Last Friday our first visitors arrived from France. We had seen some of our friends, Kindman and Anne in March but my sister and brother, Nicole and Paul were the first to come stay with us in our flat.
At the weekend we went to all of the most famous places in Sydney: the Opera House, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, the QVB... We also went to Luna Park with some of Romain’s colleagues. It’s a small amusement park where you can go on different rides. The very well known Luna Park smiley face (pretty scary though) can be seen from the other side of the harbour. That’s probably why we were so curious about Luna Park but in the end it was a little disappointing because the rides were pretty small. After Luna Park we went to a pub called the 3 wise monkeys. Although we didn’t get to see a live performance, it seems there is a live band every night, so we’ll probably be going back very soon :)
At the weekend we went to all of the most famous places in Sydney: the Opera House, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, the QVB... We also went to Luna Park with some of Romain’s colleagues. It’s a small amusement park where you can go on different rides. The very well known Luna Park smiley face (pretty scary though) can be seen from the other side of the harbour. That’s probably why we were so curious about Luna Park but in the end it was a little disappointing because the rides were pretty small. After Luna Park we went to a pub called the 3 wise monkeys. Although we didn’t get to see a live performance, it seems there is a live band every night, so we’ll probably be going back very soon :)
During the week (which I had off), we went to the famous beaches of Bondi and Manly. We were very lucky with the weather, as it hasn’t rained at all since Nicole and Paul arrived. They must think Australia is a really dry place to live! We also spent a day in Koala Park where we got to pat a koala and a wombat, and feed the kangaroos. Luckily we got to the kangaroos in the morning because in the afternoon they were stuffed and weren’t interested in the food anymore.
We also went to visit Hyde Park Barracks. Built between 1818 and 1819 they used to house convicts working for the government. After 1848 they housed single female immigrants. From 1887 to 1979 law courts and government offices were based at the Barracks. So the barracks have known a lot of different occupants. On the ground level we saw an exhibition explaining all about how English and Irish convicts were sent to live on hulks (boats) and work on land in the English colonies such as Sydney, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and in America. The rest of the building was about the history and the occupants of the barracks. There was a database where you could search for prisoners and we found one named Daniel Spillane from Cork. He was apparently found guilty of desertion.
Sydney was very busy this week because of World Youth Day. Lots of people came all over the world for this event and it made some places like the Opera House and Darking Harbour very crowded. Also the trains were very busy. We’re waiting for all of them to go home after the weekend so we can have the city back to ourselves.
Today Thursday we went to the harbour bridge and climbed to a lookout point situated in one of the towers. The view was beautiful and there was lots to learn about how the bridge was built. While we were up there the Pope arrived by boat followed by loads of other boats. Lots of people were waiting all around the harbour to witness his arrival. It was a very busy day for all the pilgrims.
So the start of the week was a big success and tomorrow we’re taking off for Newcastle where we’re going to spend the weekend. Romain was able to take a day off so he’s coming too :) Hope it will be good!
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