Welcome to Sydney with Imogene Nix

As an Australian, I like to include Aussie Locations in my stories.  So far, I have included Brisbane and Bundaberg, but it's always nice to get an opportunity to share the wonders of my home country with others.  For SCP's Second Anniversary, it was decided that we would hold a virtual cruise.

What a great idea!  So I get to share the wonders of one of Australia's most well known destinations.

Sydney, Australia

 

Back in 2002 my husband and I took our two daughters to see Sydney and Canberra.  It was an amazing tour and one we haven’t ever been able to emulate since.

  My two very little girls (circa 2002) on the steps of the Opera House

For us, to get to Sydney was a three day drive.  Nowadays, we live a little closer.  If we got in the car we could be there in about 13.5 hours.  (It’s roughly 720 miles from where I live.) Sydney has lots to do, being a truly international destination with a melting pot of cultures now calling it home.

Flying into Sydney

Fast facts:

*Sydney is the most populace city in Australia.  As of 2009 there was in the region of 4.5 million inhabitants (Sydney Statistical District encompasses Blacktown, Sydney West, Parramatta, Sydney Central, Hills Shire, Liverpool, Hunter’s Hill, Burwood, Inner West and Lower Northern Sydney)

 Sydney and Centrepoint Tower from the air

* Sydney's urban region is broken up into thirty eight municipalities/city management areas.

*The Bridge opened in 1932 and is still the largest steel arch bridge in the world measuring 1,149 metres in length and 134 metres from sea level to the top of the arch.

 Sydney Opera House Framed by the Famous Bridge

*Sydney was first “discovered” by Captain James Cook on the HMS Endeavour in 1770 and was colonized by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788.

 The Harbour Bridge

*Sydney Harbour is the home of the Sydney Opera House (which looks like mating turtles) and was designed by Jorn Utzon after he submitted his design to an international competition in 1957.  It was finally opened in 1973.

 

Sydney Opera House

 

*Sydney is the home of Kirribilli House, which was used as the address of choice during the Prime Ministership of Mr John Howard from 1998-2007.

*Sydney Harbour was one of the major locations for the world famous movie, Finding Nemo. (42 Wallaby Way Sydney is a catchphrase still associated with Nemo)

 Finding Nemo

Attractions:

Among the major attractions are:

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Opera House

Kirribilli House

The Sydney Aquarium

Sydney Harbor

The Centrepoint Tower

Elizabeth Bay House & Elizabeth Farm

The Rocks

Bondi Beach

Taronga Zoo

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which begins in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day each year.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

How to see Sydney:

Depending on how long you plan to stay, there are several ways to get around and visit sites in Sydney. I would not recommend hiring a car, as parking can be an issue.  There is quite a well developed transportation system, including buses and trains to travel to and fro within the city.

We chose not to stay in the heart so needed to trek in daily, which really wasn’t an issue with 2 young children. 

It is worthwhile investing in a iVenture Card.  Details can be found here.

 The Harbour

Weather:

Sydney weather is formed from a temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters. The city enjoys more than 340 days of sun each year. Average minimum temperatures in the winter months of June through to August are at their lowest. The summer season is from December through to February when the highest temperatures are recorded. During the summer months the beaches are packed with locals and visitors trying to escape the heat and lack of humidity.

As you can see from the table below, rainfall is reasonably well spread across the year. The start of the year sees the easterly winds dominate and rainfall is slightly higher at this time. Sydney never has to deal with cyclones.

 Bondi Beach March 2011

Sydney Temperatures

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max°C	25.8	25.7	24.7	22.4	19.3	16.9	16.2	17.7	19.9	22.0	23.6	25.1
Min°C	18.6	18.7	17.5	14.7	11.5	9.2	8.0	8.9	11.0	13.5	15.5	17.5

Sydney Monthly Rainfall

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain mm	103	117	131	127	123	128	98	82	69	77	83	78

(Weather information courtesy of Sydney Visitors Bureau.) 

Places to visit and stay Near Sydney:

*Bathurst – The home of the V8 Supercar Racing which takes place every year in October.

*Canberra – The home of the Australian Federal Parliament

*Hunter Valley – One of Australia’s Premier wine growing areas

 Replica Ship in Harbour

Insider View:

It’s cheaper to stay outside Sydney City CBD and travel in daily with the iVenture Pass – make sure you get one with the optional transportation card.

Make sure you get on down to the wharf area and check out the Sydney Aquarium.

A must do is the ferries which traverse Sydney Harbour every day, get on one that takes you around the Harbour and past Kirribilli House.

For more details on things to see and do in Sydney, check out:

 At Taronga Zoo

http://www.sydney.com.au/activities.htm

http://www.sydneyguide.net.au/sydney_attractions.html

http://www.sydneyshowcase.com.au/visitor-information/things-to-do-in-sydney/

Competition Time:

Simply email reviewcoordinator@secretcravingspublishing.com with the name of the city I have focused on.  How simple is that?

To be eligible for the grand prizes - bloggers have to answer/match a minimum of 25 of the 30 authors to their location.  All valid entries must be received between January 4th and Janurary 6th to be eligible for the prize pool

Prize Pool:

Grand Prize- iPad2

First place- Kindle Fire

Second Place- $50 SCP gc

Third place- $25 SCP gc

 

To see the other stops on the virtual cruise visit: www.secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com OR click on the very top image.

And as a thank you, for reading my blog... here's a sneak peek at my next release Starburst, available form 6th February 2013 from Secret Cravings Publishing.

****

Fleet Captain Elphin. His uncle. For many years, his mother had spoken of her younger brother, Gustav, a man set on achieving a larger and more powerful ship since he had attained his rank of captain. Not that he had expected fleet captain. His mother would have been so proud of her brother, but she hadn't lived long enough to experience a reunion with him. He turned his mind from the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him, bringing himself back to the now.

The door slid open quietly, and the voice of his gruff uncle, prematurely aged from his command and the concern over his sister, came from within. "Chowd, could you come through, please?"

Chowd’s uniform rubbed his skin, and the scent of new material wafted into the air, assaulting his senses, something he now understood came from his Ru’Edan heritage. He stepped into the office, the atmosphere surrounding the two openly hostile men leaving him bristling. He worked to release the bunched muscles. A cold pool settled in his belly.

"Chowd, meet Duvall and Grayson. Both are commanders that I respect and personally would call friends. They have been apprised of the need for you to be stationed aboard the Star of Ishtar with me. Grayson here will be in charge of your training and your day-to-day integration into the crew. I have discussed your background and the training you have told me you received, with an emphasis on engineering and security." His forehead creased as he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers.

"Commanders," he greeted. He refused to hold out his hand, though, until either of them made a move. If they wanted to play power-control games, then let them, he thought sourly.

"How do we know you aren't a plant from Crick Sur Banden, given you are his son, according to the captain."

Irritation and anger washed over him. "If I was a plant, do you honestly think that I would be prepared to undertake the gene therapy my uncle has asked me to take? You sure wouldn't know anyway.” He stopped, taking a deep, cleansing breath before continuing. “I'm here because my mother died giving me the opportunity to get away." The burn in his belly grew. How in Eshra do they expect me to prove my allegiance to the empire when no one will let me show what I can do and what I know? When no one allows me to show my allegiance?

He took a step forward as the dark-haired man, Duvall, raised his chin. The silent question flowed between them. Would he try to take Duvall McCord on? He sure wanted to, but his uncle had warned him of the need to accept the pre-determined and imagined offences against him based on his mixed parentage and people’s prejudices. So he let the anger subside to a place at the back of his mind where he could control it.

****

To see all my Secret Cravings Titles, visit their website today.