Mountains, Marsupials, and a Massive Delay

This trip was booked at the last minute.  Seriously, on April 1st I booked a one-way flight to Sydney, Australia (using reward points) departing on April 6.  I then booked a deeply discounted unsold cabin on a Transpacific Cruise departing on April 10.   The elation in finding a great travel deal is addicting. The lack of time to properly plan? I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I only had two days in Sydney which isn’t much time to explore a new and exciting city.  I spent the first day exploring the Harbour.  It was easy to spend hours wandering around, gazing on the iconic Opera House and the stunning Harbour Bridge.  Not to mention walking around the many wharfs, gazing into shop windows and sampling local food at one of the many restaurants. Watching crowds of diverse people from all over the world passing by, posing for pictures and likewise taking in the impressive views.

On my second day, I took a trip out of the city.  A tour of the Sydney Zoo and the Blue Mountains.

I was never one of those kids that got excited about going to the zoo.  I don’t even have any clear memories of visiting a zoo as a child.  I’m certain that I went to the national zoo in Washington, DC at some point but it didn’t make a lasting impression.  I lived in New York City for six years and never once went to either Central Park or the Bronx Zoo.   Despite numerous trips to San Diego, I never checked out their famous zoo.  I visited a lot of aquariums over the years and always enjoyed learning about marine life but I never made it a point to plan a trip to the zoo.

The Sydney zoo isn’t very large, though it is certainly delightful!   It is home to more than 4,000 animals, many from Asia and Africa. I was most interested in those native to Australia.  Many of the animals live in an open range habitat where they can roam about freely.  I immediately headed toward the Koala trail.   While koalas are sometimes referred to as bears, they are marsupials.  They live naturally in the forests of eastern Australia. Because they live high in the trees and sleep about 20 hours a day it is next to impossible to come across one in the wild.   They are enchanting creatures with their stout bodies, fluffy ears, and wide, leathery noses.  They look like cuddly stuffed toys and when standing next to one it is difficult to resist the urge to pet the adorable round animal.  Unfortunately, touching is not allowed and I’m a rule follower, so I had to make do with simply staring at the sleeping koala and taking advantage of well-directed photo op.

After my encounter with the koala, I meandered along the path with a wide smile as I discovered the wombats, emus, and wallabies.  There were Tasmanian devils, dingoes, and dozens of native reptiles.  Admittedly, I didn’t spend much time around the reptiles. I’m not a big fan of snakes.  Some of the lizards were interesting and it was kind of cool to see the crocodiles, but there is something about animals with scales and those long pointy tongues that I find off-putting.   It was much more fun stroll along the paved path while kangaroos followed along expressing only mild interest in the many humans staring at them with pointed cameras.

From the zoo, my small tour group headed up toward the Blue Mountain National Park located about an hour drive from Sydney.   The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has everything a nature lover could want.  Walking trails, waterfalls, scenic lookouts, camping, mountain biking and more. 

The Blue Mountains of Australia reminded me of the Blue Ridge Mountains back home in Virginia.  The trees native to the Mid-Atlantic U.S. release a hydrocarbon called isoprene which mixes with ozone molecules to create that beautiful blue haze.  Similarly, it is the oil from the eucalyptus trees in Australia that create the same type of effect.  I’m not well versed in the science; I just know that the Blue Mountains of Australia made me think of home.

The group spent several hours in the park.  We took a cable car to the top of one peak that provided stunning views of the full mountain range.  We took another cable car back down into the temperate rain forest.  We traversed wooden walkways heavily shaded by thick tree branches. We then came to an old coal mine long abandoned.  You can still see quite a bit of the unmined coal.  We were then able to ride a replica of the train that was built to haul the coal out of the deep valley and up the mountain.  This now scenic railway holds the Guinness world record for the steepest rail incline.  It’s not a long ride but at 52 degrees, it provides the same adrenaline rush as an amusement park roller coaster. 

The rain started shortly after we left Blue Mountain National Park.  The steady down pour continued throughout the drive back to the city.  It was dark when I arrived back to the hotel.  It had been a long and adventurous day, and I was ready for a good night’s sleep before boarding the Majestic Princess in the morning.

Turns out that the weather on Tuesday not only delayed the drive back into Sydney, it prevented the Celebrity Solstice from leaving the port.  The Majestic couldn’t dock until the Solstice departed so everything was backed up.  I received an email informing me that Majestic wouldn’t be able to dock until early afternoon and the passengers would be unable to board until 7:00 pm.

An extra day in Sydney with no plans.  What’s a girl to do?  Well first I enjoyed an extra long shower and then took advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel.   I looked over my map of the city and decided to confine my activities to locations that were within walking distance. There were plenty.   I spent my time strolling through the Royal Botanical Gardens, enjoying the wide lawns, native trees, blooming flowers and the ever present views of the harbor. 

As I walked along the marked pathway, I found myself back at the harbor and paused to take the world’s largest steel arch bridge.  

The famous Sydney Harbour Bridge was built during the great depression; a public works project that kept thousands employed while creating an engineering masterpiece.   You can climb the bridge if you want.  I heard that once at the summit, climbers will experience breathtaking views of the city and the harbor.  I then found out that it involves climbing over 1,600 steps, generally takes over 3 hours, and will cost you $374 U.S. dollars.   Considering all the factors it was not an experience I was prepared to invest in.   However, I did enjoy looking at the miniscule figures who managed to make their way to the top.

I stopped at a place called the Sea Rock Grill for an overpriced lunch.  I wasn’t that hungry, but it was almost 2:00 pm and I was really just trying to kill time at point.  I ordered the barramundi fillet since it was a local fresh fish that I had never tried before.  It tasted like sea bass and was delicious. 

After lunch I walked into an adjacent neighborhood called The Rocks, an area filled with charming boutiques, café’s, pubs and markets.  I checked the time again.  Just after 4:00.  I had been walking around for six hours and was exhausted or as I like to call it, “tourist tired”.   I had lost interest in the day and just wanted to get checked into my cabin on the ship and relax with a cocktail. 

I finally went back to the hotel to collect my luggage; I figured I could at least check my bag even if I couldn’t officially check in.   By the time I got back to the port with my suitcase they were allowing people to board.  At last!  The check-in process was efficient and only took about 30 minutes.  The sun was setting and the lights of the city against the night sky was mesmerizing.   With a cocktail in hand, I stood on the pool deck with a crowd of other overly tired yet still excited passengers as we finally sailed away from Sydney.