Sydney is such a remarkable place that I sought to make the most of our last two days in the city.
On Saturday, May 25, I spent the day at the Taronga Zoo, which is a ferry ride away from Circular Quay. The zoo is old school, with cages instead of open, naturali spaces. But that also means the animals are closer and easier to photograph.
After a short ferry ride from Circular Quay, a cable car whisks passengers over the zoo to the top of the hill. Visitors then walk downhill as they meander through the zoo, which emphasizes Aussie creatures.
But half the fun of the zoo is its locale. And at almost every turn, visitors are confronted with dramatic vistas of the harbor, the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. Visually, the exotic animal kingdom has to compete with what homo sapiens hath wrought.
In the evening, I returned to film Vivid Sydney, the wonderful light (and at times, sound) show that started the night before and lasts for two weeks. I wandered all over the harbor to find different perspectives on the Harbor Bridge, which was lighted on the side opposite the Opera House. I got back to the hotel about midnight.
On Sunday, May 26, Professor Christiano and I took a morning ferry to Manly so we could do the Manly Nature Walk in perfect sunshine. This is a 10-kilometer, 6.2-mile walk along and above the seashore, The walk goes through some of the last remaining unspoiled portions of Sydney Harbor. Carved into the sandstone are some Aboriginal drawings of a wallaby, a kangaroo and a fish.
The walk was one of the most remarkable nature treks I have experienced, displaying the full majesty of creation. As Professor Christiano said, "Good think we didn't skip church today!"
To cap off a wonderful closing day in Sydney, I went back to Darling Harbor to view the light show -- twice. (Each show is different.) Then I packed for our flight to Cairnes (pronounced "cans").
Sydney is a world-class city of unparalleled beauty with great culture and friendly people. I'm honored to have experienced it, and I hope these final pictures from Sydney entice you to visit, too.
On Saturday, May 25, I spent the day at the Taronga Zoo, which is a ferry ride away from Circular Quay. The zoo is old school, with cages instead of open, naturali spaces. But that also means the animals are closer and easier to photograph.
After a short ferry ride from Circular Quay, a cable car whisks passengers over the zoo to the top of the hill. Visitors then walk downhill as they meander through the zoo, which emphasizes Aussie creatures.
But half the fun of the zoo is its locale. And at almost every turn, visitors are confronted with dramatic vistas of the harbor, the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. Visually, the exotic animal kingdom has to compete with what homo sapiens hath wrought.
In the evening, I returned to film Vivid Sydney, the wonderful light (and at times, sound) show that started the night before and lasts for two weeks. I wandered all over the harbor to find different perspectives on the Harbor Bridge, which was lighted on the side opposite the Opera House. I got back to the hotel about midnight.
On Sunday, May 26, Professor Christiano and I took a morning ferry to Manly so we could do the Manly Nature Walk in perfect sunshine. This is a 10-kilometer, 6.2-mile walk along and above the seashore, The walk goes through some of the last remaining unspoiled portions of Sydney Harbor. Carved into the sandstone are some Aboriginal drawings of a wallaby, a kangaroo and a fish.
The walk was one of the most remarkable nature treks I have experienced, displaying the full majesty of creation. As Professor Christiano said, "Good think we didn't skip church today!"
To cap off a wonderful closing day in Sydney, I went back to Darling Harbor to view the light show -- twice. (Each show is different.) Then I packed for our flight to Cairnes (pronounced "cans").
Sydney is a world-class city of unparalleled beauty with great culture and friendly people. I'm honored to have experienced it, and I hope these final pictures from Sydney entice you to visit, too.
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