Another beautiful day in Sydney! Apparently they’ve had rain the last 10 days so we’ve been lucky. It was about 75 degrees yesterday and should be the same today. We met our bus driver Kelly at 9:30 am and our tour guide Johnny. Johnny is very knowledgeable and didn’t stop talking most of the day! We drove out of the city crossing over the Anzac Bridge to Featherdale Wildlife Park where we saw more Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koalas and lots of birds, etc. They have Kangaroos that vary from 4” to 7’ tall. This wildlife park is on 7 acres and is in the middle of a residential area. All baby marsupials are called “Joey’s”. Koalas don’t drink water, they eat Eucalyptus leaves and they contain 40% water. Koalas are NOT bears so nobody knows why people call then Koala Bears! There aren’t any bears in Australia. They sleep 18-20 hours a day. Land clearing and dogs are the Koala’s biggest threat. There are only about 100,000 Koalas left in the world. Johnny said that they don’t hold Koalas unless they have to because they pick up many germs from human contact. There are 800 types of Eucalyptus trees in Australia. Eucalyptus trees shed their outer layer of bark every year and 50% of the leaves fall off each season but they never turn colors. In fact there really isn’t a Fall in Australia. Australia has 18/20 of the most venomous snakes in the world.
After visiting the Wildlife Park we continue up through the Northern section of the Blue Mountains National Park. We stopped at a few outlooks to enjoy the stunning views of these remote regions and passed through historic towns. We stop at a Govetts Leap and see the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls. At about 1:00 pm we arrive at the beautiful Katoomba Golf Course for lunch. Annual membership is $600k per year and then you pay $1-$2 for a round of golf. If you are a non-member it will cost you about $40-$50 a round. Following lunch we went on another scenic tour to the Echo Point Lookout in the Jamison Valley where we saw views of the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters are mountain ranges that stick up in the valley with gorgeous rock shapes. There are many legends about how they were formed and what they mean. They are gorgeous to see. There is also a gondola that will take people through the rainforest and up a steep, steep hill. Looks scary!
The Blue Mountains are not actually Blue or Mountains! The oil from the Eucalyptus trees creates a haze on the range and makes them look blue. The Blue Mountains are 100 million years of composite dessert of Sandstone that is eroding away. They are 16 times older than the Grand Canyon. They are at a 3,600 foot elevation.
Along the way back to the hotel we enjoy a 2 hour ride to relax and enjoy the sites. We arrive about 5:00 pm so Mike and I decide to go to the harbor and shop. We walked around the shops and watch the sailboats, people and the everyday life of the Australians. What a wonderful city…..we need another week or so in Sydney.
Sydney Fun Facts:
Driving Rules in Australia: There is a 4 year transitional period. At 16 years old you can get a permit but you have to fill out a driving log and your top speed is 50mph. At 17 years old your speed limit is 55mph. At 18 years old your speed limit is 60mph. At 20 years old you can finally get your drivers license and it will come with ratings such as gold, platinum, etc. You get 12 demerit points and they have to last for 3 years or you get your license taken away. No seatbelt fine is $220 and minus 3pts. They don’t have driving school for tickets…..they use the point system and if you lose your 12 points then you lose your license for 3 years and you start over. The drinking age is 18 years old. They have random sobriety check points at any hour of the day. The drunken levels have changed from .08-.05 and they are trying to get them down to 0.0.
Medical: People in Sydney are heavily taxed on everything and 1.5% of the taxes go towards Medical. If you make over $100k/year you have to have your own private insurance. With private insurance you get an appointment right away, a private room and special treatment. Public Health Insurance you may wait a couple of weeks for an appointment and share a room but it will all be free. Dental Insurance is another issue. The public dental insurance is not good.
The Olympics: In 2000 the summer Olympics were in Sydney and in order for them to host they had to promise an environmental friendly environment. No cars were allowed. They had to use buses, trains or the ferry. Australians were asked not to work to help the traffic or to work early or late if they had to. The Olympics brought a huge increase in tourism in the past 10 years. They still use the stadium pools, fields and buildings. The stadium has 110,000 seats and can retract and create different shapes for different events. The Australians set a goal for metals in 2000 of 60 and were able to get 58!
Australia is only 5% smaller than the USA.
They are the oldest, flattest & driest continent on the planet.
Melbourne & Sydney have 50% of the country’s population. 49% of the population has come from other countries. The average age in Sydney is 35 years old. 80% of Australia is the Outback. Australia is Latin and means “Great South Land”. The area, “The Rock” got its name because the instructions to the Sailors were to “drop anchor by the Rocks”. Lord Sydney was the settler who brought people over to the Island. It was all Rainforest when they arrived.
In ‘2000 the average price of a home was $200k and now it is $700k.
Australia has had 10 years of the worst drought possible and prices went sky high on gas and food.
The Australians went to the Metric System in 1966. Their gas prices are $1.47/liter x 3.8=a gallon.
It is very expensive to live in Australia but they get paid really well. Brisbane has flooded twice in the past couple of years so farming has been tough. The economy is very strong in Sydney. They export oil, copper & fish to China. They have only a 5% unemployment rate.
Sydney has the 2nd largest fish market in the world after Hong Kong. They hold fish auctions down at the docks each morning at 5:30 am.
The average commute to work in Sydney is 1.5 hours. People move away from the city because of the cost of living. Everything is cheaper in the USA…..It is 1/3 of the price to live in San Diego!
Winter stays in the 60-70 degree range.
At the end of the 2nd World War they considered moving Sydney because of the water supply.
In the early 1800’s when they first started sending convicts over to the island it was Author Phillips who was in charge. In the 1st set of convicts there were 750 people, 200 were women and 50 were children. They arrived during a drought. Nearly 40% of the 2nd set of convicts sent over died from diseases and horrible circumstances. The officers hoarded all of the liquor supplies and for 12 years Rum was their currency. From 1810-1820 Lockland Macquarie took over and used the convicts to build roads, churches, court houses, etc. When they served their time they were rewarded with land, a house and money. Many thought Lockland treated them too well. They were set free but none of them wanted to go back to Britain. Lockland was known as the “Father of Australia”. After 1820 he was homesick and moved back to Britain. He was replaced by Ralph Darling who was a mean man.
All of the Army & Navy land from back then is now the National Park.
Port Jackson was the original name of Sydney Harbor (named by Captain Cook).
80% of the plants in Australia are pollinated by birds.
Most people who live in Australia are fair skinned and burn easily. In schools the children are required to wear hats until they are 14 years old. There’s lots of skin cancer here. The children go to school year round in Sydney and get 12 weeks off mixed into the year.
It is a 12 hour drive from Sydney into the Outback. You’d pay about $1m for a 1 bedroom unit around the Harbor. Australia is the only country with wild camels. 20% of Sydney is Asian. There are no pick-ups here in Sydney. McDonalds & Hungry Jacks are everywhere. Gloria Jean’s Coffee is Australian. Starbucks couldn’t make it here.
Freeways are called “Motorways”, Flashlights are called “A Torch”, Garbage Cans are called “Rubbish Bins” and when you call someone you “Ring them up”!
There is a saying in Australia…..”LIKE IT OR LEAVE IT”!
