Thursday

Same train into the city but I changed it up by getting off at town hall as I will be near Darling Harbor and can walk around to the Maritime Museum.  Below is the church across from the Town Hall.  It wasn’t open yet to have a “look see” inside.

As I get to the Darling park I check for wireless signal as I hadn’t checked in with the family yesterday as I couldn’t find good service during common waking hours.

I get wifi and spend a little time texting the boys and post Wednesday’s blog while I can. It’s a comfy wooden seat in the morning sun and I am grateful for it.  

I head over to the Maritime ships in the exhibit and find that several are not open for viewing. I decide to bypass and walk over to the fish market as Wilma says I should try the fish at one of the shops there for lunch.

I get a bit turned around once, but find it without incident.  It is the harbor where the fishing boats are stationed and inside you can purchase fresh seafood of all varieties to take home or there are restaurants to purchase the wares cooked in various methods.

I get a half lobster (these are spiney and do not have claws) a spicy prawn on a stick and two oysters each prepared differently.  

It was good and I am happy to not have it battered and fried.

While here I have walked the market several times taking in all the shops and fish varieties.  My feet are starting to hurt from the walking most of the morning and now early afternoon.  I see a sign for the light rail across the street and decide to give that mode of transport a try.

The Opal card which is a refillable bus/train/rail/ferry ticket pass is what I have been using to gain access to the modes of transport.  One of the benefits of the card beyond not having to worry about how to calculate fees for each mode and stops is that it has a weekly limit and once you hit that, your trips are free.  You still have to scan your card when you gat on and off of said transport but your balance doesn’t decrease.  I notice when I scan onto the light rail that I am now a free rider.

So it is the light rail back to central station and catch the train to Circular Quay and  see there is a Ferry leaving for Cockatoo island so decide to give that a try.  

I haven’t been in that direction on the water past Darling Harbor and this will allow me to see five new areas as the ferry has 4 stops before Cockatoo Island.  

The island has an audio tour that you can take but it will take longer than I have time for so I take my own self guided your and check it out.

They now also have tents and you can camp on the island overnight.

I catch the ferry and then the next train back to the burbs in time to take Pebbles to swim lessons with Wilma. We drop off the girls and go have a quick pint, get some McDonalds for the father in law – it is a treat for him, and we head out to find a restaurant close by that I want to try.  It is a Vietnamese Pho place that is rated the best in Sydney.  It is in the burn that “Pops” is in, so why not?

Problem was, it was closed by the time we got there,  Many shops over here close between 5 and 7 in the evening and the pho place is one of them.  We try a spot that is open across the street and have a noodle bowl of another style and it is very good.

A good ending for another great day for me.

Love Betty