Sydney snippets… 3 day roundup, Art, Architecture and Gardens…

We have settled in to our Airbnb accommodation in Bondi Junction, our hostess, Shona, has welcomed us like one of the family.

Our Airbnb accommodation.

It is only a 10 minute walk to the railway station and from there, with a $2-50 senior pass, Sydney is at our beck and call.

The weather has been perfect so here is a roundup of what we have done in 3 days…

First a visit to the NSW Art Gallery. Can you see Jack?

A hall full of classic art

This picture is one of my favourites

Groups of school children are being shown to appreciate art

Beautiful still life

A close up shows the juice dripping from the oyster.

It can be very tiring being a tourist

After a morning absorbed with the beauty of art it was time for lunch.

Across the road in the Domain is the Domain Kiosk.

A favourite place for lunch

Now to immerse myself in the beauty of nature.

Follow me into the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

I have over 100 photos, the light was superb for photography, so I have many more to show you at a future date.

Suddenly from a blue sky a summer storm passed over. Torrential rain for 10 minutes and every one ran for cover under the huge, spreading Morton Bay Fig trees.

It past as quickly as it came.

No visit to Sydney is complete with out walking past these 2 icons.

Day 2 was again perfect weather so this time we visit another favourite, the Chinese Gardens at Darling Harbour.

These gardens are in the heart of Sydney

We had lunch in the garden Restaurant and then spent hours wandering around, sitting, sketching and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of these beautiful gardens.

Leaving the Chinese Gardens we walk through Darling Harbour to catch a ferry round to Circular Quay.

Joyful sculpture of dancing Brolgas

Walking in the sun

Playing chess

Just relaxing with the birds

Just finished a game of table tennis

 On the way we pass under the “Old Coat-hanger”

Cruise liner in port

In Circular Quay we see this cruise liner tied up. This is not the one we are going on but I imagine ours will also be this big.

Day 3 we take a train to Surry Hills and wander around the galleries and interesting boutique style shops.

Then catching another bus we search out the UTS (Sydney university of technology) to see the Frank Gehry designed building. I will do another post about this amazing building, but will just give you a preview of the building here.

We have walked miles and our legs feel at least 6 inches shorter. We have one more day before we join our cruise to New Zealand. So this will be my last post for about 2 weeks. I will miss visiting you all and will probably have internet withdrawal symptoms.

By the way Jude, you may notice quite a number of benches scattered around…

  

 

Weekly Photo Challenge : Grand

The 45th floor of the hotel we are staying in has a roof-top balcony that looks down on the Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens and across to the harbour. A grand view. But better still it is only a 5 minute walk and we are in the Gardens, the green, living heart of the city.

The grand view. Royal Botanic Gardens, St Mary’s Cathedral and the harbour, all within walking distance.

13th June 1816 at 1 pm a gang overseer reported to Macquarie that the road was finished (the overseer and his gang of 10 men were provided with five gallons of spirits with which to celebrate the occasion) and this is traditionally observed as Foundation Day for the Botanic Garden, one of the oldest botanic gardens in the Southern Hemisphere (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew opened to public in 1841 (click here to read the fascinating history of the formation of the Royal Botanic Gardens)

What foresight and vision these early pioneers had to create this grand monument to nature and plant the trees that today spread majestically across the park.

Can you see Jack?

 

Jack hugging a tree

 

What a grand place to have on our door-step

This is a well-loved park and we saw people enjoying it in all these ways. Here is a gallery of a walk in the park.

The domain is surrounded by the hi-rise buildings of Sydney

People are walking

What is this woman doing?

Quietly reading out loud to a baby in the pram

Red hot pokers create a splash of colour

A group of mothers enjoy a get-together

I don’t think she will catch this bird

sun dappled palms

Strange fruit

This needs a closer look

Winding paths lead you on

Reading under a shady tree

A splash of red

People are running

Yoga in the park

Sturdy buttress roots

This one definitely needs a hug

A calming, refreshing place to walk

Even the birds enjoy these gardens

Another thought-provoking challenge from Cheri of the WordPress team. Very timely for me as I am in Sydney a GRAND city. Lots of grand things to choose from. I am passionately interested in gardens and all things of nature so the Royal Botanic Gardens are my choice this week. Check other entries here.