Day 6 Sunday 29 October 2006

Had a conversation over breakfast about whether the clocks are changing here. There was a suggestion that they're going forward an hour, which, as they've gone back an hour where (most of) you are, then that means we'll go from 9 hours ahead to 11. I think. I'll have to check as I don't want to miss that bridge thing tomorrow morning...... hmmmmm.

Yesterday was good for going with the flow. The great thing about being on holiday, unlike work, is that you can always change the plan, if indeed there is one. I was going to do the National Maritime Museum and the Powerhouse Museum. On the walk over I spotted the Queen Victoria Building and went in. This is a superbly restored place, a huge shopping arcade, fantastic tiled floors, beautiful stained glass windows, wooden balustrades. Glorious. I'd read about it and was glad to have wandered through.



I also went through a much smaller but similar type thing, the Strand Arcade (I think - again!) nearby. I suppose if it's protection from the weather the architects were looking to it wasn't rain. I managed to regain my path without resorting to a map (don't fall over you at the back) and found myself at Darling Harbour. Remember I mentioned the thriving Chinese community? Well, there was a festival of something (I should write these down shouldn't I?) which involved drums, cymbals and dancing Chinese dragons. More precisely, a very acrobatic two person Chinese dragon dancing around on poles about six feet off the ground. Was very clever and impressive. The picture shows the dragon on two wires between some poles.


The festival also included dragon boat racing, which seems to be quite popular judging by the number of races there were. I don't know why some boats had drummers and some didn't. Unlike the eights at home, it didn't seem to matter how big the person was steering the boat either! There was a ceremonial thing and scattering of flowers on the water in memory of someone, where four dragon boats all lined up together. One team stood up to paddle which you didn't really think about until a different crew tried and nearly fell in. I think it's a tad difficult to balance!

Then, finally, I made it to the National Maritime Museum. Which was interesting and new and sparkly like so much of this area of town. There was a restored barque, a three-masted one (they should only have two apparently), where a lovely volunteer chappy gave me a guided tour. Not sure whether the steerage accommodation was better than the hostel!!! Only kidding if you're reading this, Mr Dan the manager.

Toddled off back home after some fortification with coffee and cake. The price of booze here is a bit high. None of those local offies like the one round the corner from my house. It's almost like pub prices in the shops. So I opted for a couple of bottles of wine instead. NO: I only drank one. Spent the evening chatting to people, including the first person to make a direct reference to my age. A German - not quite as numerous as the Japanese - who said something like how great it was that I was doing this at 40 or so when everyone else was in their twenties. I replied by pointing out the heap of young bodies slumped in front of the tv on a Saturday night who should have been out raving it up somewhere!

So, today's plan? Might try for the Powerhouse Museum (including exhibition about Great Wall of China) again and also Museum of Australia (dinosaurs). Then I have a plan to ignore :D

G'day!