MONDAY, 23 MAY 2011 THE LAST DAY-A DAY OF WALKING AND REMINISCING

I got up and blogged this morning, we checked out (but left our luggage in storage), then took the ferry to Darling Harbour where we walked around and had some gelato.

Anzac Bridge

After taking the ferry back to Circle Quay, we got on a train (just getting our money’s worth out of the pass) and rode to King’s Cross. This is the nasty little area where the Pan Am flight attendants stayed back in the 80's, so Jim wanted to walk around and reminisce. It isn’t a bad place during the day, but Jim said it gets a little creepy at night.

It didn't feel like fall, but the leaves told a different story

I wanted to go back to the botanic garden and see the cockatoos, because I took a pocketful of peanuts from the breakfast buffet this morning to feed them. After walking through the Wooloomooloo neighberhood, we got to the park and tried to find the cockatoo’s “water fountain”.

Wooloomooloo was a haven for backpackers

 
I saw a few on an open grassy area and sat down near one and offered him a peanut. He came right up to me and within minutes I had a flock of them looking for a peanut (just like seagulls and pigeons). They may be wild, but they obviously have little fear of humans offering to feed them, because they climbed on my shoulders, arms, and legs. They would even give a gentle nip to let me know they were there if I didn’t give them a peanut, and stuck their heads in my pocket to get some out. It was awesome!

Once the peanuts were gone, they left and we walked back to the Marriott, and schlepped our luggage about 5 blocks away to another hotel. I originally had reservations at the Holiday in by the airport, but booked another one on priceline.com for the same price, which enabled us to stay in the city.

Mr. Funny Photographer in The Menzies Hotel elevator

After checking in at The Menzies, we walked to Hyde Park and saw the St. Mary’s Cathedral.

War Memorial fountain

Jim was hoping to get some evening pictures of the bridge and Opera House (yes, more pictures of the same things!), so we got on the Darling Harbour Ferry and rode it to the Luna Park stop, just the other side of the bridge. He said it was later than he had wanted, but he still got some great pictures.