// morsels of life //

day 6, dec 28: another zoo adventure. we visited taronga zoo (located on the shores of sydney harbour) and just 12-minute away from the circular quay wharf via ferry. we really enjoyed the ferry ride going there 'cause we were able to take pictures of the city scene from the other side of the harbour.

city view from the ferry boat

then before we left taronga, we availed the sky safari ride (which is a bonus from the zoopass we bought). sadly, we were just able to take the one-way trip 'cause it's near closing time already and they were not allowing return trip.

in sky safari car

then before we went home, of course we dropped by opera house and royal botanic gardens. then, stopped by baskin robbins to grab some refreshments.

nice view from royal botanic gardens

day 7, dec 29: this is one of my favorite among our trips. we went to featherdale wildlife park which is just 10-minute drive from woodcroft. the zoo has a limited variation of animals due the place's size. however, some of the harmless, cuddly animals are not confined and can interact with the visitors. 'twas our first time to lay hands on and pat wallabies, koala, kangaroo and emu :) and we were allowed to feed them too!

sleepy koala

walla-bebi!

toookkka!

soo cute!

we had so much fun, noh! :) not to mention, the ticket is much cheaper ($19) than the other zoos we have been to.

then in the afternoon, we watched night at the museum in westfield mall in parramatta. cool movie :) ben stiller and robin william were so funny.

day 8, dec 30: together with ate lilibeth (my cousin) and her family, we went to one of the scenic places in new south wales, the blue mountains and it's famous rock formation, the three sisters.
the name "blue mountains" derives from the bluish tinge the range takes on when viewed at a distance, which is caused by the release of volatile oils from gum forests.
while "three sisters" were formed by erosion. although, the legend says that three sisters fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law.
--wikipedia

anyway, the site's ambiance is so beautiful and relaxing. you could really feel that you're so close to nature. luckily, the weather was so fine :) (contradict to what was forecasted, hehe)

pretty scene!

nature lovers

well, the real action came when we decided to go down the giant stairway going to the three sisters spot (which is more than 900 meters above sea level). the path is so, so, so, steep! my acrophobia striked again during that time! :( i was so careful with every pace because the steps' shape are so irregular.

when we finally reached the area where you could do absailing (it's like cliff hanging), the view there is spectacular (though, i still realize how high it could be).

scary but lovely!

we learned that the area for absailing is not the end of the trek. the trail extends all the way down the area for bushwalking and ends on the other side of the mountain (called echo point). it's almost a one-hour walk inside the rainforest. but due to time constraints, we were not able to do it. perhaps, we'll do it next time we visit :)

well, going down the trail of course was not so exhausting at all. but going up back to where we came from was a pain in the legs! (literally). you'll find out why later.

then we spent the rest of the afternoon boardwalking, posing with the statues and enjoying the place by riding their famous scenic railway, cableway and skyway.

in the cable car

with the "sister" & the kids

we really had a great time! :) thanks ate bibeth, kuya butch and kids (asiong & aira mae) for accompaying us :)

day 9, dec 31: our last hurrah in the city. we just used it to explore more around the city. and since it was the last day of the year and there was an upcoming fireworks event in sydney harbour, we were expecting a busy crowd in the place. when we arrived in the circular quay around 10am, there were some group of people who already setup a sort of campsite on the quay facing the harbour bridge. we noticed that some of them are sunbathing and sleeping while waiting. i guess, everyone there would like to have a better spot to see the fireworks in the evening.

"camp sites" around the circular quay

before we left the quay, we were thinking to also stay there until midnight to watch the live event but we just decided not to pursue the idea. *sigh* besides, it was not really the part of the plan and we could do it next year (hopefully!) and at least be prepared and "equipped" to camp, hehe.

the lovers and the house

so moving on, i found out that strolling around a big city is quite tiring. particularly, for someone like me who at that time has an aching pair of legs (blue mountain climbing, remember?). thank God, tonton was so patient to slowly walk with me. plus the good thing about our trip was we're not pressured by any travel guide. we solely planned our itinerary and fortunately, we accomplished it. smart noh? :)

anyway, while we were in the city, we grabbed an inca tripod at one of the electronics stores. then we were able to use it when we dropped by the hyde park and saint mary's cathedral.

we took pictures of us together without being too dependent on the kindness of some strangers, hehe...

in the evening, we just stayed in woodcroft and watched the fireworks event on tv. and we did not stay up so late because we have to prepare for our flight the next day.

day 10, jan 1 2007: new year's day, last day in sydney. our flight going back to melbourne was 2:30pm. we got up around 7am to pack up our stuffs and left woodcroft at 9am (thanks to tita cely who drove us to blacktown train station). we arrived in sydney airport around noon. and we waited for almost 3 hours (there was a 15-minute delay) before we boarded the plane.

'twas the first time for us to travel in qantas aircraft. our travel was quite smooth during the first hour but when we're nearly landing in the tullamarine airport (melbourne), our inner ears suddenly hurt probably due to too much pressure in the air. thank God, it just lasted for few minutes and we landed safely.

we reached our apartment around 5pm and we had delicious dinner with Vincent (and family) who prepared pancit, barbeque and leche flan :) thanks, thanks!

well, our sydney trip is one of the most unforgettable escapades we had so far. we'll keep coming back to that place and hopefully stay there for good someday :)

Labels: sydney