and roughly 650 km (404 miles) north-east of Melbourne.  Both Sydney and Melbourne wanted to be the country's capital so a compromise was made in 1908 to build a capital between the two rivals.

Yesterday was a full-day coach tour to the capital which began with a three-hour drive to Canberra.  We didn't get to explore the city but it was a great way to see the key sights.

Mount Ainslie is on the northeast side of the city.  The tourist outlook provides a great view of ANZAC Parade from the Australian War Memorial to the Parliament House.

The Australian War Memorial is huge and includes the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, a museum and an outdoor sculpture garden.

With Remembrance Day approaching there were poppies everywhere and soldiers preparing for the 100th anniversary ending WWI.


Old Parliament House was the seat of government from 1927 until 1988 when the Commonwealth Parliament moved to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill.  Today the building is used as a venue for exhibitions and concerts.

The National Library of Australia was established in 1961.  It is the biggest reference library in the country.



Parliament House was opened in 1988.  The design is based on the shape of two boomerangs with an 81-metre (266 ft) flagpole on top.

House of Representatives

The building has 4700 rooms with many areas open to the public.  We had a private tour of both the building including both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Senate

Under Australian law, all citizens are required to enrol and vote in all federal elections and referendums.  People who don't vote receive a fine about the cost of a parking ticket.  I think this is awesome!  I wish this was the case in the USA.

Lake Burley Griffin runs though the centre of the city.  The artificial lake was completed in 1963.  It's named after the American architect Walter Burley Griffin who won the competition to design the city.

The National Carillon is 50 metres (160 ft) tall and was installed in 1970.  Queen Elizabeth II presented it as a gift from the UK to commemorate Canberra's 50th anniversary as the country's capital.

The National Museum of Australia covers 50,000 years of history from its Indigenous heritage through the Sydney 2000 Olympics.  The permanent facility opened in 2001.

This was a long day, especially with the six-hour round trip coach ride, but our guide was great and kept the day from feeling too long.

Finally Made to Australia

After almost a full day of travel we finally made it to Australia.  First a 2,5 hour flight from Vienna to London Heathrow.

We left Heathrow on Friday night on BA15; a 12 hour, 45 minute flight to Singapore.

There was a 1,5 hour layover and everyone had to disembark while the plane refuelled.  Then we continued on for almost another 8 hours to Sydney; finally getting here Sunday morning.

The second leg of the trip was tiring.  After +20 hours of travel all I wanted was to take a long hot shower.

Now it's time to explore Sydney!