Sydney Australia

Sydney Oct 17 (Oct 16 disappeared over the Pacific somewhere)

We are booked into the "Old Rectory" in Tempe, near the Sydney airport - very near as it turns out. Lots of traffic, both air and surface in this declining part of Sydney. Nothing to recommend this B&B at all, other than quick airport pickup service (one way anyway).

Sydney has superlative train service which we used to go down to the Government center and botanical gardens. The gardens are lovely with an amazing collection of birds and exotic flora. The kids really enjoyed the big white cockatoos with their yellow crests.

Unfortunately the botanical gardens in Australia are responsible for much of the alien species invasions that characterized white folks entry to this oldest of continents. Bill Bryson writes about this in _In A Sunburned Country_.

After lunch in the AMP building (big insurance/investment scam in Australia) We took the ferry to Manly beach. (No kidding, that's the name.) Great place to watch surfing, go hiking in some pretty wild looking country right in the city, or shop. The ferry ride was interseting too. It went past the the entrance to Sydney harbor, where the seas were rolling in. A lot of rock and roll for a 3 story tall ferry boat. Yahoo!!

Once again the Australian public transport shown. The ferry terminal and the train terminal are the same building. Apparently the train goes right to the airport as well, not to mention that the the interstate train we take to Melbourne leaves the same station the city trains use. What a concept! Usable public transportation.