25th January 2016

Our flight, Heathrow to Hong Kong, was delayed by 20 minutes, and despite a few efforts to make up for lost time, we only managed to shave off a few minutes during the journey. This created some stress, as by the time we disembarked, we had just 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight to Sydney. We had access to our gate number and floor level from the seat media terminal on the plane, so we breezed through the airport, unlike my transit with Jamie in June, where we were unaware of the size of the airport and how to navigate it.

At the transit bag scanner, we were delayed briefly by a rather frustrating British family in front of us. They seemed oblivious to the growing queue behind them and were shocked to discover various banned items in their bags. To add insult to injury, while the confiscation of their illegal goodies was underway, they had the nerve to slowly gulp down the two bottles of water they’d also been caught with. Despite the urge to throttle them, we managed to stay calm and made it to the gate for our onward flight to Sydney.

We flew economy class with Cathay Pacific, which is a good airline with lovely food (though I wouldn’t recommend the chicken congee!). However, the boarding process left much to be desired. With so many seating categories and privileges, by the time economy class was called, we certainly felt like we were in ‘cattle class.’ No upgrade to business class this time, unlike our previous Vietnamese trip. Still, once on board, we were treated well, like passengers on any other airline. A little customer relations training for the boarding staff would go a long way to improve the experience, especially as we had to walk past the ‘privileged’ passengers in First and Business class to reach our seats at the back of the plane. The flight departed on time and arrived 10 minutes later than scheduled.

Having used the Sydney public transit system earlier in the year with Jamie, I was confident in its efficiency and didn’t feel the need for a hotel transfer, which proved to be the right call. We quickly caught the train to Central Station, where the Mercure Hotel was conveniently located nearby. The only slight worry was whether we’d be allowed to check in at 8:30 a.m., but that proved unnecessary. By 9 a.m., I was already enjoying a refreshing shower in our room.

After we had showered and refreshed, we visited the hotel concierge to find out where the Lyric Theatre was to book a couple of tickets for an evening performance. Despite the heavy rain when we landed, the sun had come out, and the heat was building as we left the hotel. Unfortunately, the ticket office was closed as it was Australia Day, which explained the abundance of flags and patriotically dressed people.

So, we switched to Plan B and made our way to Darling Harbour, where we had heard festivities were taking place. It was a perfect day for a celebration, blue skies, blue seas, and plenty of locals joining in the fun. We snapped a lot of photos, stopped to watch some Bhangra dancers, and then paused again to see some Aussie drummers pounding away. We lingered in a harbourside bar for refreshments and enjoyed watching the locals celebrating their country in such a lively way. The highlight of the day was spotting two enormous kangaroos bounding along the harbour, stopping for photos with the crowds, quite an amusing sight!

We stopped at a poster advertising a meal, drinks, and an exclusive view of that evening’s harbour fireworks display from a ship moored alongside the quay. Fortunately, we were able to book a table, which felt like a great stroke of luck.

As we walked on, we watched a Qantas 777 bank steeply over the harbour before roaring just a few hundred feet above us. It was a bit unnerving, as it seemed so low, but we learned it had special permission for this manoeuvre as part of the Australia Day celebrations. Still, thoughts of 9/11 crept into my mind.

We continued meandering until we reached the Observatory, situated above the Harbour Bridge, where we paused to take in the views and snap some photos. From there, we moved on, travelling under the bridge and onto Circular Quay, where we were treated to spectacular views of the Opera House and a trio of three-masted ships docked along the Cruise Liner quay. This was the same quay where we would board our own boat in four days.

Next, we wandered through ‘The Rocks’, one of Sydney’s oldest areas, which was buzzing with entertainers and food stalls. After soaking in the festive atmosphere, we bought train tickets back to Central Station and returned to our hotel, content with our day of exploration.

After a rest in our room, we asked the concierge to book us a couple of seats for the Wednesday night performance of ‘Matilda ‘ at the Lyric Theatre. We set off back to Darling Harbour just after 6:30 pm, joining the throngs of eager Aussie locals and tourists who were all gathered to watch the fireworks display. There wasn’t much room left along the quayside, but that wasn’t our concern. We had secured a table on the restaurant boat, right in the heart of it all.

As we queued on the harbour side for the restaurant, a group of four tried to board the boat just before us, but unlike us, their names weren’t on the guest list, so they were turned away.

We were escorted to a table for two, bearing our name, positioned along the side of the restaurant, offering a prime view of the imminent fireworks display. As the boat slowly filled, it was clear that every available inch of harbour-side was occupied. We were fortunate to have arrived when we did, or we might have been left stranded on the quayside.

And what a night it turned out to be! Yes, it was pricey, as you’d expect, but the food and drinks were superb, and the view of the entertainment, live performances on a massive video screen, was entirely uninterrupted by other bodies getting in the way.

When the fireworks finally began, they lasted for nearly 16 minutes of dazzling, colourful chaos, choreographed to music. It was absolutely incredible (I filmed the whole thing!). As the smoke cleared, we finished our desserts and had another drink. Before leaving, we took the opportunity to explore the ship and discovered that in the past its decks had been graced by a host of celebrities, including  Queen Elizabeth 11, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Margaret Thatcher, and the Beatles, to name just a few.

With our stomachs satisfied and feeling smug in the knowledge that we shared the same taste in dining venues as some of the more notable names, we made our way back to the hotel. A satisfying end to an unforgettable day, we soon found ourselves in bed, ready to begin tomorrow’s adventure.