Today's agenda included a trip over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Completed in 1932, its steel trusses connect the downtown Central Business District with the northern part of the city. We wanted to walk over the very bridge we had sailed under just a few nights earlier on the ferry.
Getting to the bridge was simple, but was made even easier with a stop at a local cafe called Badde Manors. It was a quaint, little spot, but the long black (espresso coffee) was piping hot, and the eggs nicely scrambled. With an extra muffin in my pocket, we were ready to head out.
Sydney has a nice mass transit system, consisting of busses, trams and trains. From our lodgings, it was half a block to the nearest bus stop and only a few blocks from the bus line we'd eventually take. If you ever find yourself in Sydney, be sure to purchase bus tickets in advance - many of the stops are pre-pay only and aren't able to take cash or credit on the spot for bus fare. Fortunately, plenty of stores - pharmacies, groceries, etc. - sell bus passes, so it rarely seems like an issue.
We took the #431 downtown, and found ourselves underneath the main span, just a few blocks from the bridge. As we started across, we were greeted with another view of the Sydney Opera House and much of the harbor.
When we reached the North Shore, we saw a few interesting shops and vendors. There was ample time, so we meandered a bit and looked around. Many of the buildings were hotels and office buildings. Judging from the many corporate logos on the buildings, it was pretty clear this was the downtown business area.
As lunchtime drew near, we rustled up some grub before our walk back across the bridge. We chose to spend to spend the rest of the afternoon, hanging out with Ron and Susan, as Ramona, Angie and I would be headed to Cairns the next day.
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