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The Blue Mountains

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Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 Today was an extra day we added to our trip. Prior to our trip we arranged for a private guided trip to the the Blue Mountains, a mountainous region west of Sydney in New South Wales. Our guide, Chris, pulled up to our hotel in a really big souped- up 4 wheel drive and we knew we were in for a great day!   Chris was so knowledgeable about the history of the development of the roads through the mountains. He began with taking us to some caves that were used by the early explorers who were in charge of developing the roads. All of the roads were eventually built by convicts who were promised some land and their freedom when the roads were finished. We took a break and stopped for some tea and cakes which Chris provided. We were amazed that he actually had a table for the food and even generator to plug in the tea pot. Then we went off to many lookouts to take in the amazing views of the mountains.  One of the last views we saw was actually referred t...
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A Bridge Climb and a Farewell Dinner

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A view fro the Royal Botanical Gardens   Saturday, October 28, 2017 This was the last day of our tour although we are extending our stay for another day. I have to give a big shout-out to my my amazing 82 year-old  husband who climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge! Bob and Michael(  a friend we have made on our tour) met two men from our tour (Bill and John) and they walked down to the bridge to prepare for the climb.  It was quite an experience.  They were outfitted in special suits and everything they had loose (such as glasses) had to be specially attached.  With a guide they climbed all the way to the top of the bridge and it took them about an hour and a half. I was amazed and proud of him. If you know me, you know there was no way I would even attempt that! Bob was very proud to have accomplished that feat and I am equally proud of him. The Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest single span arch bridge in the world.It is 5...
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Wildlife Park and Foodie Tour

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Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 Today was a very busy day and a lot of fun! We left at 7:45 am for Featherdale Wildlife Park outside of Sydney. It was really a unique experience. We were able to feed the wallabies and kangaroos who were just walking in our pathways. We also saw cassowaries, wombats, dingos, Koalas and much more! I had my picture taken with a koala again ( I'm a little obsessive) and we were able to see many Koalas in the trees munching on leaves. I could watch Koalas all day, From there we departed at 10:30 for Sydney and our foodie tour. We picked up a local guide at the Olympic Stdium where the 2000 Olympics were held. The park was impressive because all of the buildings are still used today. The city actually made money on the Olympics. Roland, our guide,  took us to several key places for some local specialties. Our first stop was an Italian Del that has been run by the owners for over 35 years. We were able to sample several types of meats and cheeses as well as bre...
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