Buses and bats | Tuesday, September 27, 2005 |
I don't wish to go on about buses, but the lack of public transport information here is startling. Every bus stand has a list of the routes that stop there, but somehow you're expected to know that route 123 goes to Nullabor Plain (not really). All there is is is the route number and after the very comprehensive route maps placed at each stop by good old Mayor Ken, it's like being back in the public transport dark ages.
Anyhow, the invisible bus stop of yesterday has been located and as a result, Gillian and I hopped on some random bus (actually an express heading for Bondi Junction) into town to try and see a couple of landmarks after I finished work. It eventually pulled up adjacent to the Botanical Gardens, so a ten minute walk took us to the iconic Opera House.
I thought I'd be really excited to see it, but strangely wasn't. I can only guess that it's because we've now been here a few days and I've started work. Nevertheless, it's quite impressive in a ugly (sorry Sydney) kind of a way, but scrubs up ok at night.
We had a quick wander around the Rocks, mostly marvelling at the price of bowls of pasta before retreating back a block or so for a mediocre, but pleasant enough Italian meal.
The ferry runs to and from Manly, so 10 minutes after arriving back at the Wharf we're bobbing our way back across the harbour to home. The original plan had been to have a pie and a coffee on the deck, and certainly with the breeze and the night air, that wouldn't have been a bad idea. We spend a few minutes trying in vain to pck out landmarks before we land at Manly Wharf.
We wander home and Gillian shows me where she looked at a flat today - the verdict was, quite nice (and only about 30 meters from the shoreline), but it's not available until a week after we're scheduled to leave our temporary home.
Anyhow, the invisible bus stop of yesterday has been located and as a result, Gillian and I hopped on some random bus (actually an express heading for Bondi Junction) into town to try and see a couple of landmarks after I finished work. It eventually pulled up adjacent to the Botanical Gardens, so a ten minute walk took us to the iconic Opera House.
I thought I'd be really excited to see it, but strangely wasn't. I can only guess that it's because we've now been here a few days and I've started work. Nevertheless, it's quite impressive in a ugly (sorry Sydney) kind of a way, but scrubs up ok at night.
We had a quick wander around the Rocks, mostly marvelling at the price of bowls of pasta before retreating back a block or so for a mediocre, but pleasant enough Italian meal.
The ferry runs to and from Manly, so 10 minutes after arriving back at the Wharf we're bobbing our way back across the harbour to home. The original plan had been to have a pie and a coffee on the deck, and certainly with the breeze and the night air, that wouldn't have been a bad idea. We spend a few minutes trying in vain to pck out landmarks before we land at Manly Wharf.
We wander home and Gillian shows me where she looked at a flat today - the verdict was, quite nice (and only about 30 meters from the shoreline), but it's not available until a week after we're scheduled to leave our temporary home.
