LAST WEEKEND IN AUSTRALIA

On Friday afternoon, May 7, 2010, after packing all my belongings in two large suitcases, Scott, Juliet and I headed to Sydney via the train for my last weekend in Australia. We checked into our hotel, North Sydney Harborview Hotel, around 6 pm and then walked a few blocks until we found a nice outdoor restaurant called Billi's Cafe. The food was excellent and the dessert, Mudcake, was yummy!

Saturday morning we headed to Circular Quay via the train to catch the cruise boat to Taronga Zoo. Taronga Zoo, located on the shores of Sydney Harbour, officially opened on October 7, 1916. It is home to over 2,600 animals, making it one of the largest of its kind. Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning "beautiful view." In the mid-1980s, a gondola lift was installed that runs from the bottom of the park close to the ferry wharf, and transports passengers to the top entrance of the zoo.



My favorite animals were the Kaolas and the Giraffes. I could have watched them for hours.

The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 6 to 10 ft and weighing around 150 lbs.

The views of Sydney from the zoo were spectacular. Notice the Harbour Bridge in the background of this picture.

The Cassowary is a very large flightless bird native to northeastern Australia. It is the third tallest and second heaviest living bird, smaller only than the Ostrich and the Emu. Cassowaries are very shy, but when disturbed, they are capable of inflicting serious injuries to dogs and children.

The short beaked Echidna is covered with fur and spines and has a destinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its prey at a great speed.

The Saltwater Crocodile.

Below is the Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard. Their tongues range from bright to dark blue, and they display it prominently and hiss loudly when disturbed.

After leaving the zoo via cruise boat, we got off at Darling Harbour and walked from there to the Tony Roma's restaurant where we feasted on their delicious baby-back ribs. We took the train back to our hotel - another perfect day in Sydney! Sunday morning, Mother's Day, we had a buffet breakfast at the hotel and then left, again via train, for the International Airport where I boarded my plane to go home. I can't thank Scott and Juliet and Juliet's family enough for making my trip to Australia so memorable. It was the most fantastic trip I've ever taken and I will always treasure the experiences I've had exploring Australia.