Aussie-Aussie-Aussie! Oye Oye Oye!!

This is going to be a long one, so grab a drink and settle in. 

It's been an exciting few days! With our unplanned diversion to Melbourne, there were only a few excursions set up, and those sold out very quickly. I had resigned myself to aimless wandering when I saw that someone on the ship had set up a day tour with some open spots. I signed up without even asking where we were going, and as it turned out two of my friends joined the small group as well and it made for a fun day.

Sailing into Melbourne sunrise

We went to Moonlit Sanctuary, about an hour and a half outside of Melbourne, where we got to meet so many indigenous species. Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, birds, reptiles – they were everywhere. We were able to buy food which we used to feed the birds and the kangaroos and wallabies. They were free to roam all around the sanctuary, so they would come up to you if they were hungry. Some of the braver ones would eat out of your hand, even grabbing on to hold you steady. Their mouths were so soft – they reminded me of a horse’s mouth and how delicate they are.

Chonky Wombat

Cute wallabies - so soft

This emu is glaring at me because I don't have any fruit to give him.

Kangaroos

Kangaroos and wallabies look very similar. The main differences are that kangaroos are grey/tan and large. Wallabies are darker and smaller.

Koalas sleep about 20 hours a day

The main treat of the day was a meet and greet with a koala. The one I met was named Gumnut, and she was such a friendly girl. She tolerated my presence so well! The keeper explained that they use eucalyptus leaves to keep the koalas happy while we take our pictures and pet their backs. The koalas know that they will get more leaves as soon as they drop the branch they have, so they will eat only the tiny tender leaves at the end of the branch, then they just toss the branch aside and wait for the keeper to bring the next one. Spoiled princesses! 

This is Gumnut

Our driver also took us to see some different sights along the way. The neighborhood near the bay reminded me of Beverly Hills, with larger houses close together and walls around each property, and wildly different architectural styles side by side.

We stopped at the Brighton Beach Bathhouses. First built in the 1860s for bathers' privacy, they have become a landmark. In 1934 they were moved to Dendy Street Beach, where about 88 remain. They are privately owned; about $275,000 for a bungalow/shed at the public beach.

We also went to Queen Victoria Market, an open-air market for over 140 years, and the largest market in the southern hemisphere. Taking a break from the sun, I wandered by the over 600 stalls and checked out the goods. I also enjoyed some delicious lemon and mango gelato while people-watching.

Downtown Melbourne

Suitably exhausted, I headed back to the ship before sailing on the Sydney, grateful to my new friends for setting up a wonderful, unexpected adventure.

Sydney

We sailed into Sydney harbor and docked right next to the Opera House, which was beautiful in the early morning light. Sydney was all decked out in its rainbow finery for World Pride. Even my little Uber car icon was rainbow-colored.

Pride whale outside a museum

I had booked a ferry ride to the Taronga Zoo when I thought this was going to be my only chance to see a koala up close. With temperatures expected in the 90s, I was tempted to not go, and I am so glad that I did. I was so impressed with how the zoo is set up, and how the animal enclosures seemed so open and natural. Taronga is on a hillside, so the best way to experience the zoo is to take a shuttle from the ferry dock (their gondola ride is closed for replacement) up to the top entrance and work your way down the hill. It is all laid out as a leisurely stroll through all the exhibits. I lost my map and missed a turn for the capybaras (which my nephew told me to go see) so I had to backtrack a bit to get to them and OUCH my hamstrings were hurting! You would get quite a powerful workout if you went from the bottom to the top. How people were pushing strollers I have no idea.

I got to sit and enjoy so many animals, the chimpanzees most particularly. There were quite a few young ones in the troop, and they were very rambunctious. Later on, there was quite a melee as they all chased each other around and swung from the branches, and just had fun.

Giraffes have a prime view of Sydney Harbor

A baby Chimpanzee hung out to say hello.

Pretty birds on the lookout for treats

Penguin swimming overhead

Just chilling

Meerkat on sentry duty

the capybara that I had to double back to find - Worth it!

Taking a dip in the pool on a hot day

Pride Gorilla

New animal I met: a Binturong, native to South and Southeast Asia,

 with a face like a cat and a body like a bear, but are related to neither. Having an afternoon nap.

You can't get me - nah nah nah. Oops!

I made my way back down to the ferry and headed back to the wharf area. Due to the extreme heat, I was contemplating heading back to the ship for a bit to rest, but I knew that I would not go back out once I was onboard. I saw the hop-on-hop-off bus (the “HoHo”, as we call it) at the corner so I walked right over and hopped on. I was glad I did. I got to see many parts of Sydney. The downtown area was very well developed with lots of office buildings, apartments, stores, restaurants, and beautiful green spaces. Large trees lined the streets. So many people were out and about on a Saturday afternoon, sitting in the park, meeting friends, and walking dogs.

Beautiful downtown Sydney

Ho-Ho Bus

I switched to another bus to head out to the famous Bondi Beach. Like any other beach town, it was packed with people on a hot summer’s day. It was almost as crowded as Coney Island in August. It was nice to drive through and see the sights without battling parking and traffic.

crowded beach on a hot summer's day

When we got back to town, I tried to find the right bus to get back to the wharf but I messed it up so I just called an Uber. While I was waiting, I got to watch two girls practice their synchronized swimming at the aquatic center. I couldn’t figure out which way my Uber was coming from, and I was on the wrong side of the street for the traffic so my driver said he would turn around and come get me. It took a really long time, so I called him and he told me that he got pulled over for an illegal U-turn. I looked down the block and sure enough, there were the flashing lights. After some instructions from the cop and a breathalyzer, he got off with a warning, so I didn’t have to tip him the cost of the ticket (whew), and he brought me back to the ferry terminal.

Synchronized swimmers - mad respect!

I was a bit hungry, so I stopped at a McDonald’s to see what was different. Not much, actually, but they did have a hokey pokey-flavored shake which I enjoyed. I sat outside to eat and a very aggressive seagull I named Frank started screeching at me and chasing away his companions, staking his claim on me. So I of course had to throw bits of French fry at him and then watch him get really mad when I also fed his friends. It was an amusing way to spend 30 minutes. Seagulls are very talented at catching french fries. 

I then got a text from a friend, and we ended up meeting a third friend at a restaurant on the wharf and hanging out (no dinner for me, just dessert!) and people-watching. It was very crowded at the wharf on a Saturday evening during Pride, so there was a lot to see.

We headed back to the ship, I took a shower and got into some cozy clothes, intending to stay in for the night. I was sitting on my balcony and watched this storm blow in. The clouds were crazy cool.

Stormy weather blowing through did not put a damper on the festivities

Just before sailing away, they had fireworks at the opera house. It was so beautiful and unexpected. What a delight! I was going to go up to the Lido deck to watch us leave the harbor because I wanted some pictures of the bridge, but it was raining a bit so I went to the promenade deck, which is covered. There were a bunch of people there, but I resolved not to care that people were seeing me in my cozy clothes and slippers with my hair every which way. 

The Sydney Bridge all lit up

Luna Park Amusement Park (just like Coney Island!)

It was so cute to see the staff slipping out to the deck to take pictures of the sail away, making videos to send home. Exclaiming how beautiful it was. It was a wonderful goodbye from Sydney.

In case you didn't know, Aussie-Aussie-Aussie! Oye Oye Oye!! is a call-and-response that Australians do to find each other in a crowd.

Another sea day and then off to Moreton Island/Tangalooma Resort for a beach day.