Day 5 Saturday 28 October 2006

Well, Friday was interesting! Last things first. The play was very funny. There was a minor detail of it being in Czech (I think) but the audience didn't let that detract from the entertainment! I don't think that many would have understood the language! Less funny was seeing cockroaches on the pavement on the way back to the hostel afterwards. I hate cockroaches.

During the day I ended up doing both the Aquarium and the new Wildlife World. The Aquarium was good: I now have lots of pictures of cute fish whose names I don't know. There were some of those big tanks you walk through which I've not experienced before. Some impressive size sharks were in the collections, along with some frogmen cleaning the glass. It's a job I suppose... Is it a good chat-up line though? The Wildlife World is right next to the Aquarium on Darling Harbour. This is a real tourist honey pot. I don't know how many Japanese people are left at home but if anyone were thinking of invading now would be a good time! The Wildlife place is much advertised and already seems to have a notice up saying it's Australia's number one attraction or something. It's very new and I think it suffers from a lack of character and atmosphere - and animals! Now there are animals of course but there never seemed to be very many of any particular sort eg. 3 koalas, a few wallabies, two male (?!) spotted-tail quoll (these are my new favourite animal - look them up) and so on. It's all very clean and the enclosures are glass-fronted. Some aspects are good: they've obviously remembered that children are shorter than adults; there were a few creatures out with keepers that you could touch; and I discovered that the pretty multi-coloured birds from the park are rainbow lorikeets.

After these two cultural delights I was going to do the National Maritime Museum on the other side of Darling Harbour but I saw a group of - yes - Japanese schoolchildren just going in and thought better of it. The Australian International Motor Show is on in this area too. I took a picture of the sign! However, round the corner on outside of the convention centre was an assault course for 4x4 vehicles with I presume paying punters driving really slowly around. It was hilarious. Ramps and bumps and a little swing bridge thing. They were going so slowly they would have been last in a cross country race! I've seen worse roads in Zanzibar and India with the obligatory Toyata or Jeep zipping along. Would have been far more fun if it had been timed :D

Also in this area was the Chinese Garden. I decided to risk $6 and have a peek in. Was very beautiful and calm even though the noise of Sydney traffic hung in the background. It's a friendship garden symbolising the bond between Australia and China. There's a thriving Chinese community and a China Town. Full of typical elements with notices explaining it all. A sub-plot to it after a while was to spot lizards! My first one was lounging on a bridge, apparently without a care. Then more and more popped up, big and little, smooth and more crinkly. I asked if they'd been introduced to the garden but it seems that they'd found their own way and stayed! So I have lots of pictures of lizards to go with the fish photos.

I bought my train tickets in the morning too. Discovered I'd misread one timetable so I'll be in Melbourne a day longer than planned. This was a good mistake. It means I'll be in Adelaide a day less so I just have to unbook my first night's bed. Arriving a day earlier could have been more interesting. So, for the concerned among you, I now have all my transport links booked and paid for and I know where I'm staying until I get to a town called Alice.

I haven't run yet but have walked miles.

Today? I think that'll be the Powerhouse Museum with a special exhibition on the Great Wall of China and the Maritime Museum. And I must find out where the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is on.

G'day cobbers!