In January 2002
we (along with Ann's parents Eva & Harry) took a two-week cruise
on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas. The cruise started in
Sydney and sailed south down the coast of Australia, with stops in Melbourne
and Hobart, Tasmania. After crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand,
the ship sailed through the Fjordland National Park, and then up the
east coast, with stops in Dunedin, Christchurch, Tauranga and finally
Auckland.
The weather was
perfect everywhere we went. Sydney had been having terrible forest fires
for weeks, but just days before we arrived a powerful rainstorm extinguished
the fires, washed the skies clean, and departed. At several ports-of-call,
the locals told us they thought summer was never going to come, and
thanked us for bringing the glorious weather with us!
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We started our sightseeing
even before we got to the ship. The bus from the airport stopped at a
lovely park across the harbor from downtown, with a view of the famous
Opera House.
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On our right was the
imposing Harbour Bridge (largest single-span bridge in the world), which
we would soon be crossing.
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While crossing the
Harbour Bridge, we had this side view of the Opera House, as well as the
HMS Bounty sailing ship in the foreground.
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We could also see
the Circular Quay area, with the Ferry Landing at the back, and The Rocks
on the right.
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stopped in The Rocks for a quick thirst-quencher, with a great view of the
Opera House and the constant ferry traffic. |
Looking up at the
Harbour Bridge, we could see the brave souls doing the "Bridge Climb."
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it was all the way around to the park at Macquarie Point, for a view of
the other side of the Opera House. |
The
park also offered a nice view of the downtown skyline, including the 1065'
tall Sydney Tower (tallest structure in the southern hemisphere).
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