Tourist For the Weekend

This weekend is a long weekend in NSW!  Monday is Labor Day.  (Lucky me, I got two this year, as QLD celebrated theirs earlier in the year.)  Dean and Alana have arrived in Oz and will be making their way into Sydney Monday morning.  Joel golfed yesterday and today, which meant I had two whole days to myself.  Even though I'm fighting a small cold, I thought I'd get out and see the city.

I started out yesterday by taking the train into Circular Quay.  As it was a Saturday and it's school holidays right now, it was packed.  A few entertainers around, including disco-abo man with his didgeridoo.  I planned on following a walking tour in The Rocks laid out by my Lonely Planet guide.  The first few stops didn't interest me, so I ditched the book and did my own thing.  I walked all around the harbor and under the bridge, then through the Saturday market.  I picked up some sour licorice there which is AMAZING and all gone now!

The Rocks

Luna Park

After walking for awhile my cold starting bothering me.  Wasn't ready to go home yet, so decided to do one of the city Hop On Hop Off Tourist buses.  It wasn't really that exciting either, bu I learned a few interesting facts and got my bearings around the city.  Found some other areas I'd like to explore.  After the hour and a half tour I went home.  It was really windy and sitting on top of the bus in the wind tuckered me out.

The Queen Victoria Building, which is under refurbishment

Joel met two new friends at his new golf club, Eastlakes.  They are close in age and moved over recently from New Zealand.  They golf every weekend together.  Last night I dropped them off and picked them up so they could enjoy some beers after the game.  There was a big rugby (or football? or AFL?  it's all the same to me) game going on, Sydney vs Melbourne, so they wanted to get rowdy with the rest of the city.  Sydney won, so it was quite a party everywhere.

This morning I slept in and was initially going to rest all day.  But it was a nice, sunny day and I decided I should get out for some exercise.  I took the train back to Circular Quay and walked opposite the way I did yesterday, past the Opera House and through the Sydney Botanical Gardens.  It's a big park that is bordered by the water with spectacular views of the harbor.   There are lots of statues, fountains and gardens throughout.  Also tons of Asian weddings happening today.

Not sure where these came from or why they're here, but they are pieces of an old building

Government House

I will never tire of this view...

Mrs MacQuarries Chair (carved into the sandstone for the wife of Governor MacQuarrie in 1810 by convicts)

Sydney- it's just like Edmonton!

After walking through the park I decided it was time for some shopping!  As I was near the CBD I walked down MacQuarrie Street towards the big Westfield Center.  Saw a few more sights on my way.

Parliament of NSW

Sydney Hospital, Australia's oldest hospital.  Rumor has it if you pet the nose of the pig statue you will have good luck.

The Mint.  Used to be the old Sydney Rum Hospital.  The British government wouldn't give the Aussie's money to build one, so Captain MacQuarie gave it's two builders a monopoly on the rum trade build it for free.

Fountain in Hyde Park with the Registry of Sydney behind

Sydney Tower.

Westfields is a pretty fancy mall.  The top floors are all the expensive stores I would like to shop in but can not afford.  The bottom ones are more my range.  I headed to my two favs, Sportsgirl and Forever New, and treated myself to some retail therapy.  There was some seriously good stuff and I would have loved to buy more, but we do have a vacation coming up soon!