Australia-Day 14: Sydney

Around 2am Hong Kong time Christian advised that we had just done what neither of us had done before; we had traversed the equator and entered the southern hemisphere. The next few hours were pretty uneventful; we sat in our seats facing front, but Christian did notice that there appeared to be more stars in the sky, and they shone brighter somehow. Then, the first traces of gold and orange lined the horizon, and from our vantage point on the left side of the plane, we got to watch sunrise over the north of Australia. Kelly quickly retrieved the mega-cam so Christian could document this on film. In your face People On The Right.

Breakfast was served one hour prior to landing, at 7:30am Sydney time.

We came in late today, at around 9:30, and went through customs. Australia has very strict quarantine laws so rather than have our items x-rayed Kelly insisted we go through quarantine properly because of some dried plums Christian had bought with him. Luckily, they said they were ok, so we breezed through ahead of everyone who tried to scupper quarantine by getting x-rayed.

We expected a family friend of Kristen's to pick us up, but we were given the most wonderful surprise when we saw Kristen and Damien waiting for us in Arrivals. They both look great; Kristen exceptionally beautiful as usual.

They gave us a big Finding Nemo balloon to welcome us here; which means so much more since we both saw the movie with Kristen in Leicester Square, London in 2003. We exited the airport into the Sydney morning. Spring is in full swing here now and it was as warm as summer.

We loaded all our luggage in the car and literally, before we knew it, we were in the city of Sydney. It is similar to London in structure and make up, but cleaner and people didn’t seem so rushed.

They drove us to our hotel, the Four Seasons, which Kristen had arranged for us through her many contacts in tourism. Lauren, the receptionist, efficiently checked us in. We had been upgraded to a Full Harbour View Room and she even said she thought we would be pleased with it. Kristen and Damien had to leave us then so they can do their own preparations, so we headed to the lift and pressed the button for the 33rd floor.

Now, there are few times in a persons life when they can honestly say that they have been given the best room a major world city can provide. This is one of those times.

We were given a corner suite, on the second to highest floor (the hotel goes up to 34). It has an enormous bathroom with a full bath and separate shower. It has a work area, living area, and large bed. However, the thing that makes this room so special is the view.

There are two landmarks that make Sydney recognizable in photographs. That is the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Our hotel is situated on the seafront, directly between them. We have 3 large windows, including one covering the entire corner, that displays both in their glory.

Because of where our hotel is located, and as we can clearly see where others are located, we are certain we have the best view possible in this city. The bay is too wide for those across it to enjoy the intimacy with the Opera House that we have been given. This room could not have been better.

Within moments our luggage was delivered. Whilst we were preparing to bathe the doorbell rang and a maid delivered a large, complimentary bowl of fruit, with a letter welcoming us to Sydney.

We did take a short nap of about an hour, since neither of us had really slept on the plane, but we had to leave at 12:30 to ensure we do what we have to do in ample time.

We left the hotel, still groggy and exhausted, and headed down George Street to Myer Department Store. There, we quickly found Lord's Formal Hire on the 4th floor and ordered a suit for Christian for the wedding. We didn’t want to carry a suit all over Asia, so thought we would rent one instead.

Afterwards, Kelly checked out the women's section, but didn’t find any dresses we liked. She finally bought a terracotta colored formal dress at David Jones Department Store down the street near CentrePoint.

On the way back up George, we found a food court for a very late lunch. Christian wanted to try true Ozzie Barbie, so he had a bbq chicken sandwich with fries, whilst Kelly got some sushi. Here, they do not cut the sushi up but instead you eat it as you would a wrap, which we thought was rather brilliant and very convenient. Although she couldn’t figure out why the guy gave her chopsticks anyway.

After lunch, it was hot enough for us to go back to the hotel, where we rested for a few hours (remembering we hadn’t slept at all the night before). On television we watched the Memorial Service for Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, who died shortly before we left for our trip. Watching his daughter Bindi talk about her father was incredibly moving and emotional. He was a cherished figure to the Australians and we can see how his death has affected them.

Around 8pm we set off again in the opposite direction, towards the bay. We walked under the Cahill Expressway along to Hickson Road, where we settled down alongside Campbell's Cove and looked across Sydney Cove to the Opera House. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was almost exactly above us. We did notice thousands of birds hovering over the bridge, and the Opera House, illuminated by the fixture lights.

It is an incredibly romantic and beautiful location. We feel so blessed to be in such a wonderful place, so near to people we care about.

Shortly after, we headed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep.