After a
particularly difficult 2010, we decided to totally change our way of life, and
devote the rest of our lives to travel.
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| Marg overlooking Sydney Harbour |
Our aim was
to travel for six months of the year, and be present in New Zealand for the
rest of the year, to spend time with family and grandchildren.
Our first
travel destination was to be Europe.
So, by
January 2011, we had found a German campervan online, and by March 2011, we
were flying out of New Zealand and on our way to pick it up.
We flew out
of Wellington on Tuesday 22 March at 6.05 am. It was to be the start our lives
as independent travellers.
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| Marg at Circular Quay |
With New
Zealand being near the bottom of the world geographically, most flight to
Europe require you to stop first in Australia. So, our first stop on this trip
was Sydney.
We had been
to Australia many times, but had not been to Sydney for a few years. We wanted
to revisit this fabulously vibrant city.
As we had
several hours to wait until our next flight toward Europe, we decided to catch
the very efficient train from the airport, into the Sydney city centre.
Our first
stop was Circular Quay on Sydney Harbour.
Once a
working port full of convict labourers, soldier barracks and whalers, it’s now
full of cafés, restaurants, shops and market stalls, and is the main transport hub for Sydney.
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| Leigh outside Sydney Opera House |
From here we had a great view of Sydney
Harbour and the famous green and gold ferries, and also of the Sydney Harbour
Bridge.
Walking our
way around, our next stop was the Rocks.
This
fascinating neighbourhood of Sydney, sits right beside the Sydney Harbour
Bridge. It’s full of old laneways and terrace houses, and is a good way to
check out the historic side of Sydney. We love this
side of Sydney with its colourful background.
Of course,
we also visited the Sydney Opera House, the most famous symbol of this vibrant city.
The Opera House is a performing arts centre, seating over 2500 people. We could have
taken a tour of this architectural marvel, but sadly, didn’t have the time.
However, it was great getting up close to it from the outside.
We had walked heaps and were really tired, but we'd had a great day.
It seemed
such a short time after, that we caught the train back to the airport for our
next flight. We were headed to Singapore for another short stop, on our way to Europe.