Out 'n aboot in Sydney

On our second day in Sydney, we set out to divide and conquer Sydney. We woke up and ate a lovely brekkie (that's what they call breakfast here), and then headed out to Hyde Park, located right across from our hotel. We saw the ANZAC (Austrailian and New Zealand Army Corps) memorial, the fountain, and just enjoyed the warm weather. We then went to St. Mary's Cathedral, during mass, while they were singing Christmas carols. It was like a movie.

Right across the street from the cathedral is the Hyde Park Barracks, built in 1817 to house male convicts.

We then went past the strangely beautiful Sydney Hospital (rubbed the boar for good luck), and onto the State Library of New South Wales. It was a gorgeous old building with a great large Reading Room.

Then we headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The highlights were the rose garden, herb garden, and beautiful views of the harbor. We also saw a cute opossum (they actually don't look like overgrown white rats here so much!) and an owl in the gardens.

As we were heading out, we passed by the Governor's House, which has free tours, so of course we took one! It lasted about an hour, and our guide was very good and taught us a lot about the history and culture of Australia. The house is still used very regularly for government functions, and there was a real Christmas tree in the foyer! It was the first real Christmas tree I've seen (or smelled) this year!

We then cut over to the Rocks and had a yummy meal at the Fine Food Store. The Rocks Market was our next stop. We bought a few gifts and tasted as many free samples of fudge, jams, and nougat as we could.

Lamb sausage with grilled onions, spicy jam, and cheese 

Then, it was on to Manly! Once off the ferry, we walked to Manly beach. On the way, there were some street performers-one playing the didgeridoo, and the other was a middle school boy practicing his trumpet on the street. I found this funny. I think he was thinking, "I have to practice, might as well try to make some money while I do it." We then walked through the Manly Market, where I bought myself a necklace.

We then went on the 10 km Manly Cove to Spit Bridge Scenic Walk, which led us up and down along the coast, trhough some jungle, on some hidden cove beaches, complete with beautiful views and lots of large lizards. It was an amazing walk with some awesome views. 

We finished around sunset and took a bus back to the wharf, and then a ferry back to Circular Quay, seeing the city lights along the way.

We had a late dinner at a Thai Restaurant and then headed home.