Outside the Sydney Opera House

After checking out the Royal Botanic Garden, Wanda and I wandered over to the Sydney Opera House.

I read in the paper last week that the area out in front of the opera house is going to get a face-lift and some safety improvements.  Evidently one tourist a day is injured by tripping and falling or being hit by a truck.

Yup, I was at the opera house.

The buildings have really neat architectural features.

Between two of the performance halls.

Looking toward the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Circular Quay where all of the ferries come and go.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Wanda and I visited the Royal Botanic Garden today to check out all of the plants and have a relaxing walk.  Downtown Sydney is to the west of the park.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales.  I plan to return here another day to check out some of the art.  Looks like a neat place and there were plenty of people going in and out.

One of the formal entrances to the botanic gardens.

A statue and water fountain in memorial to someone who died long ago.

In the fernery.

Proof that I visited the gardens.

Woolloomooloo has to hold the record for the most O’s in a single word.

One of the main garden ponds.

This plastic lotus flower inflated and deflated about once a minute.

All inflated!

There were many random pieces of art sticking here and there out of the greenery.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Downtown Sydney.

At the northeastern tip of the park.

Someone designed the path we walked on.  She got a stone dedicated to her.

The Australian navy.

Motorcycle-only parking.

A tree guard to keep some species of animal off the tree.

Wanda taking a photo of the funny character on the guard.

This tree is in the process of falling over.  The people who maintain the park are in the process of keeping it standing.  The tree seems to be slowly winning.

A bunch of people feeding the parrots.

Some neat, big trees that evidently drop branches without warning.  At least that’s what the sign said.  I trust the signs in this city.  They are usually right.

Sailing around Sydney Harbor and to Manly and back

Wanda and I linked up with some of her friends in town to head out to Manly for a birthday party.  Even though it was my birthday, too, I didn’t let anyone know so as to not spoil the day of the man whose birthday was being celebrated.  To get there, we took the ferry.

The old customs house by Circular Quay.

At the ferry terminal.  Opera on the right, bridge on the left.

There’s the bridge!

The Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Part of Australia’s navy.

A bunch of kids learning how to sail.  Are those the same boats you guys use, Sondy?

The water police sped past us on the way to somewhere.

A float plane was flying overhead.

Nice twin-hulled boat.

More kids learning how to sail at the mouth of the harbor.

Another ferry going the other direction.

Coming back to Sydney at twilight.

Coming into Sydney.

The bridge and the opera house at night.