This morning we are super excited because we'll be visiting the Sydney Aquarium. We figure it will be fantastic given it's proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. We wait in line for ever to get in and have plenty of time to study the map, and our approach. First up: the platypus. The photos on the wall show them to be much smaller than I thought, not the same size as a beaver but rather more like a big kitten. Unfortunately the little guy is shy and we don't get to see him. We do see a very cool crustacean exhibit with giant Japanese spider crabs. And yes, Nemo and Dori are present as well. The best part of the Aquarium is the tunnels. There are two of them, one houses the Dugongs (big sea cows similar to the American Manatee), and the second is home to a startling variety of sharks. It's feeding time for the Dugongs and we watch as platters of lettuce are tossed into the tank. Poor Dugongs, if I had to eat lettuce for my whole life I'd charge the tank. I'm sure that's just what they eat.
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| my most adorable cupcake |
The tunnels are glass so you feel immersed in the water with the sharks swimming all around you. It would be creepy, but they're very graceful creatures and it's beautiful to watch them. Large manta rays are also in the tank and you can see them from an angle you might not get in the wild. There are informative posters throughout the Aquarium about the sharks, each one carefully lists human fatalities. I thought this was stupid (did I mention the 20 foot Great White replica that's absolutely horrifying?), until I noticed the majority of the posters listed no fatalities for most of the sharks. I guess what this really says is most people lose a limb but not their lives. I find comfort in an adorable yellow cupcake topped with a sugar crab.
We walk back through The Rocks, one of the oldest town centers in Sydney. It began in the 1800s with 'shanghaied sailors' and now it's booked for wedding photos. We saw two weddings getting photographed while we walked around. It's a nice pedestrian area with old storefronts and lots of shopping, restaurants, and bars. Beautiful views of the Harbor Bridge and the harbor itself.
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| Harbor Bridge from The Rocks |
On our return to the hostel we decide to hit the bar with our buddy. The hostels are fantastic because they have groups going out to specified bars each night, usually with free entry and a free drink. Again, never a lonely dull moment. We head around the corner to World Bar. From the outside it resembles a mini-mansion from Cuba, complete with palm trees and excellent outdoor lighting to accent the building's facade. Once inside, we are crowded into a small bar. We bump into an English guy from our hostel in Byron over a month ago - I love Australia. This happens all the time, so fun. Everyone is ordering a teapot (cocktail served in a teapot with colorful little shot glasses for sharing), so we jump on board. We discover there are 4 floors and just as many bars in this house. The bottom floor is the Apothecary, where you order from a small bar resembling a pharmacist's counter from the 1800s. Skulls, things in old jars, red velvet drapes, and high-backed old leather banquettes decorate the space. We are on a mission to see each room. This place is super fun, and totally crazy. We walk three blocks back to the hostel and crash.
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| At World Bar |
This morning we are super excited because we'll be visiting the Sydney Aquarium. We figure it will be fantastic given it's proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. We wait in line for ever to get in and have plenty of time to study the map, and our approach. First up: the platypus. The photos on the wall show them to be much smaller than I thought, not the same size as a beaver but rather more like a big kitten. Unfortunately the little guy is shy and we don't get to see him. We do see a very cool crustacean exhibit with giant Japanese spider crabs. And yes, Nemo and Dori are present as well. The best part of the Aquarium is the tunnels. There are two of them, one houses the Dugongs (big sea cows similar to the American Manatee), and the second is home to a startling variety of sharks. It's feeding time for the Dugongs and we watch as platters of lettuce are tossed into the tank. Poor Dugongs, if I had to eat lettuce for my whole life I'd charge the tank. I'm sure that's just what they eat.
The tunnels are glass so you feel immersed in the water with the sharks swimming all around you. It would be creepy, but they're very graceful creatures and it's beautiful to watch them. Large manta rays are also in the tank and you can see them from an angle you might not get in the wild. There are informative posters throughout the Aquarium about the sharks, each one carefully lists human fatalities. I thought this was stupid (did I mention the 20 foot Great White replica that's absolutely horrifying?), until I noticed the majority of the posters listed no fatalities for most of the sharks. I guess what this really says is most people lose a limb but not their lives. I find comfort in an adorable yellow cupcake topped with a sugar crab.
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