Journal 3 - Taronga Zoo - The Rocks - Bondi Beach
January 11, 2005 | Lacrosse
G'day everyone! Our third glorious day in Sydney began with a ferry ride from Circular Quay to the Taronga Zoo. On the way, we caught beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera house, and the rest of the city. From there we took an exciting gondola ride to the top of the zoo that gave us an even more breathtaking view of Sydney. Some of the many animals that we saw at the zoo included crazy koalas, wild wallabies, jumping kangaroos, and a baby gorilla piggybacking its mother. We also viewed some animals that we were more familiar with (but they definitely had an Aussie twist to them)... a one-tusked elephant, a lion on the prowl, and towering giraffes.
Awaiting the ferry trip back to the Circular Quay we enjoyed some Australian ice cream pops like Golden Gaytime, Heaven, and Magnum. Due to the devastating beauty of the Boston College Women's Lacrosse team, we were cordially invited up to the "Captain's bridge" of the ferry where we rode in first class style with a prime view.
After disembarking the ship, we had the opportunity to peruse the famous upscale shopping area known as "The Rocks". The Rocks were the first European settlement in Australia, and contain some historical architectural gems built by convicts.
Next, we packed up our swimmers and headed off to the beach. We hopped on a bus that whisked us away to the internationally infamous surfing hotspot and cultural melting pot, Bondi Beach. Our day at the beach was filled with basking in the sun, bodysurfing the gargantuan waves, and chatting-up the lifesavers.
When we returned to Sydney, we cleaned up with a power hose and a scrub brush, and headed off to Darling Harbour to enjoy some lobster, tuna steak, and barramundi for dinner at Nick's. On the way back to the hotel, we picked up some delicious gelati at (wouldn't you know it?) Gelatissimo! After another action-packed and culturally enlightening day, we slept soundly in the Hotel Pensione dreaming about the coming adventures that Day Four, in Adelaide, would hold.
-- Claire Bowersox (`07) & Brennan Joyce (`07)
