A Room With a View, and What a View!

Day 37, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Our serendipity of docking at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay in Sydney was everything I could have imagined. We pulled in at noon and I lucked out, as my stateroom faced the famous Sydney Opera House. The views kept getting better and better, as afternoon turned into evening and the shadow of our ship’s stacks fell on the Opera House.

As evening turned into night, the moon rose to highlight the scene.

I took advantage of being right at Circular Quay, the base harbor for the Sydney ferries, and early in the afternoon jumped on the ferry heading to Manly Beach. It docks on the Sydney harbor side of the town, but it is connected to the ocean beach by a short five-block promenade. We are still in spring here, and the temperatures in the low 70s were comfortable but not beach weather for me. A stiff breeze kept the flags snapping and the kiteboard surfers bouncing across the waves.

About a quarter of the storefronts along the promenade were vacant, so it had the feel of a beach community that wasn’t quite awake for the season. I had no trouble finding a café with sidewalk seating and dug into another great fish and chips meal – again with mild barramundi. Another walk along the beach, and I headed back to the city, enjoying the harbor sites during the long ferry ride.

After an hour spent taking photographs and sketching the ship (watch for future post), I headed out to join a friend at one of the quay-side tables by the Opera House. We enjoyed oysters, French baguettes with butter and a Cosmo for me as night fell. We ended the night with a walk through the twisty streets and narrow passageways of the Rocks, the old section of the city right by the cruise terminal.

Day 2 in Sydney

When I awoke Tuesday morning, my view had changed. I now looked out on the White Bay Cruise Terminal – still within sight of the Sydney Harbor Bridge but a long drive away. I wrote about the pier change in my last blog. About 500 passengers were disembarking this morning, with another 700 due to arrive for the next 15-day segment. Everyone had to leave the ship so it could “zero-out” in accordance with immigration regulations.

I jumped on the $10 shuttle to the Darling Harbor area – the same place free shuttles had delivered us on past cruises. The Queen Victoria Building was just a few blocks away, so after window-shopping I enjoyed my traditional cup of flat white there while watching people wander through the ornate mall.

I’ve seen much of Darling Harbor in the past, including the Maritime Museum and the promenades along the water. This time I headed south along Cockle Bay Wharf to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. It was a gift from Sydney’s sister city of Guangzhou, and is an island of tranquility in the busy city. The winding paths, steps and small bridges over ponds full of koi are surrounded by waterfalls, weeping willows and lily pads. I took some time to sit and sketch – something I haven’t had a lot of time to do yet on this cruise.

Back on the ship, you could tell the newcomers by their lost expressions – and lack of masks. While masks haven’t been required for passengers, many from our previous cruise still wear them, especially in the elevators and crowded areas. The staff quietly went back to wearing masks full time after covid numbers increased to more than 50 a day a week ago. It will be interesting to see if another wave occurs.

We missed a daylight sail away from the beautiful Sydney Harbor. Apparently, some passengers were allowed on board who did not have the requisite New Zealand visa. Back in Seattle in early October, we could not board without showing proof of ours. But the Australia Border Force would not release the ship until the issue was resolved.

We not only missed our 6:30 pm planned sail away, but our departure was delayed further while we waited for a favorable tidal window and then the availability of a harbor pilot. The Westerdam must sail under the bridge at low tide, when its stacks will have the minimum two-meter (6.5 foot) clearance. We left at 4:30 am, leaving us needing to increase our speed through the Tasman Sea in order to salvage at least part of our planned scenic cruising in Milford Sound on the south island of New Zealand.