Australia, here we come!

Due to restrictions in the harbor, our ship is not allowed to go into the harbor and dock until after rush hour. Our first glimpse of Sydney is the Harbor Bridge as it arches above the shore. At this point, we are miles from the bridge. 

As we begin our entry into the harbor, we have several helicopters flying around taking pictures. We are then met by the harbor pilot to guide us into the harbor. The pilot boat leads the way as we have two fire boats begin spraying water as they welcome a new ship to Sydney.

 As we round the final bend into the harbor, we see the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge in front of us. It is quite spectacular.

Notice the spray from the fire boat making a rainbow.

As we get near the bridge, All traffic is stopped in the harbor as we begin making a 90 degree left turn into our dock. Close up, the bridge is massive.

We see an amusement park peaking under the bridge  Luna Park is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.

Then we see the Overseas Passenger Terminal. This is our final stop for Rexie and me, but a permanent home to the Carnival Spirit. It is not about 10:15 am and we can see people waiting for us.

As we inch our way to the dock, take a look at the sign that was hanging on the terminal. Pretty ingenious, isn’t it?

Then I take a minute to look at the city. Wow, it has several new buildings and yet around the harbor are old buildings that have been refurbished and are in use today.

As we get off the ship and are waiting for a taxi, I notice people walking up the bridge.

Then, I see another group has already made it to the top. Rexie says she is going to do that November 1. It takes me a few minutes, and then I realize we are going home October 27. Oh well, I guess she will miss her chance, like she would ever do it.

We get in our taxi, and it is the cleanest taxi we have ever been in. The driver is wearing a uniform. No comparison to New York or Chicago taxis. As we travel to our hotel, we are told that periodically the taxis are stopped by officials and they inspect the taxi for how clean the cab is, check the uniform, and make sure everything in the cab works. On Friday and Saturday evenings, it is done on a regular basis. In New York, the officials are only concerned that New York is getting their taxes. They could care less about cleanliness and working order.

And that is how we arrived in Australia. Yeah!

I must be off!