Opera House and Manly Beach

On our third day in Sydney, we had booked a tour of the Sydney Opera House.  We showed up early, which was good because they were starting to get ready for the big New Years Eve party, and parts of the tour were starting to be shut down.

We got to hear all about how the building was conceived and approved, and the nightmare that it was to design, engineer, and build it.  I don't think it could be done today, since nobody would want to take the risk, but it is such an amazing building, I can't image Sydney without it.

One of the internal supports for the roof skeleton

I don't think Avery fully appreciated all the detail, but she liked the building

The view out the back to the harbour

The view behind the main hall looking to the back of the opera hall.

The inside of the main hall. This is where Cathy and I saw the Violent Femmes the night before.

A Lego version of the Opera House.  Only $400!

Nice day to soak it all in.

After the tour, we had lunch on a patio at a place that had been around for almost 200 years.  Everything in Sydney is pricey, but at least this was good food.  This was the first good burger in Australia we had.

After lunch, we decided to see where we could go on a ferry with our 7-day transit pass.  There are companies like Captain Cook that allow on/off ferry rides so you can do self tours, but it seemed like a waste to buy another ticket for that.  We decided on going to Manly since we had heard good things from a few people already.

On the ferry ride out there, we got some more good views of the Opera House as we passed by.

There are three beaches in Manly.  Manly Cove is right next to the wharf.  It is a medium sized beach, and it was very busy that day.  The waves are lower, and it is easier for the kids to play than on the main oceanside beach in Manly.  Google had recommended Little Manly Beach, so we started to walk there.  There were a few hills, and it wasn't clear where it was, and we almost turned around to go back, but a local assured us it was close, and worth it.  Little Manly Beach is a nicer spot, and not quite as busy, so we relaxed there for a little bit, although we didn't have the foresight to come with swimming stuff ("togs").

We went for a little walk along the rocks, and saw some fish and crabs.  Avery found another white and yellow flower that she loves ("frangipani"). 

We walked back toward the main beach to see the oceanside.  This is where there are world famous waves and surfing competitions, so we had to check it out.

 

It seems everybody else had the same idea!  The beach was very very busy, but the kids had fun battling the waves.

 

When we were done for the day, we took the ferry back to the harbour, the bus back to the hotel, and had a good dinner before calling it a day.

Dave