Sightseeing in the Lucky Country - Sydney, Day 1

Tuesday 23 October 2012.

Out like a light last night, but still woke before 7:00 am. Had an excellent buffet breakfast up on the 5th floor, you never know when the next meal will come when you are travelling in a strange city!

View from our 1st floor hotel room window

We walked up the road to Kings Cross, and walked the cross to just past the corner of Williams St and Darlinghurst Rd (the one with the Coca Cola billboard). 

This corner is the actual "Kings Cross" after which the suburb was named.

 We spent over half an hour waiting for the Hop-On-Hop-Off sightseeing bus to arrive, and both noted the number of people wandering about who were challenged in various ways – mental health issues, derelict, living rough – seemed to be a lot talking to themselves, doing odd things, and wandering aimlessly. They seemed to generally know one another. Otherwise there were the usual range of week-day shoppers, business and working folk, and it is quite a busy suburban shopping centre.

King's Cross' other claims to fame might escape our observation as we tend to be in bed ourselves early lately!

The sightseeing bus was an excellent way to spend our first day, it has a loop that takes a couple of hours if you don't get off. During our ride the clouds cleared and it became quite summery. The pictures will tell the story of the bus tour. A pity I couldn't share the excellent on-bus recorded commentary. 

We have found elsewhere that these sightseeing trips are a good way to get a feel for the layout and attractions available in a new city, and this was to be no exception. 

In the sightseeing double decker hop-on-hop-off bus

Darling Harbour

Endeavour replica at the Maritime Museum

The coat hanger

That famous landmark building - more pix of this tomorrow

Hyde Park

City is a delightful mix of old and new, and new like old

Looking up

 We had a stop at Circular Quay, and enjoyed a fresh fruit lunch with the seagulls. Our loop was then completed, we stayed on past Kings Cross, getting off finally at The Royal Botanic Gardens gate by the Conservatory of Music on Macquarie Street.

Flowers at Circular Quay

Good thing I kept my arm in - very close to verandahs, posts, trees, and hanging baskets

At the gates to the Royal Botanic Gardens - now on foot heading 'home' to the hotel

Rose Gardens, or a tiny part of them

Howie and the Huntsman

The sun dial was an hour out due to daylight saving

Kookaburra

Walking round Farm Cove

Around the Point at Mrs Macquarie's Chair, into Woolloomoolloo Bay, a naval base

We spent a few hours exploring the gardens, barely scratching the surface, before walking the harbour path from Farm Cove, around the point to Woolloomoolloo Bay – a Naval Base. Then walked up Victoria Street, a tree-lined street featuring historic-protected Victorian-era semi-detached terraced houses, which are of a particular style I've only ever seen in Aussie.

Coming up Victoria Street, round the corner from our hotel, lots of these quaint terraced cottages

We collapsed into the hotel at about 5:00 pm and rested up until 7:00 pm, when we went for dinner up in the Cross at a family-run Greek greasy spoon diner. We both had a lamb shank and choice of vegetables dinner, and it was fabulous! Also good at only $14.50 a plate – considering we had been looking down the road in trendy Potts Point (actually within a couple of blocks!) at bistros which were not offering a plate at less than 30-odd dollars.

So here we are, old folk in Kings' Cross, ready to hit the hay!