Today was our day to spend as we wanted. I slept in (a real luxury on this busy tour) and decided on a walking tour close to my hotel as there was plenty to see. I visited the Hyde Park Barracks, which first served as a center for convict transportation, then as an immigration depot and asylum, and finally as a court/office complex before its conversion into a museum.

Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney

From there I walked to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and went through the Australian and Aboriginal galleries, and then crossed the street to tour the Royal Botanic Gardens. I probably covered only about 20% of the extensive gardens. It is early spring “down under”, with its flowers, flowering trees and bushes reminiscent of North Carolina in April.

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

That evening I joined a couple from our group for dinner at Zia Pina Pizzeria, a small Italian bistro, and enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, great seafood pasta and tiramasu ice cream.

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• Royal Botanic Gardens – Sydney
• Walking Tour of Sydney

After an early breakfast we headed to the Featherdale Wildlife Park outside of Sydney. I had another great photo op with a koala (this one munching on eucalyptus leaves in a tree and I just stood behind him) as well a a chance to feed the wallabies. There were many beautiful birds and other native animals as well.

Posing with a koala munching on eucalyptus leaves at Featherdale Wildlife Park

Feeding a wallaby at Featherdale Wildlife Park

We then drove through the 2000 Olympic Park. Everything has been paid off, dorms have been converted into apartments, and the venues are open to any one who wants to use them. Hotels and office buildings are under construction, so the Aussies have really made their Olympic investment profitable.

2000 Olympic Park

Our foodies tour included an Italian deli, the Sydney Fish Market, a gelato shop, a pie truck and the Old Fitzroy Hotel where we sampled three types of beer. I liked the Sydney Fish Market the best, even though a seagull swooped down and stole my oyster from off my plate! Unfortunately, it all happened so fast no one got a picture of the avian theft.

Visit to an Italian deli in Sydney

Seafood buffet spread at the Sydney Fish Market

I had a few free hours left that day and really needed to walk off all that food, so I walked from my hotel through Hyde Park to view the exhibits in the Australian Museum.

Australian Museum, Sydney

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• Featherdale Wildlife Park – Part 1
• Featherdate Wildlife Park – Part 2
• Sydney Foodies Tour
• Walking Tour of Sydney

This was another great day with beautiful weather! We had the opportunity to take each other’s picture in front of the Harbour Bridge before our private tour of the Sydney Opera House (also where we took our official group picture).

Harbour Bridge, Sydney

Touring the Sydney Opera House

Afterwards we took a lunch cruise around the Sydney Harbour, followed by a tour of the city and a stop at Bondi Beach. This evening I had dinner at the O Bar and Dining on Level 47 of Australia Square which provided great nighttime views of the city.

View of the Sydney Opera House on the harbour cruise

Bondi Beach, Sydney

Nighttime view of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House from the O Bar

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• Bondi Beach
• Circular Quay and Bennelong Point
• Sydney at Night from the O Bar
• Sydney Harbour Cruise
• Sydney Opera House

This was my last morning to walk to the beach and enjoy the resort grounds before leaving for Sydney.

Beach, Kewarra Beach Resort

I had a lovely room at the InterContinental Sydney with a bay window seat overlooking Farm Cove, Woolloomooloo Bay and the Conservatorium of Music across from the Botanic Gardens. Our group met for cocktails in the lounge and a buffet dinner in the restaurant, but we had difficulty explaining what “iced tea” was to our servers – it’s apparently an unknown concept “down under”.

Views from my room at the InterContinental Sydney

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Kewarra Beach Resort