Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)

[moish]

We then went to the Seal Bay Conservation Park, to see sea lions in their natural habitat. They have guided tours to the beach throughout the day where you can see the sea lions up close.

[moish]

Humpback whale skeleton

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We then headed, via unsealed road, to the Parndana Wildlife Park which is basically a zoo, where we were able to hand feed some kangaroos, and pet some koalas.




Cassowary

[moish]

The resemblance is uncanny!

[moish]

We then raced back to Kingscote for the 5pm pelican feeding behind the Penguin Center.

[moish]

Afterwards, we drove to Penneshaw, dropped off our car at the Budget drop box, and boarded the ferry to Cape Jervis.


Penneshaw



The only way to get from Cape Jervis back to Adelaide is by the company bus which drops you at the train station (unless you have a car). But for an extra A$30, they’ll drop you directly at your hotel. I decided to splurge for that option to save the hassle of getting off the bus, collecting our luggage, then finding a taxi especially after a 1.5hr bus ride at that late hour. In the end though, it was a mistake, as the Hilton is a scheduled stop along the route anyways as it’s easier to find a taxi there than at the train station, so they stop there for anyone needing a taxi. So basically I got ripped off A$30. 


Up next: Sydney (sometime in the future…)

[Achas Veachas]

The resemblance is uncanny!

Adorable! (the Koalas that is)

[bubkiz]

Thank you! Keep it coming!

[Devorah]

Thank you! Keep it coming!

+1

[moish]

Thank you! Keep it coming!

(sometime in the future…)

[aj26]

not all teh pictures load on my comput.
I tried a couple different browsers, is this a ddf problem or my computer? Anyone else have this?

Keep the pics coming...your convincing me to take a trip down under

[moish]

Anyone else have this?

[Ergel]

All worked on tap a talk

[Achas Veachas]

All worked on tap a talk

Just fine on my laptop.

[moish]

Part 7: Sydney

After arriving at SYD, we took a taxi ($35-45) to the newly refurbished Park Hyatt. The hotel is situated in one of the prime locations in Sydney, in the area known as The Rocks. It is right next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and across the harbor from the Sydney Opera House. It’s also about a 7 minute walk to Circular Quay, where you can pick up the various ferries. We arrived right after reopening from a long closure due to renovation, so for all practical purposes, it was brand spanking new. The service at this hotel is also top notch. We booked for four nights, 2 from my wife’s Hyatt credit card, and 2 from my diamond account using points. To maximize the diamond kosher breakfast, I used my points for the first and last nights, and my wife’s 2 for the middle nights, Friday night and Saturday night. However, I was confused when I got an email from them asking me to pick a breakfast menu for all 4 nights. I informed them of their error, but they responded that it would be their pleasure to provide us with kosher breakfast for all 4 nights, even though we were only entitled to 2.
Although they have rooms which face the Opera House, we were advised by the hotel manager to take a room which faced the cruise ship terminal. The reason is that these rooms are larger and he felt we would be more comfortable with the 2 kids and all our luggage. Being that we were going to be cooped up in the room for Shabbos, I agreed with him. It turned out alright especially when on Shabbos, the mammoth Allure of the Seas came to port, which provided the kids some entertainment. We were still able to see the Opera House when we went onto our porch and looked left. Upgrades to suites at this hotel are pretty much unheard of so don’t get your hopes up.

[moish]

After checking in, we took the ferry to Darling Harbour, where we walked around and visited the Sydney Aquarium. (Tip: a student card gives a nice discount on the ferry) The ferry ride itself is nice, as it sails under the Harbour Bridge. Aside from the typical aquarium fare, we got to see some interesting things such as the reclusive platypus (almost impossible to spot in the wild), as well as the long neck turtle.







We then headed to the Bondi Beach area for dinner at Katzy’s. Katzy’s has some interesting Australian food, such as various types of meat pies and pierogies. Although interesting to try, it’s not something I would order again.

[moish]

On Friday morning, we wanted to visit Bondi Beach. Aside from the beach itself, the Jewish community of Sydney is located there as well. Coupled with the fact that to get to the Bondi Beach area by public transportation is no simple task, we also needed to buy Shabbos food from the stores there, so we decided that renting a car for the day would be the smartest way to go. The Avis location is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and I used an Avis free day coupon.
We drove to Bondi, and picked up Shabbos food from Katzy’s and Glick’s. We then drove to the beach. We originally wanted to take the walk from Bondi to Coogee, which is supposed to be spectacular, but we wasted so much time picking up food that we got to the beach too late. We then returned the car and walked back to the hotel. Beware: when I returned the car, I asked the Avis guy where the nearest gas station was to fill up, he looked at the fuel gauge and saw it only slightly dipping below full, so he told me not to worry about it. Well, as it turns out, I spotted a fuel charge on my next cc statement.




Sea Pool

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On motzai Shabbos, we went to the Sydney Tower observation point. Included in the entry ticket was a 4D movie of Sydney which was cool. The lookout provided nice views of Sydney, but the view of the Opera House was mostly obstructed so that was a bit of a letdown.





We then took a stroll along the waterfront back to our hotel which was nice, especially the lit up Opera House and some fireworks.





On Sunday morning we visited The Rocks market, and bought some nice local crafts. We then continued on to the Harbour Bridge and walked across until we got to the Pylon Lookout, where I climbed to the top to get sweeping views of the harbor. Be prepared for a ton of steps, 200 to be exact. A small "museum" of sorts is found in the pylon, describing pictorially the history of the bridge. (10-5 $9.50 for adults)

[moish]

I would have liked to have done the bridge climb, but as it is obscenely expensive, and you can’t even take your camera along, I gave it a pass.





We then walked to the Opera House and took the hour long tour ($28) which was interesting and informative.





We then walked to Circular Quay and took the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. (Apparently there is a special fare for the ferry on Sundays if you’re with kids, but we only found out after we returned, so make sure to inquire about that) A free shuttle meets you at the ferry stop and takes you to the zoo entrance, so I don’t see any reason to waste money on the Skydeck, which pretty much accomplishes the same thing. As far as zoos go, it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but the kids loved it. We did get to see a Tasmanian Devil which was great since a visit to Tasmania wasn’t in the cards for this trip.


Giraffe with a million dollar view...

[moish]

Tasmanian Devil


Emu