We got up early to explore parts of Sydney. On the way to the train station to purchase an Opal pass for Jan we passed this very interesting building. There are plants growing all over it.  It is called Central Park Sydney.

We each needed to purchase an Opal pass before we were allowed to  ride on trains, buses, or ferries in Sydney.  You scan them when you get on the vehicle and again when you get off.  The ride from the airport was about $17.  In the city, once you have reached $15 worth of rides in one day, the rest are free.

After getting Jan’s pass we started walking to Circle Quay and the Rocks area..  I took photos of a couple of  buildings, a fountain, and views along the way.

We walked through Hyde Park

I looked back at the city view.

We stopped at the Mitchell Library.  They had an exhibit called, “Planting Dreams.”  It is the 200th anniversary of the Botanical Gardens in Sydney.  We saw a video of  many gardens in Australia and many photographs of beautiful gardens.  Stopping there was well worth the time.

I loved the terraces on these old buildings ….

— and the old tiles on this building.

We stopped for lunch at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Appetit0.  Everything was delicious.

We went to the Sydney Opera House to purchase tickets to a performance that will happen on Thursday night.

Then we walked under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and next to the water for a while. I really enjoyed walking through the botanical gardens.  These are some of the photos I took.

This sculpture is made up of 1600 river rocks………..

… and it is very close to this rock sculpture.

This plant is called a Dracaena draco.  It fell over in May of 2008.  They officials decided not to lift the tree to its former upright position because the trunk is damaged near the base and any further movement may cause it to snap off. They fenced off the tree to protect the branches from damage and to reduce the compaction around the roots.

Here is a view of the top of the tree.

This tree has no single main trunk but 10 or  more trunks – each having arisen from an aerial root.  in 1882 they recorded the largest of these old trees on Lord Howe Island and it covered about an area of 1 hectare.  

I love the Moreton Bay trees.

This plant is called a Sapphire.  It is from the Chilean Andes.    

This is a close-up of it.

This is a Wollemi Pine.  It is almost as rare as a dinosaur.  It is one of the world’s rarest plants.  There are only three stands of adult Wollemi pines known in the world .

I liked this view of the city.

We stopped at the Art Gallery of New South Wales where Jan and I went to see Yoshitoshi: One hundred aspects of the moon displayed on wood block prints from long ago.  Each print either has a moon in it or the moon is an aspect of a story connected to moon.  There were explanations of each print.  We read the explanations about the prints we like the best.

We took the ferry back to Pyrmont.  I had taken several photos of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera house, but I like this one the best so far.

We walked back to our apartment in the rain and stopped at a small store for eggs, cheese, crackers, etc for dinner.  A great day overall.