Fourth day in a land down under

 

Sunset on our fourth evening in Sydney

Three days into our holiday in Australia's largest city, and we had yet to visit the harbor and see the iconic bridge and opera house. Day four would be no different. The weather forecast strongly hinted at the possibility of heavy rain, so we decided to play it safe this day by engaging in activities that would either take place indoors, or be not far from shelter should the skies open up. 

First up was Hyde Park, passing by the statue of Captain James Cook:

The Anzac Memorial, clearly visible from our hotel room, was our first stop. The art deco structure commemorates the soldiers of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) who served in the First World War. In particular, it honors the 120,000 from New South Wales who fought for the British Empire, but in the process developed the stirrings of a distinct Australian identity:

Sacrifice, Rayner Hoff:

From the memorial it was a short stroll to the Australian Museum, the origins of which date back to 1827. Frankly speaking, I was somewhat disappointed with the exhibits, though the fault for that lies more with me than with the curators. Based on the institution's name, I was expecting to be educated on the history of the country, its cultures and its peoples. Instead, I was introduced to a dinosaur gallery, a lot of stuffed animals and a section on Oceania. There was nothing wrong with any of the exhibits, but I was left feeling a tad underwhelmed. Admission was free, so I got what I paid for (there was also a special exhibition on Egyptian mummies, but having been to Egypt, we three agreed it wasn't worth paying for) . At least, we were treated to what a dinosaur autopsy might look like, in case you were wondering:

Some of the extinct megafauna were fascinating, like this Diprotodon, which was basically a giant wombat:

A thylacine, aka a Tasmanian tiger:

To the museum's credit, punches were not pulled:

The view from the upper floor balcony was nice. The church in the bottom right would be our next stop:

Sydney has traditionally been a Catholic city, and this is reflected in the Gothic Revival-style St. Mary's Cathedral. Construction on the church started in 1868, with consecration following in 1905, though the cathedral wouldn't be finished until 1928. Even then, the spires (75 meters/246 feet high) were a late addition, dating from 2000:

I found this crucifixion scene to be unintentionally funny. You have to admit it depicts Jesus not dying for our sins, but rather gesturing as if to say "Why are you asking me? I don't know!":

 

St. Mary's is 106 meters/348 feet in length, as can be seen from the Archibald Memorial Mountain in Hyde Park:

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou 周杰倫 is coming to town:

A tribute to a trio of Australian legends:

A quick peek at the entrance to the State Theatre:

The exterior of the High Victorian neo-Gothic Queen Victoria Building shopping center, which takes up an entire city block:

Two days prior Shu-E had left her backpack (containing her passports) on a bus, which threatened to derail our holiday before it had gotten off the ground. This day was my turn...almost. In a shop selling sporting merchandise, I went to pay for a replica vintage Australian national soccer team jersey only to discover my credit card wasn't in my wallet. Leaving my wife to pay for the shirt, I hurriedly returned to the hotel room (a 15-minute walk away; I can't run these days) to find it waiting for me on the bathroom sink counter (I had used it to make an online booking while getting ready to go out).

Crisis averted, the girls (who had followed me back to the hotel) and I ventured back outside, taking the bus to the Sydney Fish Market, in the Darling Harbour/Pyrmont area. Located on Blackwattle Bay, the market moves around 15 million kilograms/33 million pounds of seafood annually, including this Aussie fave:

Naturally, we had sushi for lunch:

Sampling some of that aforementioned barramundi:

Shu-E couldn't pass up an opportunity to indulge in some crab:

Not the bridge you (or we) were looking for:

The local pelicans seemed quite used to the crowds:

The new on top of the old - I would see several such examples during our time in Sydney:

From the fish market we hopped on the light rail, soon ending up in the city's Chinatown:

Dragon's Beard candy, a Taiwanese treat:

There goes another children's favorite:

A stand selling Taiwanese-style snacks, though Shu-E questioned its authenticity:

Across from Chinatown is Paddy's Markets Haymarket, an "eclectic array of goods such as souvenirs, clothes & produce"...including items for the upcoming Lunar New Year:

Despite all the food on offer in Chinatown, we weren't hungry having earlier gorged ourselves at the fish market. It wasn't until after we returned to The Sydney Boulevard Hotel that evening that we would think about dinner. Feeling tired from a long day outside, we ordered in from Harry's Cafe de Wheels. As my Tasmanian friend Josh noted, "...a meat pie, sausage roll, custard tart and a Cooper's Pale! You've done all right!". I have indeed:

And we certainly couldn't complain about the view we had from our 21st-floor room while enjoying the Aussie feast!:

Other than a few sprinkles, the expected downpour never took place. With our time in Sydney running out, we were betting that the next day would be perfect to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Did the gamble pay off? Stay tuned...

Modeling my purchase. This replica of the Socceroos' 1990-93 jersey might bring up less than happy memories from my Aussie friends and acquaintances - the team missed out on qualifying for the 1994 World Cup after narrowly losing to Australia 2-1 on aggregate:  

Tonight's song about Sydney comes courtesy of a group of Kiwis! All rise for the national anthem of New Zealand: