After the cruise I met this truly nerdy British journalist and we had lunch at Doyle's on the Quay (not quite Doyle's on the Beach but they didn't take Amex all the same) and walked around The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney, now restored with shops, pubs and the like. I would have liked to go to the zoo, but I couldn't shake this guy long enough.

Eventually, after a lengthy "tea" we separated and I went up to the Sydney Tower for a wonderful night time view of the city, and then took the monorail to Darling Harbour for dinner at the large but quite nice shopping center.

I then crossed back towards the city, stopping at the Aquarium -- the best I've ever seen. The exhibits were great and there are two tanks where you actually walk in tubes so you are right next to the fish. Some are even resting on top of the tube so you can see the undersides of, for example, Manta rays.

After the Aquarium I went back to the Rocks for an evening stroll before returning to my hotel.

written by  shoshtrvls on April 21, 1990 from Sydney, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia (1990)
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Vicki and I did a short but intensive hike to the lighthouse. Despite the fact that the rain had stopped, however, instead of canoing or snorkelling around the island, I relaxed in the shade, reading my book and talking to Dave.

Back in Cairns, I walked about the town a bit before going to the airport. It turned out to be quite a nice little place, and I wish that I had had more time there.

written by  shoshtrvls on April 20, 1990 from Cairns, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia (1990)
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The island was rain drenched. I took a boat to Moore's Reef for some snorkeling. While the ride over was quite choppy, the skies cleared (well, the rain stopped at least) and we had several hours of trouble-free snorkeling. While the conditions were not the best (not a lot of sunlight and a cyclone had stirred up the water a few weeks earlier), the variety of fish was spectacular, all brightly colored, swimming peacefully or darting in and out of the coral.

A short glass-bottom boat trip revealed a few sharks and a variety of information.

It started to pour again just as we left the reef. The afternoon was spent hiding from the rain while dinner was a mediocre and expensive buffet.

After dinner things improved somewhat. I met a Canadian woman (Vicky) and we went, along with Edward, an American I had met earlier, to the bar and drank some beer and talked with Dave, one of the resort workers, and a very drunk couple whose honeymoon was being ruined by the rain. The resort was nice enough, small, quite a few families. After drinks it was bed.

written by  shoshtrvls on April 19, 1990 from Cairns, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia (1990)
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Upon my return, I picked up my pictures, ran into Ron, made copies for Terra (??), did some window shopping. Dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant at Pratap, where the "kiwi" waiter was quite friendly.

written by  shoshtrvls on April 17, 1990 from Darwin, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia (1990)
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Lunch in Katherine and then a long drive back to Darwin with a minor breakdown o nthe way (the truck wasn't meant to drive on sealed roads, I guess).

written by  shoshtrvls on April 16, 1990 from Katherine, Australia
from the travel blog: Australia (1990)
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