Beez Neez now Chy Whella

City + Beyond

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Sun 6 Dec 2015 23:47

Sydney, the Opera House and Back to Newcastle

We left our B+B at nine o’clock to do a dummy run to the Opera House, we needed to know distance, traffic and the like. Half an hour later we caught sight of the first high rises. Sydney here we come.

Ten minutes later we could see the Harbour Bridge peeking out on our left, we did wonder how the traffic moved during rush hour, but this being a Sunday things were very quiet.

Our first time driving across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Actually, the first of five times today.........

Knowing we had loads of time we headed back over the bridge and headed out to Cammeray Marina. Parked near the steps, we trotted down the one hundred and nine, stopped at the sign and looked back up the way we had come.

We bimbled down to see our pre-booked berth and then took in the whole marina, tiny by most standards but we had immediately got on with the staff here and very much look forward to enjoying the peace and quiet here after a long day of being tourists in the city – up the steps, a ten minute walk and two buses away, fitness may be improved here.......... The area has masses of marinas, anchorages, swing buoys and is a very popular place for locals to keep their boats. Accessed via the Spit Bridge that we are due through at 10:15 on Tuesday, now that does sound great.

We checked out the facilities – laundry, library and flowers with their own gardens in the middle. We took pictures of bridge opening times, recommended taxi drivers and then headed back up the steps to the car. This little marina will suit us very well.

Following a bug put the cherry on top of everything.

Back over the bridge and into Sydney once more taking in just a couple of the sights that we hope to see more of, then to the Opera House car park. Hassle – no. At our B+B I went on line and booked-a-bay, paid by credit card from 12:00 until 17:00. They allow up to an hour before to an hour after as a consession to ‘the unforeseen’ and you poke your credit card in the slot which raises the barrier. We will certainly use this service again if we hire a little chap as it is country wide. Price five pounds, a huge reduction compared to the signs and no queuing at the pay machine to get out – again it is the paying card poked in the exit machine. Soon settled on red 2, we headed out into the bright, warm sunshine to take in the views.

Such a vibrant city we are going to really enjoy – and then there’s the Opera House.

Of course we posed with Sydney Harbour Bridge.

We could make out afternoon walkers. A must-do for us. Must get in shape for the sixteen hundred plus steps across first though.

Time to go into the Opera House. We think this is the first time we have been in a non-ceilinged lift.........We had a wonderful time at Messiah and will always think about the first event we ever did in Sydney – cannot wait now to get Beez Neez here safely.

Afterward it was time for us to get into the easy going crowd making their way to the car park or on for the evening.

We loved the trendy designs in the car park and the Beez-coloured hotty parked along from us.

Soon out into the traffic and for the final time today – over the bridge, tucking in behind a rather handsome creature, who had a model of a ship, rigging and all on the back seat. Incredible what you see......... Time enough to get back to Newcastle and hit Coles for our bulk shopping and restocking.

We arrived back in Newcastle and parked outside the supermarket by twenty to seven, an hour of attacking the list – it would be unfair to turn up at the tills later than a quarter to eight as the shop shuts at eight and the girls need to do their cashing up. Bulk items such as twenty four tins of diced tomatoes at forty pence, bargain and quick to go through the till en mass. Six big cheese blocks at three quid, huge bargain – they were eight to ten pounds in NZ. Christmas meats bought and a few more treats and all done and packed in the car. From trolleys to car. Now to get it all aboard.

We each took a truck full from the car to Beez, piled everything on the side, Bear indoors to open the kitchen window and me lowering each bag in as we done so many times before – I only got one head injury and two concussions as Sprite bottles and tinned mushrooms and the like swung into me. Oh you’re OK, get on with it. Back for one more load and the car was empty. We enjoyed the festive lights on and around the marina.

Rightee-oh then. Beez looked crammed but no sooner the word than the blow – tins tops were marked with a pen, the fridge was filled and slowly we began to see more surfaces. All was stowed by midnight, just the spreadsheets to update on the morrow, [I was forbidden to touch the car rental papers on the end of the table along with Bear’s purse and phone] – all set for our overnight passage to Sydney, Ye-haa.