Written and Compiled by Robert D. Stephens          Page 3
 

  
 
 
  November 30:  We started with a leisurely breakfast.  What a luxury not to have to be anywhere until 9 AM!  Then we left on a bus tour of Sydney.  We drove along the coast getting great views of the harbor, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge from Nielsen Park.  Clouds started to thicken and threatened rain.  The driver explained all the sights and took us through the red light district with a hilarious running commentary.  Apparently that stuff is legal in parts of Sydney.  
     
 
 
 
     
  We went to Bondi Beach, a popular resort area where we got out for a few minutes.  Dark clouds started moving in.  Our bus (Bus #1) escaped unscathed, but Bus #2 apparently was caught in a squall reminiscent of Canberra.  
     
 
   
 
     
 

We continued our tour around town which ended at the Sydney Observatory.  The Sydney Observatory is now a museum.  It was built in 1858 and gained fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under Henry Russell, who supervised transit work, general research, and did early astrophotography.  He was the government astronomer for over 30 years and lived at the observatory.  The observatory currently has an 11-inch refractor in one dome and a Meade LX200 in the other.  It has some very interesting displays about the history of the observatory. 

From the harbor, we caught the train up to the Australian Museum that had an exhibit of Chinese Dinosaurs.  They had a great display on the evolution of dinosaurs into birds.  We had to pull Edberg out kicking and screaming in order to get back for dinner. 

Dinner was at a seafood restaurant overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.  Between the rain and sunset, we had spectacular view of both.  A nice rainbow was framing both structures.

  
     
 
 
 
     
 
   
  Aram Kaprielian at the Sydney Harbor Bridge  
 
     
 
 
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  Copyright  2002 TravelQuest International and Robert D. Stephens.  All rights reserved.
Revised: October 25, 2005.
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