This book has been described as 'the greatest scientific travel adventure ever written.' HMS Beagle explored primarily the coasts of South America, the Galapagos Islands and other islands in the Pacific Ocean. In January to March 1836 the ship also visited Australia: Sydney, New South Wales; Hobart, Tasmania (then named Van Diemen's Land) and King George Sound at Albany, Western Australia. Darwin had keen powers of observation, which were interesting to compare with modern Australia. In his book Following the Equator, Mark Twain recounts a lecture tour in which he circumnavigated the globe via steamship, with stops at the Hawaiian Islands, the Fiji Islands, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa etc. In September to December 1895 he visited New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and wrote his impressions of late colonial Australia which also enhanced our appreciation of modern Australia.
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Reminiscences of Australia: III. New South Wales.
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New South Wales: 6 days, 20 - 25 December 1996.
General information.
Arrival: Chicago / Los Angeles / Sydney.
Sydney.
Arrival.
Potts Point.
City Explorer Bus tour.
The Rocks.
Manly.
Sydney Ferry harbour cruise.
Oceanworld.
The Corso.
Manly Beach.
Western Suburbs.
West Pennant Hills: Koala Park Sanctuary.
Parramatta: Parramatta River.
Hume Highway, Federal Highway: Sydney to Canberra.
Southern Highlands: Mittagong, Bowral, Berrima.
Goulburn: Big Merino Tourist Complex.
Lake George.
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New South Wales:
Area: 802,000 square kilometres (309,400 square miles)
State population: 6,000,000
State capital: Sydney, city population 3,700,000
New South Wales was the site of the first British colony in Australia in 1788. The state has a rich and multi-faceted history: the brutal early penal colony which eventually became the city of Sydney, the subsequent era of exploration and free settlement, the colourful gold rush era, the westward expansion etc. The state has beautiful coastal and mountain scenery, and the dry western plains gradually merge into the legendary Outback.
New South Wales (NSW) is in southeast Australia. It shares borders with Victoria to the south, South Australia to the west and Queensland to the north; the Pacific Ocean is to the east. New South Wales has 4 distinct geographic regions: the eastern coastal strip, the mountainous Great Dividing Range about 100 kilometres (61 miles) inland, the fertile western slopes, and the dry western plains. The highest mountain in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko at 2228 metres (7310 feet) in the Snowy Mountains in the southeast of the state. The major rivers are the Darling River, which meanders westward across the plains, and the Murray River, which forms the border with Victoria. New South Wales has 70 national parks which cover nearly 40,000 square kilometres (15,400 square miles).
Sydney, New South Wales: Population: city 3,700,000. State capital, founded 1788, and now the oldest and largest city in Australia. Latitude 34°S, longitude 151°E (analogous to Atlanta, Georgia or Los Angeles, California at 34°N). Late December sunrise 5:41 AM, sunset 8:06 PM; average December temperatures 17 - 26°C (63 - 79°F).
Sydney, New South Wales is the largest city and chief port in Australia, a bustling centre for industry, business and manufacturing, and one of the most vibrant and spectacular cities on Earth. It is on the shores of the stunning Port Jackson and surrounded by bushland and masses of suburban houses. To the west are the lovely Blue Mountains and to the east are fabulous harbour coves and ocean beaches on the Pacific Ocean. Industries include ships, refined oil, chemicals, textiles, and automobiles.
Before European colonisation, the Sydney area was the ancestral home of the Iora tribe of Aborigines, whose territory extended from Botany Bay to Pittwater. The Sydney area has about 2000 Aboriginal rock engraving sites, and many suburbs have Aboriginal names. Sydney began as a penal colony when the First Fleet under Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Sydney Cove in Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. For 60 years it received all manner of British criminals, and later free settlers also began to arrive. Sydney was named after Thomas Townshend, Viscount Sydney, who was then British home and colonial secretary.
Many foreigners erroneously think that Sydney is the national capital of Australia, but that honour actually goes to Canberra. Sydney has risen from its harsh beginnings to become a thriving multicultural metropolis with a cosmopolitan outlook and a magnificent harbour. Sydney has received most of Australia's immigrants, and its predominantly Anglo-Irish heritage has been enlivened by large influxes of Italian, Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Chinese and Vietnamese. In January 1994 portions of the suburbs were devastated by bushfires. As the 21st Century approaches, Sydney prepares to host the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
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B. Arrival: Chicago / Los Angeles / Sydney.
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Prepare for a long flight. Australia is a bloody long way from anywhere except Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. From the United States, we flew United Airlines nonstop from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California: 4.5 hours, 1745 miles (2809 kilometres). During a brief layover we changed planes, and then we flew nonstop to Sydney, New South Wales: 14.5 hours, 7487 miles (12,054 kilometres), which may be the longest regularly scheduled nonstop flight on Earth. This was almost 20 hours and 9232 miles (14,863 kilometres) of air travel alone. One big advantage of United Airlines is that the connection in Los Angeles was in the same terminal. A connection from American Airlines to Qantas, for example, requires a transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. We had also upgraded our Economy tickets to Business Class with frequent flyer points from my many business travels to Germany and France. Economy seats are tolerable for up to 4 hours, but for flights much longer than that we wanted the greater comfort of Business Class.
The long flight plus the 17-hour time difference between North American Central Standard Time and Australian Eastern Daylight Time meant we left Chicago at 6:30 PM Friday 20 December and arrived in Sydney 20 hours later at 7:30 AM Sunday 22 December. Saturday disappeared as we crossed the International Date Line. We also crossed the Equator on the northern winter and southern summer solstice, so the shortest day of the year became the longest day of the year. We should win many bets on this for years to come.
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Arrival.
Potts Point.
City Explorer Bus tour.
The Rocks.
As our flight approached Australia, we awoke to a beautiful dawn high above the South Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival in Sydney we quickly cleared immigration and customs. Then we rented a car and drove to our bed & breakfast in Potts Point, the Victoria Court on Victoria Street. Two elegant terrace houses built in 1881 were restored and modernised as the Victoria Court. Marilyn & Denis McGufficke were wonderful hosts and upgraded our room to the honeymoon suite. They kindly let us check in early to freshen up after our long journey to Australia. We enjoyed the quiet leafy street outside our room and the elegant inner courtyard in which breakfast was served. Potts Point is noted for its Victorian homes built in the 1880s and renovated in the 1970s into homes, cafés, bistros etc. After we settled into our room, we phoned home to let our families know we hadn't fallen off the edge of the Earth.
The City Explorer Bus gives visitors an excellent general overview of Sydney for AU$20.00 per person. It makes a 2-hour circuit of major attractions, with 20 stops where passengers may depart and reboard as often as desired all day. This gave a good overview of the city so we could decide what to explore in more detail later.
In the afternoon we spent a few hours at The Rocks, site of the first permanent British colony in Australia in 1788. The area has been renovated as a slightly kitschy tourist centre filled with historic buildings, shops and restaurants, but it's great fun and very scenic. Campbells' Storehouse of 1830 was the first commercial building in Sydney. These colonial warehouses are now a row of interesting but expensive waterfront restaurants. However, the views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Cove etc. are fabulous and absolutely free. Nearby Macquarie Point also has excellent views of Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and this is the view that usually appears on most tourist promotions.
British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) visited New South Wales in January 1836 and wrote: 'At last we anchored within Sydney Cove. We found the little basin occupied by many large ships, and surrounded by warehouses. In the evening I walked through the town, and returned full of admiration at the whole scene.' Mark Twain (1835-1910) visited New South Wales in September 1895 and wrote about Sydney Harbour: 'It would be beautiful without Sydney, but not above half as beautiful as it is now, with Sydney added.'
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Sydney Ferry harbour cruise.
Oceanworld.
The Corso.
Manly Beach.
Most tourists flock to overcrowded Bondi Beach on the South Shore, but we think Manly on the North Shore is the real gem. We began Monday with a Sydney Ferry cruise from Circular Quay in Sydney to Manly Cove. This 1/2-hour ferry ride is the perfect way to see Sydney and Port Jackson, from Sydney Harbour to North and South Head at the Pacific Ocean, for only AU$3.60 each way per person.
We spent most of Monday in Manly and we began with Oceanworld near Manly Wharf. Oceanworld is an excellent aquarium of Australian sealife. Admission is AU$12.50 per person. It has a giant 110-metre (365-foot) plexiglass tunnel under one large tank with wonderful views of the fish, and we almost felt as if we were walking under the ocean. This aquarium has the largest collection of marine life in the country and Sydney's largest sharks. The small Port Jackson sharks were actually rather cute. The staff are very friendly, and one member gave us virtually a personal tour. We also enjoyed the seal show and the sea turtles. |
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