bobwilliams wrote:
My cruise ship started in Auckland and visited about 8 ports in N.Z.
Then a one-day stop in Hobart.
Cruise actually ended in Sydney but I stayed an extra 4 days in Sydney
to do some sightseeing and gift shopping.
Unfortunately, the weather was not very cooperative for 2 of the 4
days. The locals said that heavy overcast and rain was was quite
unusual for that time of year. Nevertheless,we did some good
sightseeing. City tours, (Opera House, Botanical Gardens, Australian
Museum, Darling
Harbor, Circular Quay area etc.), beach tours to Bondi and Manley and
a delightful 2-hour cruise of Sydney Harbor.
The US Dollar did not go very far in Sydney, at least not in the
downtown area where we stayed.
All in all, we enjoyed the visit very much but I wish I could have
stayed 4 weeks instead of 4 days. One can't even skim the surface of a
city as large, varied and colorful as Sydney in that short period of
time. It's like coming to the US and trying to absorb the flavor of
the nation by visiting New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles.
The ambiance of each city is totally different.

I know just what you mean, I spent 3 weeks in London, last year, but still
didn't scratch the surface.
Sydney Harbour is beautiful, I'm sorry the weather wasn't kind to you, it
has been very wet this year we are in a La Niña cycle at the moment and the
weather is wetter than unusual. LOL I, of course out of loyalty, have to say
you missed the best state of Australia...Queensland. :-)