March 29 - Australia: Sydney, New South Wales
The Sydney Aquarium
We hit the Sydney Aquarium pretty early, but not early enough to beat the crowds. The Aquarium was packed with families, but it was still very interesting to see. We spent about five minutes at the platypus tank alone, just because we've yet to see a platypus. Then we walked around the fresh-water section to see the crocodiles, fish, and plantlife in a freshwater environment.
After that, we wandered into the seal portion of the aquarium, where there were about 10 seals hanging out in the water. There was a glassed-in tunnel through the water that we could walk through to see the seals swimming past. Very cool, but Jon and I both agreed that it's more fun when we're in the water with them. (See Dec 3 in Kaikora, NZ).
A Seal Playing In the Water
The aquarium really is an amazing place. I can't remember the last time I've been in one, but there's so much to see and learn. I think I could have stayed there for hours! Delving into the salt-water portion of the aquarium, we wandered into "The Rocks" region, where we could observe the different types of marine life in the southern tip of Australia. Namely - the penguins!
A Few Penguins Teeter Around
We missed seeing the penguins in the Otago Peninsula of New Zealand, and while this wasn't quite the same it was still enjoyable. The penguins really are cute and very, very active. The penguin tank was one of the most crowded of the aquarium, and it's no secret why. These little buggers were all over the place!
After "The Rocks" area was the infamous Shark Tank. This was an incredible presentation of marine life. The tank was absolutely huge and filled with heaps of sharks and rays. There were two domed walk-ways through the tank, so we could literally stand there and watch the sharks swim around us.
Jon and His Little Nurse-Shark Friend
There were nurse sharks, whitetip and blacktip reef shark, port jackson sharks, leopard sharks, among other types that I can't recall the names of. There was also a huge sting ray whose wingspan was probably larger than Jon's armspan. Incredible to watch it swim over us above the glassed dome. We spent probably 45 minutes in the shark tank, just standing there watching them.
When we were in Thailand, we met a dive instructor who used to work here and specifically in the shark tank. It was her job to suit up in scuba gear and do the shark feedings. She said it was great fun, and that the sharks were very friendly. In fact, she spoke of a leopard shark who loved to cuddle up and have her pet its stomach. But as we stood there, it was difficult to picture any of these huge sharks cuddling up to anything.
After the shark tank, we made our way to the Great Barrier Reef area. Naturally, our favorite. We recognized many of the fish and coral life, and passed the "Coral Quiz" with flying colors. There was a huge tank filled with tropical fish and plants, and a few shark that we'd never seen on our dives. The "Shark Ray" had an odd triangular-shaped head. So we learned something new as well.
The Great Barrier Reef Tank
In order to exit the aquarium, we had to complete the obligatory walk through the gift shop to see if there was anything we couldn't live without. While I was tempted by the "Sydney Aquarium" soapdish, I decided to pass.
Darling Harbour
Across the harbour was a shopping complex, so we decided to see if we could grab a late lunch that didn't include Mackers (McDonald's) or Hungry Jack's (Burger King). We were happy with the chicken wrap and "Turkish Pide" that we got.
Walking around Darling Harbour was interesting today, because there was a big "Circus and Street Theater" show going on. We stopped to watch a very comedic juggler for a while, and ended up giving him money because he made us laugh. (Not that this is a difficult thing to do, but we generally abide by the "If They Make You Smile or Laugh, Then Give Them Some Money" rule.)
Leaving Darling Harbour, we toyed with the idea of searching for the Sydney Bridge Museum near the bridge. But we were all museumed out. Instead, we decided to find the movie theater and see what we could catch.
Black Hawk Down
A showing of "Black Hawk Down" was due to start in fifteen minutes, so we bought two tickets and settled into the stadium-seating theater. The movie was excellent. There weren't any oscar-winning performances, but the story was incredibly moving. In 1993, I was still at university. But I wonder what kind of bubble I was living in that I didn't pay any attention to this when it was happening. The story was brand-new to me. That's pathetic that I was so happy living in oblivion back then. Or maybe - after this trip and post-9/11 - I now feel a responsibility to be more informed about the events of the world. Regardless, I left the movie with a big patriotic feeling in my heart.
Fitting, isn't it, we fly into the US in two days?