28th January 2016

We woke up early today at 8 a.m. to a clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds, the perfect way to start the day. After leaving the hotel, we set off for Central Station with one goal in mind: to visit the Opera House.

The journey to Circular Quay was quick, just three stops, and before long, we were standing outside the iconic Sydney Opera House, snapping the obligatory photos. The area around the Quay can get quite hectic, but this early in the morning, it was pleasantly quiet. We took advantage of the calm and made our way to the booking office, where we managed to secure tickets for the 11:15 a.m. tour.

We took a leisurely stroll around the Opera House, stopping for even more photos along the way. Afterwards, we found a couple of deck chairs to sit in and soak in the stunning view. The ‘Voyager of the Seas’ was docked right in front of us, with the Harbour Bridge towering in the background. We knew it was heading to New Zealand, as we’d chatted with a couple of its passengers earlier on the train.

Leaving the cruise ship behind, we located the start of our tour and met our guide. We were handed some high-tech Bluetooth earphones to hear the commentary and had our photo taken professionally (as you do). Our group of 12 was all English-speaking, which made things easy. We toured the three theatres, learning about how the Opera House was constructed. It was fascinating, though a bit of a costly disaster at first, but in the end, it all came together and looked stunning. The inside, in particular, is quite impressive.

Sue couldn’t resist stopping by the shop on the way out and added another Christmas bauble to her growing collection.

Afterwards, we strolled over to the botanical gardens, but as the temperature was rising, we decided to hop on the Choo Choo Train that offers a tour of the grounds. The gardens are vast and incredibly diverse, definitely worth a visit. But the best way to see them is on the ‘hop on hop off’ Choo Choo. We only hopped off once, at the end of the Peninsula, to visit Mrs. McCreadie’s seat. There, we enjoyed drinks and a snack before catching the train back to the entrance.

We considered catching a ferry to somewhere, but couldn’t quite decide, so we opted for some good old-fashioned people-watching while enjoying drinks at the Ferry Terminal at Circular Quay.

After finishing our drinks and enjoying the view, we caught the train back to the hotel. On our way up to the room, Sue grabbed a few leaflets from the foyer. By the time I flopped onto the bed, utterly exhausted, Sue had decided she fancied going on a Sydney Ghost Walk (a highlight from one of the newly acquired pamphlets).

Back down to the foyer to speak to the Concierge, and after a brief phone call, we were booked for that night’s walk. Just half an hour after getting off the train from Circular Quay, we were heading back again. The walk was to start at 7:45 p.m. outside Mr. Cadman’s Cottage. At 6 p.m., we sat at a restaurant just up the road, enjoying a meal. After finishing, we strolled to the quay to watch the cruise ship depart before meeting our guide, James, and two other Aussie couples.

The ghost walk lasted well over two hours and followed the usual formula of gore, death, and spooky happenings, all of which we were assured were true and thoroughly corroborated. It was quite entertaining, not quite Matilda-level theatrics, but a fun way to spend an evening. We got to hear some fascinating stories and visit places we’d never have ventured to on our own. Yes, there were a few moments that were a bit spooky, particularly for some of the others in the group.

After bidding farewell to our fellow believers, we made our way back to the hotel. This time, however, it was straight to bed. I was completely done for the night!