Australian Museum of Natural History, Sydney

Jurassaic Park?  No - the Australian Museum of Natural History has a great dinosaur exhibit.  Along with the largest piece of gold ever discovered in Australia and many animal exhibits.  Magpies - the black and white birds that are scene everywhere in Sydney.

Good Morning - Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia

Beautiful morning in Sydney - our last day on land in Australia.  Views of Circular Quay, Harbor Bridge and Opera House from our hotel - Intercontinental Hotel.  We were delighted to see our home for the next 3 1/2 weeks - MS Regatta already at berth at Circular Q.uay

La Traviata at Handa Opera, Sydney

A beautiful evening for outdoor opera at Macquarie's Chair in Sydney Harbor.  A spectacular presentation of Verdi's La Traviata on a glamour floating stage.  The Sydney Opera House was in the view beyond the stage.  We enjoyed wine, dinner and met our traveling companions David and Linda Leeder from Canada.  Fireworks after the first act!  The huge chandlier served as the focal point for the stage - colors and lights changed the mood to match the music.  Perfectly wonderful evening!!

Darling Harbor, Sydney

Dinner at one of the pubs at Darling Harbor - Darrell's pot pie looked (and tasted) wonderful.  Views of the Sydney Skyline from the Harbor.  A delightful evening - our last night in Sydney.  We loved all of Australia - natural beauty of the country and the beautiful people of the country made our stay delightful!

Sydney Aquarium

A nice visit to the world famous Sydney Aquarium with the tunnel through the shark tank.  The Aquarium in located at Darling Harbour and presents an extensive view of sea life in Australian waters.

Chinese Garden, Sydney

A tranquil oasis in a busy city - the Chinese Garden is in the heart of downtown Sydney near Darling Harbor.

Sydney Fish Market for lunch

One of the largest fish markets in the world - some of the finest and freshest seafood is available at the Sydeny Fish Market.  We had a wonderful lunch of sushi and fresh fish.

Sydney sights

The Domain - or the Royal Botantical Gardens are beloved by the Sydneysiders.  They provide a wonderful buffer between the city and the harbour.  The State Library of New South Wales is an important custodian of important Australian documents.  The Art Gallery of New South Wales resides inside the Botanical Gardens and has a wonderful Aboriginal Art Gallery.  The fountain is inHyde Park.

Bondi Beach, Sydney

One of the most beautiful and famous of Sydney's Beaches - Bondi Beach - home of Speedo.  It was wonderful to see the surfers, paddle boards, and the beautiful people!  We took the HOHO (Hop on hop off bus) around the city today enjoying the beautiful sunny, warm day and the sites.

Alice Springs - Birthplace of a Town

The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve is where the town started in 1872.  This was the first European settlement in the Outback.  The "town" has been preserved just as it would have been in the late 1800's. 

We had dinner at "Overlander's" Steakhouse - and tried the "Drover's Blowout" meal including crocodile, camel, kangaroo, emu and barrimundi.  Some say this steakhouse was the inspiration for the Outback Restaurant.

The Alice Springs Chifley resort was our hotel.  We did a driving tour around the town then headed back to Sydney completing our Outback experience.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs was such a surprise - it is not very big, it is in a river valley surrounded by a mountain range, but it plays an important role in the opening of the Outback in Australia.  We arrived on Sunday afternoon and the local soup kitchen was providing dinner for the Arrernte Aboriginal people - so there were a lot of people wandering the streets.  Actually - the job opportunity for the native people is very limited and Alice Springs is home to a large number of native people.

The ANZAC Memorial tops a lookout point in downtown Alice Springs with views of the town and the valley.  We toured sights in the downtown area and visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum.