Bye-bye Sydney

We're home!

With Pegasos all wrapped-up and ready to face the cyclone season storms we departed Cairns on a series of long journeys back home via Sydney and Joburg. Sailing on a Boeing out of Cairns we got a glimpse of the islands and reefs from a different angle:

It's been something of a culture shock to leave the simple, slow, warm and jovial community of mostly retired late-middle-aged Queensland yachties and enter into the busy production line of the holiday air-travel industry. Obediently following crackling orders we joined the throngs of mildly-panicking tourists and their baggage being herded and penned into little clusters, segregated by nationality and destination, flight number and class.

First flight was Cairns to Sydney, both airports where the majority of passengers are on a once in a lifetime holiday from China. Their excitement, bewilderment and culture shock is extreme. The airports try to minimise the stress for everyone by placing extensive signboards and notices in Chinese, and even have instructions on how to use a western style loo in every toilet cubicle.

We so enjoyed Sydney on our brief stopover here six months ago that we decided to take a full week to explore the city on this our return journey. We spent a couple of days walking around the city and along the beaches and the waterfront trails of the harbour bay and ocean shoreline.

Marcelle taking pictures of the beach scene at Manly:

Though it was probably me that took this photo at Bondi:

Cliff-top Walkway between Bondi and Bronte:

Sydney Harbour Bay

The city is rich and expensive, clean and safe. Australia has experienced a longer period of continuous growth than any other developed nation. Minimum wages here are approximately double what they are in London. The public transport is extensive, fast, clean and reliable with an integrated system of suburban trains, several ferry routes, a light rail line through the CBD and a vast network of buses. But for me the special appeal of Sydney is its colourful and cosmopolitan make-up, with all the resident communities boldly displaying their presence.

The English colonial past:

The East-Asian dominated fish-market is vast, noisy (and somewhat malodorous) but serves the very best seafood:

Paddy's markets has a more South-Asian colour scheme:

And of course there’s tourists from everywhere.

A real treat was meeting up with my old friend Harry Fine.

We had breakfast at a trendy seaside outdoor restaurant.

And a walk along Cremorne Point in North Sydney:

We also visited Featherdale, a small zoo of Australian animals.

It's a bit of a relief that when we come back to continue our journey next year we'll be beyond the habitat of the Australian common or garden death adder!

Bye-bye Sydney ...