The hustle and bustle, car-lined streets and expense of our largest city, Sydney, is not for me but its beautiful harbour & bays, historic homes, gorgeous gardens and coastline walks made for a wonderful weekend away.
I flew down to Sydney last weekend to spend time with two of my dearest and closest friends. We explored pockets of the city together and had such fun, our laughter just like it was during our university days well over twenty years ago now. Our first day together was spent exploring the harbour. We wandered through the Botanic Gardens to Circular Quay, crossed the harbour on a ferry out to Watson's Bay and walked further on to the candy-striped Hornby Lighthouse at South Head. Takeaway fish and chips, from the famous Doyles restaurant, back on the beach, made for delicious end to that circuit. We sailed back across the harbour again windswept and happy!
While I managed to lose many of the photos from this first day, a few survived or were sent by my beautiful friends. I would have loved to have shown you some of the interesting plants growing in the Botanic Gardens, Harry's Cafe de Wheels (which I first walked past with my then new husband while on our honeymoon), and the close up shot I took of the tiles on the Opera House but they've disappeared ... perhaps they are at the bottom of the harbour! Here's just a glimpse then of the scenery and the history around a little of Sydney's Harbour:
Our iconic & distinctive Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sandstone along Sydney Harbour foreshore.
We three close friends posing at Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.
Camp Cove from the Watson's Bay Walk.
The red and white stripes of the Hornby Lighthouse.
A little bit of history above the door.
The lighthouse keeper's little cottage.
An historic gun emplacement atop South Head.
A long ago date on one of the gun emplacements.
A wide and blustery entrance to a very beautiful harbour.
While we spent much of this first day exploring Sydney's beautiful harbour, we spent the second one indulging in a rather fancy high tea at a historic Sydney home. I'll show you those photos next time.
Meg
Meg
I spent a couple of years living in Sydney, being a coastal country girl, I didn't enjoy it, or make the most of it at the time, but it is a beautiful city. A great place to visit, not a great place to live (but then no city would be a great place to live in my eyes).
ReplyDeleteMeg I've never seen a photo of you before, so which one are you?? My (probably wrong guess) would be the first woman...if I'm right I'll tell you why I picked it! LOL
It was a really lovely visit, Cheryl, but I couldn't live there either. Too busy and expensive for me! In the photo, I am the one on the right wearing my go-everywhere black sandals. Meg:)
DeleteWell I got that wrong! LOL... I was going for the practical joggers, I thought that is the sort of thing you would wear on a big walk day! Nice to see what you look like 😁
DeleteI like to walk in my sandals too, they are super comfy and well-worn in! Meg:)
DeleteI suspected the one on the right was you Meg, because of the recent skirt you modeled on your blog, after sewing it. You had skinny legs, like me! ;)
DeleteHa! My two friends tease me about those skinny "chicken legs"! Meg:)
DeleteLooks like a great weekend was had in Sydney! I've never been there, unfortunately, but it's got me to thinking it's time we had a city break some time soon...
ReplyDeleteWe had a great weekend together. A couple of days was just right! Meg:)
DeleteI lived in Sydney for 2 years but it was very lonely because I was on my own and didn't really know anyone...way before the days of FB and blogs and meet ups. Sydney is such a beautiful place but give me Brisbane any old day. So great to catch up with old friends.
ReplyDeleteWe are very rarely all together so it was really lovely, Kathy. We had such fun and lots of laughs. Meg:)
DeleteYay I picked you out before I read the comments. Something told me you were the one on the far right.
ReplyDeleteNothing like spending time with close friends and laughing. Great therapy.
Looking forward to your high tea photos.
Kylie
Oh, high tea was lovely, Kylie. I don't usually drink tea (or champagne) but I made exceptions for this high tea. Oh, so indulgent! Meg:)
DeleteIt is lovely meeting up with old friends, Meg. I still have friends from the 1970s when I was nursing plus my school classmates from the 1950/60s get together frequently too when I get around to doing the organising.
ReplyDeleteIt is so lovely, Chel, to see old and good friends. We laugh about old times but we also make new memories when we get together again. Meg:)
DeleteI loathe visiting our State's capital (Brisbane) and I'd be happy to never have to visit Sydney. Nothing personal to anyone living there (we have family, in Brisbane) it's just too overstimulating for my simple brain processes, to fathom, lol.
ReplyDeleteBut an opportunity to go with friends, would make for a worthwhile distraction. Groups make it easier to navigate big places. Three heads are better than one, and you can laugh about going the wrong way, and the general craziness of city life. I'm glad you had a great time, and your photographs are lovely.
It was lovely for a "flying visit", Chris. I was very happy out walking with my friends, exploring what is a really beautiful harbour. I especially loved walking out to the entrance to the harbour, it was blowing a gale but the views are amazing! Meg:)
DeleteGeorgeous photos, Meg. You and your friends look so happy. The water looks incredible. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Sydney Harbour is thought to be one of the most beautiful in the world. We flew over it just before landing in Sydney and from above, in the plane, it looked wide and blue. We caught the ferry out to Watson's Bay but there are lots of little bays and beaches around the harbour. I love being near water! Meg:)
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