Tuesday, Sept 24.

Sydney

My last day here. Spent the morning packing and boxing the bike. I have no scales so I hope all is within the weight restrictions. Well, I’m just bringing home what I brought out, so all should be fine.

Once all the packing was done, I checked out of the Maisonette but they allowed me to store my luggage there till the shuttle came.

My first call was to an internet cafe to print out my boarding pass. Plenty of them about in the Kings Cross area.

The Sydney Jewish Museum was near enough to visit. Very high security at the door entering and exiting.....button to pass through door 1, wait, button to pass through door 2; bags inspected and must be left in locker at reception. Same again on the way out.

Most interesting display but too much to take in. Level 1 dealt with the history of the Jewish people up to their scattering in 70AD after the destruction of the Temple. From then on, as a race they were without a homeland.

Level 2 dealt with the rise of antisemitism especially in 1930s in various countries and how it led to marginalization and to the ghettos under the Nazis. The ghettos were just holding areas for the labour and extermination camps.

Next level dealt with the efforts Jews made to resist and how those who survived migrated various countries. In one display it dealt with 

1. Those Who made the Holocaust.....not just the big names but also doctors, policemen, businessmen, police, ordinary people etc.

2.The Bystanders.....the Allies who wouldn’t bomb the rail lines of Auschwitz, Pope Pius 12 and Red Cross who didn’t denounce the Nazis, many governments who closed their doors to Jewish refugees and more.

3. The Collaborators...Fascist and nationalist groups in occupied countries, police in France, Holland and Belgium etc.

It finished with the quote from ’British’ author, Edmund Burke 

At the top of the building was a Sanctum of Commemoration to the victims. I enjoyed the hour or more there but the standing was beginning to tell on the legs

From then till the arrival of the Airport Shuttle I just relaxed, wandered about, had a coffee and sent a few e-mails and noticed how far from Dublin I am.

Shuttle arrived on time ($12 and another $10 for the big bike box) and after 2 other calls headed straight to Terminal 1.

Some of the residential areas near the centre still have the look of an old town...plenty of single storey terraces with balcony and iron lacework.

I was in plenty of time for my flight, well ahead of the crowds and just flew through all the checks. (No problem with weight of luggage, although I noticed I was we'll above the 30 kg, including the bike.)

Just waiting here now in a calm departure area.

Thanks to all of you who logged on to this blog and sent comments. I hope it may have given an insight into Australia and into the joys of cycling.

I noticed that there were a large number of log-ons from Hong Kong, from South Korea, from China and Russia. That wasn't expected. I’d love if those people posted a comment on how they found the content.

I’m really looking forward to coming home. It has been a great adventure, one that will live long in my memory.

In the hotel, I noticed an Aboriginal proverb on the wall which sums it all up 

“We are all visitors to this time, this place.

 We are just passing through.

 Our purpose here is to observe ,to learn, to grow, to love     

         ....and then we return home.”

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy. 

Monday, Sept 23.

Sydney

Back on the bike again today to visit some places before packing it up this evening.

The bike is the way to explore a city, but Sydney is all hills and steps. Some of the hills on main thoroughfares are forbidding. Those hills are in the centre and in the suburbs on both sides of the bridge. Sometimes a bit of a detour gets rid of the climb, or often there are series of steps designed for pedestrians, but not much of a problem in carrying a bike (without panniers) up one of these.

I set out early with my list. After dropping down to Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo, I had to negotiate one of these stairs to enter the Domain. 

I followed the path right by the water’s edge till I came to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and later Mrs Macquarie’s Point. This chair was carved out of sandstone by convicts for the wife of Governor Macquarie in 1810. Sh.e is known to have sat here watching ships from Great Britain coming in. 

Around here now, tourists (including myself) take time to capture special image while locals sit quietly at work, reading or just contemplating as they gaze out towards Fort Dennison. Fort Dennison was a penal site and has the only Martello Tower of Australia and the last one constructed in the British Empire.

 Trees here do their damnedest struggling with the rocks to find a grip in the ground. All along this  path there are great views of the Opera House with the sun always glinting off the curved shells.

The path leads into the botanic gardens with the city towering above.

To get to my next target, the Rocks, I passed along by the Opera House and by Circular Quay. 

The Rocks (at the city end of the Harbour Bridge) is where the settlement began. The Rocks Discovery Museum brought history to life from the pre-European time to the present day. My attention was caught by the quotation from Judge David Collins (1798) speaking of the local Aboriginal women “While fishing, the women generally sing while chewing cockles and muscles”. Shades of Molly Malone? The museum is housed in one of the old original stone structures.

 Some of the area has been renewed, but other parts are purely residential. I came across the Mercantile Hotel flying the tricolour.....and offering Guinness.

My main concern today was to cycle across the bridge. I got more than I bargained for. Cyclists have to use the path on the west side. I virtually had it to myself for the full 1.5km across. Some great views of Walsh Bay, Goat Island and Luna Park. The bridge carries cars, trains, cyclists and pedestrians.

At the far end (after negotiating more steps) I turned and walked back on the eastern side. This Cahill Path is strictly for pedestrians (and cyclists walking their bikes) and was more crowded. At first i passed over Kirribilli House and St Ignatius’ College (SJ) just behind. Now as I walked on, I had views of the Opera House and the hotel location behind it.

For lunch, I stayed in the a rocks area and enjoyed a Moroccan lamb burger on the pavement.

The bridge towered above with those noble souls doing the Bridge Walk. Viewed from underneath, this structure, opened in 1932, is massive as are those bolts holding it in place. 

Around the corner (Dawes Point) I cycled to investigate Walsh Bay. These were active wharves till the 1980’s and then deteriorated. By 2004, this 17 hectare site was renewed and now is the centre of Sydney Theatre and Drama. These wharves were developed under the direction of Henry Deane Walsh, an Irish born and educated engineer who was Engineer in Chief of the Sydney Harbour Trust. Another major development credited to an Irishman. It wasn't just convict Irish that contributed to growth of this country.

On my route home, I called into the upmarket Pitt St Mall shopping area beneath Sydney Tower Eye, the tallest building in Sydney at 250m. 

Nearby is peaceful Hyde Park, ’the lungs of Sydney’ wit the Archibald Fountain dedicated to the friendship and cooperation between Australia and France. At the other end is the Anzac Memorial to all those Australians who served their country in war. It is a plain memorial stating that it doesn’t wish to emphasise ’the glory or glamour of war, but those nobler attributes of courage, endurance and sacrifice’

St Mary’s Cathedral (1865) is just beside Hyde Park and was attracting a large number of visitors.

By mid afternoon, I was back in the hotel after another daly of exploration. Really enjoyed doing those things that I had planned for the day.

....and thank God for a lovely day.

Sunday, Sept 22.

Sydney.

Another day without the bike; today was family. Met up with my niece, Helen with her husband Adam with Rafferty, Estelle and Abigail. They checked into the hotel last night and we headed down to Woolloomooloo Bay for breakfast in Cafe Siena. All of Sydney was already alive.

We were on a mission as we walked on through the Botanic Gardens towards the Opera House.

The Sydney Marathon was finishing there and our target was to cheer Helen’s brother, Columban on to the line. Thousands upon thousands were coming in after their exertions and creating a great atmosphere. The half-marathon had started shortly after 6am, and the full 42.2 km race an hour later. An early finisher bestowed his medal on Rafferty as we waited by the barrier.

Finally, Columban crossed the line (his 9th marathon in the last year) and we all shared in his joy. All the runners waited around on the steps of the Opera House for a while meeting up with family and friends.

 Most headed off then to the grassed area around Government House for stretching and relaxing. Amazed at the vast number of volunteers and organisation involved in such an event.

We dropped down to crowded Circular Quay for lunch and then took a ferry for Darling harbour. These ferries run continuously across/up and down the harbour. It was a chance to relax and see the sights from a different angle. After passing under the bridge, the ferry passed by Walsh Bay, another farmer collection of wharves that have been redeveloped.

Darling Harbour is full of attractions - restaurants, conference centres, museums, aquarium etc. We opted for Wild Life Sydney, a full zoo concentrated in a small area with regular short talks by the staff on the stranger species of Australia. Rafferty handled the snake at the end of one such input. The koalas weren’t disturbed from their sleep by the crowds - they sleep for 20 hrs each day. Estelle felt like joining them exhausted with all the going. 

The whole complex was covered by netting and birds/parrots flew freely about. It was such a vast collection in a confined space and we stayed there till the complex closed at 5. Some of the stranger creatures were there - Tasmanian Devil, Cassowary and the strangest of bugs.

With the evening closing in we crossed Pyrmont Bridge and boarded the ferry by the Maritime Museum.

Darkness was just falling as we pulled into Circular Quay on the crowded ferry. With weary limbs, we took the bus back to the hotel.

It had been a most enjoyable day with Helen and family and great to be there for Columban as he came in.

.....and thank God for a lovely day.