Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Part 2)

Update (with own photos)

Yes, I finally upload my own pictures!

First stop on Free Walking Tour: Circular Quay,
with a view of the Sydney Opera House 

A medium close-up against the railings at the Quay

An early white settler's dwelling on a hillock by the Quay

Another white settler's house on the heritage list

The tour guide at a site where a convict was punished 

No match to KL Twin Towers

Where the caged birds sing

A monument to honour fallen soldiers

The fountain where a scene from the Matrix was shot

Entrance to Channel 7 Building,
where candid shots of 'man on the street'
are taken for the morning show

The Sydney Tower

The plague at the centre of Hyde Park

Hey, hey, hey, it's bright sunny day

A museum which I didn't get to visit

Another heritage building

"You've gotta grab the porcine by its b***s"

The National Library with a statue of James Cook

The music conservatory

White parrots at the Botanic Garden

The library

Posing at the edge of the Botanic Garden,
after the Free Walking Tour

View from the ferry to Manky

The cove by the Manly Wharf

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No 'duckies' in Sydney

You can't miss the fire engine red Hop On, Hop Off bus 

Now I remember that I had taken the train from Kingsford to Central, where I disembarked to catch the red, double decker Hop On Hop Off. It was a good deal at AUD35 (if you take it early in the morning) since it made 34 stops throughout Sydney and Bondi. On my first introductory round of the city, I climbed to the upper deck to get a better view of the sights and sounds. 

The swanky shops 'n pubs along The Rocks

However, after stopping at King's Cross and walking up and down looking for the B&B, I just flopped on to the front seat closest to the driver of the second bus to avoid missing my stop. Unfortunately, as soon as the Asian driver saw my 'hijab', he assumed that I must be from the Stone Age. He started to raise his voice and displayed his annoyance at my question about the stop nearest to the Central YHA.

The Customs House next to the Town Hall,
where tourists can board the free bus
if they're tired of walking.

       

  

The esplanade around Circular Quay

   My Sydney contact had suggested that I check into the YHA on Randall St since it's centrally located, within walking distance from train and bus stations. In the four share, I quickly made friends with room mates from Iceland, Germany and Korea. After breakfast at a cafe on Surry Hills, I walked down George St to Circular Quay, where I discovered that there's a free bus service.
   I found out that there's a free walking tour too which starts at 10:30am next to the Anchor in the Town Hall Square on George St. It was quite a big group of tourists from the USA, the UK, Canada and Japan mainly which gathered for the scheduled three hour, easy-walking tour. The tour guide was a young chap who liked to poke fun at the early White Settlers and their despicable treatment of the  oppressed convicts, who usually served as their servants.       

Anzac War Memorial: Many from Oz & Kiwi have lost
their lives and limbs tduring WWII and Konfrontasi  

    We trudged uphill to acquaint ourselves with other historical spots - all with interesting tales to tell. Half way through the tour, we were given a 20 minutes' break at Hyde Park, an obviously favourite hang-out for corporate 'powerless' lunches.   

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The entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens

The fountain in the centre of Hyde Park

The walking tour ended at the border
of the Botanical Gardens and the 'Sea Shells'

Next change: Ferry to Manly, Blue Mountains, 

Conggrah, Canberra

The 'Coat Hanger' on a glorious sunny day.