So much has been happening it's hard to remember where I left off on my holiday diary. We travelled through from Adelaide on Tiger Airways to Melbourne and spent a few days there, taking in the tennis final. Great atmosphere - especially in Federation Square where vast crowds were watching the huge video screen.
They've got some smart riverside restaurants in Melbourne and we dined there a couple of times. We found a microbrewery (of course) and also a nice pub specialising in all the Victorian microbrewers' ales. We went to Old Melbourne Gaol, where they did a re-enactment with a lady sergeant growling at us.
Our journey back to Sydney wasn't quite as smooth - we were 3 hours' late, but it didn't really matter. Kelly talked me in to overcoming my fears - and my bad joints and cardio system - and do the Harbour Bridge Climb with her. I'm glad I did it - it was great, despite me feeling like a bit of a leper at the start when I was pulled aside by the medics - they ask you to fill in a questionnaire and 2 of them were about having had operations in the last 6 months, plus any cardio issues. I managed to persuade them I was OK, and the climb was fairly comfortable.
We also had to visit Bondi Beach:
Well, you've got to, haven't you? (Incidentally, I was kneeling - hence no neck!).
This time around we were staying at Darling Harbour - and very nice it is too. Our final lunch with Kelly before we went our separate ways was in our hotel bar:
We shared a taxi to the airport - Kelly was flying domestic with Tiger again - or so she thought - and we were boarding at the International terminal. I must say the Qantas Business lounge was again very nice, as was the new Airbus 380 that we flew to Singapore - massive it is, and very new and smooth.
Today we spent the morning walking along the riverside, across Clarke Quay to Fort Canning Park, where there were many things to see and do - and it was a lovely walk through what seemed like a tropical rainforest in places. We went to the Battle Box, where the final scenes of British occupation/rule in WW II were played out prior to surrender to the invading Japanese forces. Moving - and a touch spooky.
There were a number of old public warning posters in the bunker:
After a few hours in the park we were in desperate need of a drink, and, would you believe it, we found another microbrewery in Clarke Quay, where we had an excellent lunch and some nice beers:
This afternoon was spent at the large outdoor pool and shortly we're heading off to Raffles Hotel.
