Through My Porthole First Sight of Sydney 8900
Entering the harbor 8903
First sight of Sydney 8905
First sight of Sydney Bridge 8907
Close-up of downtown Sydney 8909
Lovely scenery along waterfront 8912
Picturesque view of bridge 8914
Nice view of skyline 8915
First view of Sydney Opera House !!! 8916
A tug comes out to help TSS into her berth 8919
View of opera house and bridge together 8920
One of TSS’s captains (in white) overseeing attachment of tug to TSS 8922
Line handlers attaching tug to TSS 8923
Sydney Opera House with old fort on tiny island in front of it, edge of bridge at right 8929
Along the shore 8930
Closer-up of old fort with lighthouse on top 8932
Skyline with Sydney Sky Tower 8937
Getting closer to the bridge 8939
Getting closer to the opera house 8940
Close-up of Opera House 8942
View along shore 8945
Top of bridge, where Bridge Climbers go 8948
Nearly under the bridge 8949
Buveh with Opera House in background at far left 8953
Buveh with Bridge in background (when this was taken, I lost my place at the rail)8954
Underside of bridge as TSS goes under it 8957
Closing in on Darling Harbor, where TSS will dock 8958
End of bridge just after we passed under it 8960
Ex-warehouses in Darling Harbor (now shops, a live theatre, restaurants, etc.) 8962
>
Zeroing in on Berth 3, where TSS will dock; note harbor navigations tower in background 8963
Sydney skyline with ex-warehouses in foreground 8966
View on other side of harbor 8967
TSS starting to turn toward berth 8972
TSS heading straight toward berth 8974
View of bridge from TSS’s berth 8975
Tug starts pushing TSS against berth 8984
Close-up of tug Watagan, with operator visible through center window 8987
Once TSS had docked, representatives of Australia’s Immigration and Customs services came aboard. We had been forewarned during a meeting the night before that we would be required to fill out customs forms and that we would have to declare any thing deriving from animals or plants. Everyone would be required to meet in the International Lounge at 7:45 on the morning of arrival to complete the forms and hand them over to the officials.
Therefore, at about 7:00, as soon as the excitement of docking had ended, everyone headed for the Lido Deck breakfast bar and ate breakfast then gathered in the International Lounge, where the officials were set up at a long table on the stage. At the foot of the state was a table holding TSS’s Passport Box with everyone’s passports in them. In order to enter Australia, almost everyone (except Australian and New Zealand passport holders) had to have a visa. TSS was required to report the visa numbers for every single student and staffer to Australian Immigration right after we left New Zealand.
Each person was handed an entry card and a departure card. Once they were filled out, we stood in line to pick up our passports, with visa inside, then joined the line waiting to see a customs official. When it was my turn, I handed the passport and the forms to the official, who handed back the departure one, set aside the arrival one, looked through my passport for a space in which to stamp the Australian entry stamp, applied the stamp and handed the passport to a TSS official, who put it back into the Passport Box. That was it! One thing I had to declare was that I had been near or touched farm animals within the last 30 days (those sheep in New Zealand!!!). However, I didn’t get questioned about it.
Nikki got called back because she declared that she had a food product that she planned to take ashore. It was a sealed package of Ecuadorian coffee she bought as a gift for her friend in Canberra, Australia, whom she will be visiting for 3 days while TSS is in port here. Australia is – as New Zealand also is – strict about what kinds of plant and animal products they allow into the country because any foreign pest could devastate their plant or animal populations.
Attending Church
Since it was Sunday morning, I wanted to attend church and had already plotted out on a Sydney map how to get there from the dock. The meetings were to begin at 10:00 and I hoped that Customs and Immigration would finish clearing everyone and release us to go ashore in enough time for me to find the church. As it turned out, it was about 9:15 when we were able to go. Nikki was going to head for the Art Museum of New South Wales (NSW is the name of the county or province of Australia where Sydney is), which was in Hyde Park on the lower edge of which (and across the street) was the church. As soon as we could, we exited the ship and went through the warehouse where Customs and Immigration was set up. Once outside of there, we walked out into dazzling sunlight and straight ahead was a solid rock wall.
Solid rock wall 8988
Then we turned left and headed for the exit gate. Two officials were there to let us out and, when asked, gave us directions to get to Liverpool Street. That’s where the church was.
After we'd exited through the gates, I turned around and snapped a photo of the sign and gate at the entrance, in case I'd need to remember it later, to identify how to get back to the ship.
Entrance to TSS's berth 8990
It was quite a walk, the last stretch. Market Street, leading to the side of Hyde Park was quite steep. At the top, with the park directly across the street, we crossed to the park and parted ways, Nikki going straight into the park toward the museum, and I turning right to walk straight down the street to the intersection of Liverpool Street. Part-way down, I saw a sidewalk going through the park at an angle that would lead me in a more direct route to the church, so I took it and saved quite a bit of walking time. At the end of the park and in mid-block was a traffic light where I crossed then turned left and soon came to 185 Liverpool Street and it was almost 10:15.. It was a modern business building with a sign on the door saying that the chapel was on Level 2. I entered, went to a lift (elevator) and went up. When I got off, immediately to my left were double doors, closed, with a small sign on one, “Chapel.” I went over and cautiously opened the door. Two young missionaries were standing just inside and smiled in greeting. I found a place to sit quietly since the meeting had already started.
I enjoyed all three meetings and it was wonderful to be with so many other church members and someone gave me specific directions for getting to the temple in Carlingsford, where I planned to go on Tuesday.
Afterwards, at 1:00, I spend quite some time talking to some of the women and then left. I guess I was thrown off by the fact that the church was in an office building but, whatever the reason, I forgot to take a picture of it. Another day, however, I ended back in the same place and took the following photos:
Lower right-hand portion of large building, where church is located (to the right of and above the Newsagency) 9294
Doors to enter the church 
Signs on door, so I knew I was in the right place
Close-up of one sign
ANZAC Memorial
I decided to walk through Hyde Park and enjoy the beautiful scenery so I crossed the street and realized that straight ahead of me was a large stone building whose architecture reminded me of a temple. When I got closer, I realized it was the ANZAC Memorial. I think ANZAC means Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. It was built as a memorial to soldiers who had died in World War I.
ANZAC Memorial 8996
Flower bed near memorial 8997
Interesting sign on steps leading up to memorial 8999
Sign at entrance to memorial 9001
Through the entrance was a marble floor with a circular opening in the center that was surrounded by a lovely low carved marble wall..
Marble wall 9003
Stained glass window on opposite wall 9005
On the floor below, visible from the wall-surrounded opening, was a startling monument featuring a supine figure in death, stretched across a sword. My assumption is that it represents death in war. It was quite startling because of its initial resemblance to a crucifix. It was mounted on a plinth but from above, it looked like a geometric pillar.
Figure 9006
The marble interior was circular with semi-circular niches at intervals around the exterior. Each niche had words carved in it, naming the battles and campaigns ANZAC troops had participated in. It was hard to photograph them so that the words are readable but I’ll include one as an example.
Wording on niche 9011
Inlaid marble flooring design on floor of each niche 9012
Visible through the open doors directly opposite were three flags waving in the breeze 9015
To my right as I entered was an opening with an eternal flame lighted within. Above the opening was a carved piece with the years 1914-1918.
Décor above eternal flame space 9017
Eternal flame with flags 9018
Close-up of flags and flame 9020
Close-up of metal door, partially closed 9025
Above each niche was a carved scene depicting various aspects of war. Like the words, they were hard to photograph so that the figures show up so I altered the colors so they will show up better although it gives a wrong impression of the color, which is pale white, like death. I’ll include one as an example.
Nurse aiding wounded soldiers 9027
View through doorway opposite, showing tree-lined walkway 9029
Bronze sign embedded in the doorway of the memorial 9037
Glass-enclosed wreath (stained glass windows opposite reflected on glass front) 9038
Close-up of plaque below wreath case 9040
The wreath was through a doorway and against the wall a few steps lower than the main floor. To either side, were steps leading down. When I went down, I was on the same level as the statue and photographed it from that angle. Entrance to the area was blocked by a velvet rope (as was the eternal flame space) but on the floor was an inlaid marble reminder.
Statue 9042
Reminder 9044
When I turned around, I saw I was at an exit point. Just outside were some informational banners.
Banner on right, “The Story” 9045
Banner on left, “Capital Works Program” 9046
To the right of the right banner was the entrance to a display area that included memorabilia from all wars since World War I. I took photos of some that struck me for various reasons.
Desert Storm shirt (US) 9049
Camels in Australia! 9051, 9054
Kangaroo sign 9055
Painting mounted on one wall 9057
Memorial poster 9059
US-Australian ties 9060
Gunner, Warning Dog 9061
Story of Gunner 9062
Indigenous veterans’ benefits poster 9064
Brass sign on lower level outer wall 9065
Back out on the grounds of the memorial, I saw that a long reflection pond and then the walkway bordered by tall trees were also part of the memorial. There were two lamps on either side of the pond.
Close-up of lantern 9067
An ibis (I think it’s an ibis) was on the grounds between two of the trees 9070
The reflecting pond 9073
Hyde Park
I walked alongside the pond and down the tree-lined walkway then entered the general Hyde Park area. Immediately I saw a tree with great-looking trunk.
Trunk of a cool-looking tree 9074
A ways further along was a very interesting stone structure. I have no idea what it was or it significance, if any, but took a picture anyway.
Structure 9078
It’s getting close to Christmas and since Australians do not celebrate the US Thanksgiving at the end of November, they get right down to Christmas in November!
Christmas tree in Hyde Park 9080
As I looked around near the Christmas tree, I saw other wonderful park-like features and I photographed those that most impressed me.
Close-up of landscaping around Christmas tree 9083
Close-up of large tree 9082
On the far edge of the park is St. Mary’s Cathedral 9086
A fountain that shoots out a circular spray from the topmost level 9087
Side view of fountain 9091
Turtle fountain in moat surrounding large fountain 9092
Trees with wonderful branching 9089
View of Sky Tower, in silhouette, taken near side entrance to Hyde Park 9093
Back to the Ship
I left the park and crossed the street to Market Street, to retrace my steps back to TSS. A couple of blocks down was David Jones department store. It had huge display windows in front but instead of being filled with mannequins modeling the latest clothing styles, they were filled with fabulous and elaborate depictions of scenes from the ballet, The Nutcracker, featuring marionettes that moved. The sets were as elaborate (or possibly moreso) than those of any stage set. There were five scenes in all and posters explaining each scene hung near each window. Selections of music from The Nutcracker were playing at each window. It was delightful. I stopped and looked at each one but didn’t think to take pictures. Nikki took one; maybe I’ll ask her for a copy of it to include here.
From there, I walked all the way back to Sussex Street, which leads directly to TSS’s berth. Coming from this direction, I could see that the front of one building actually curved around the corner of an intersecting street. It was architecturally interesting so I photographed it.
Interesting building 9096
No comments:
Post a Comment