SYDNEY AND NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

 February 16, 17 2023


Sydney, capital of the Australian state of New South Wales, is a most impressive city.    It has a population of about 5.2 million people and, because of the all the waterways and parks encompasses a huge area.   Greater Sydney extends more than 40 miles westward from the coast.   The center city skyline is most impressive with many modern glass, steel and concrete buildings rising above the harbor.  They also preserve buildings that are more than hundred years old so one can see many old historic buildings sandwiched between 90 story glass and steel structures.    


Our first day we took a bus tour around the city and got a pretty good perspective—neighborhoods, beautiful beaches, architecture.   The second day we took a 70-mile trip to the Blue Mountains west of the downtown center.   The Blue Mountains reminded us of the mountains in Virginia along the Blue Ridge Parkway.   The highest elevation is about 3,500 feet, about the same as the Allegheny mountains.   The name “Blue” refers to a blueish haze that develops in the summer when heat causes the oil from native eucalyptus trees to escape into the atmosphere.   These highly flammable trees combined with a normally dry climate create a combustible situation resulting in frequent forest fires.   


Our toor took us to Scenic Mountain, a tourist destination,  where we took a train (funicular railway) that descended almost 1000 feet (at a 52 degree angle!…felt like straight down) to the floor of Jamison valley where we hiked through a rain forest. We took a tram back to the visitor center and then a cable car across a deep gorge.    The scenery was wonderful.   


Australia is a very interesting and attractive country.  It is slightly smaller than continental U.S., but has a population only about 1/10th of the U.S.   About 60% of the population lives near the eastern coast.   Australians, for the most part, are environmentally conscious and the cities, parks, etc. are very clean—you rarely see any litter.  There seems to be a push to put freeways underground to enhance livability and the mostly sandstone ground makes it feasible.   


We noticed on our long drive to the Blue Mountains that drivers don’t appear to be as aggressive as we see in Austin…no darting in and out, tail gating and the like.   Maybe the folks as depicted by Crocodile Dundee are just more relaxed….G’day Mate! 


                                         Famous Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge


                                     Skyline still changing - note construction cranes


                                         More skyline


          One of the most popular Sydney beaches... used to be a nude beach..shucks


                                                  More skyline...can't get enough


                                                  3 Sisters Rock Formation...note blue mountains 


                                                  Cable car we rode over gorge


                                                  Rain Forest area


                                          Village idiot....poor horse


                                     Evening in the harbor - sail boats come out in droves


                                                  Opera House on our way out


                                                  Sydney's version of Alcatraz


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