To and through Sydney

We left Dorrigo with a goal of national park  sightseeing (3 different parks within 50 km--again, Australia has LOTS of national parks) and also to make some progress towards Sydney.  We had tended to do a scenic loop on the way out of town,but it was rainy and foggy so we just followed the highway (Waterfall Way).  The the weather was a bit of a damper, but it was mercifully cool (16 C) and the sun poked through from time to time for some nice rainbows.
Our first stop was at Ebon Falls in Guy Fawkes River NP.  The first area settlement occurred on Guy Fawkes Day, hence the name (obviously not settled by Irish!).  It was just a short drive off the highway and near the car park.

Susan at upper Ebon Falls.

In just a few km, we stopped at Cathedral Rock NP for a bush walk, but had to drive about 8k on a washboard-surface gravel track.  From the car park, it was a 4.2 km loop track around the Cathedral Rock formation.  The weather was still relatively cool so it was a nice walk.  About half way  around the loop, there was a shot (500 m) spur to the top.  It was a class 5 track (difficult) and we were a bit pressed for time, but we opted to do it anyway.  It WAS a challenging (think Appalachian Trail in Maine), but turned out to be well worth the effort--incredible views and fascinating rock formations.  Returning to the car park, we experienced something novel--several cars in the car park and even a line at the latrine.  We had lunch before leaving, where Susan fortunately noticed a leech.  Upon checking, I was the sweepstakes winner with 3 leeches--one of which had latched on and left a bleeding spot.  It didn't seem right as I was the only one with long pants.

Typical trail ascending the peak at Cathedral Rock.

Near the top, there were chains to assist with the final ascent.

Wesley and Susan at the top.

Susan and I at the top.

After another 25km or so, we turned off at Oxley Wild Rivers NP to see the Wollomombi Falls, also just a couple of km off the highway.

Wollomombi Falls.  Note that there are actually two falls and the two rivers are joining here.  The one on the right is much smaller (at least with the prevailing recent weather).

We arrived in Armidale by about 3 pm, did a quick cruise through the New England University campus and headed south (again) on the New England Hwy to Tamworth.  Tamworth is down from the plateau where Dorriga is located, so at a much lower elevation and consequently much hotter than the 16 C we woke up to.  We had no plans for Tamworth, but did have a couple of  new experiences/sights.  First, we ate at the bowling club near the motel (it was actually a Chinese buffet in the club).  In order to get in, we had to get visitor passes and show drivers licences. It made you think you had been invited into some inner sanctum of Aussie culture.  Inside, the place was comfortably full of people in the bar area, but the restaurant was not busy (perhaps too early?).  The bowling green, on the other hand, was empty (granted, it was 40+ C outside), but inside one entire wall was a bank of TV's with horse racing, dog racing, cricket, rugby, keno games, ..., and this seemed to evoke more interest.  Also a surprise in town was the Big Gold Guitar--a must-see, but quick stop.  Apparently one of Tamworth's emphases (it seems every little town has some theme around which it promotes itself, usually with an annual festival) is country music and the big guitar is in reference to that.

The Big Gold Guitar in Tamworth with greetings for Erin and William.  This satisfied our need for kitsch for the day!

Tamworth is just over 400 km from Sydney, so the next day was basically a dash to the finish (actually only to the mid-point of our trip back to Melbourne).  We passed through several good sized towns and many smaller communities.  Spacing was much closer--instead of 40-50 km between settlements, it was now only 10-15 km.  We arrived in suburban Sydney about 2 pm and checking into our hotel.  Wesley had found/reserved the room while in Tamworth, specifically to be near a suburban train station--we did not want to drive downtown and had, in fact, been dreading the whole Sydney thing for a while.  Our booking was in the Hornsby Inn which cost about 50% more than our typical small-town motel and was not quite as nice (we found a couple of free-range roaches, but otherwise ok) but as the real estate folks say, "location, location, location."  It was perfect to go into the city and never have to move and re-park the car.  Since we arrived reasonably early, we opted to go into the city and do some general walk-about exploring.  After a 50-minute ride, we were in the heart of Sydney.  For an overview, we decided to follow one of the  walking tour itineraries in the Sydney guide, which generally went from Hyde Park winding northward through the botanical garden, past the opera house and ending at Circular Quay.  (We later learned that is was originally Semi-circular Quay, but as Aussies shorten most everything, it's now simply Circular Quay--and in colloquial speech, simply the Quay.)  Unexpectedly, a couple of things were still open to visit, including the parliament building, so we got a bit extra done.

Posing with perhaps the biggest bullets in the world (Southern Hemisphere?).  This is actually a memorial in Hyde Park to aboriginal soldiers who have served in the Australian Defense Forces.

The Sydney version of the ubiquitous ANZAC Memorial.  It's in Hyde Park and currently undergoing some work.

St. Mary's Cathedral, a very beautiful Gothic structure.

Parliament House with a filming for a political ad.  They were doing multiple takes and folks like us walking through didn't seem to be helping.

Susan with the biggest chickens in the world (Southern Hemisphere?) at the Sydney Opera House.  Actually, these are part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Susan and I at the Sydney Opera House.  It's an ionic building, of course, but in person it really is a breathtaking building.  The roof is actually tile when viewed up close, a fact that I've never noticed in photos.

We finished with a meal on the water at Circular Quay with views of the ferries, the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.  I should also mention that the temperature in Sydney that afternoon was 44 C (110 F), the highest we've encountered on the trip.  (For all of you back in WI/MN/IL/IN/etc., I am simply reporting facts, not trying to rub it in that we may be 120 F warmer than some of you!)

The view from the restaurant on the quay with ferry traffic and the Harbor bridge in the background.

Near the Quay is the water taxi stand.  I have seen water taxis in other places, but never a yellow-painted boat complete with the old checker cab design.

Before leaving for the suburb, we saw a tall ship coming  in to port.  This is a boat on which one can book a cruise, but unfortunately the next open date was 13 March and we were unable to do this.

The next day Wesley went in early to revisit the gardens while Susan and I opted to go in just as the museums were opening.  We'd picked out three museums in order to to avoid the heat (although it only made it up to 35 C--so something of a cold snap).  We first spent a couple of hours at the Museum of Sydney, had a park-bench picnic for lunch, then went to the Hyde Park Barracks Museum and I also went to the Justice and Police Museum while Susan and Wesley went back to the gardens.  My strategy to stay cool was not entirely successful as the police museum's A/C was not working properly.

Models of the First Fleet at the Museum of Sydney

Our lunch spot was next to another Chinese New Year venue.

The Hyde Park barracks from 1819.  Originally it housed men sent to the penal colony and later (c 1848) was converted for single women immigrants until they found a position as well as elderly and disabled women.  Still later, it was converted for government offices and finally restored for the museum.

One of the bunk rooms for the inmates.  There were often almost twice as many as the building was designed for, so many were sleeping on the floors under the hammocks.

A sampling of some of the evidence collected by the Sydney police over the years.

We had a final dinner down at Circular Quay and then caught a ferry (our budget harbor cruise) to North Sydney and walked to the train back to Hornsby.  So we only spent 1 1/2 days in Sydney, which is not really enough to do it justice, but I think we were pretty efficient with our time and saw quite a bit.  Next will be back on the road to Melbourne.

Just as we arrived at Circular Quay, a cruise ship was departing after a day in port.  Compared with the other boats in the harbor, this it a giant.

Also at the Quay we found a busker playing a didgeridoo.  He was also explaining how to play it and circular breathing as well as playing music.  

Susan on the ferry "cruise" with a last look at the Opera House at dusk.