SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Yesterday we took Sydney's light rail to The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney, at the base of the Harbour Bridge. Most of the old buildings have now been converted into touristy shops and cafe's, but it still has a lot of cool colonial architecture and retains a lot of character. On the weekends there's a big street market there, so we wandered around for awhile, had lunch, and then walked halfway across the Sydney Harbour Bridge (on the pedestrian walkway, not the much-touted, extremely expensive bridge climb which goes over the top of the bridge). Still, it's pretty high up there! We then took a one-hour boat cruise around the harbor, which provided some great views of the area, although we really couldn't hear any of the guide's narration because the boat was so loud.

We spent most of today at Taronga Zoo, across the harbor from the city. It's got a decent collection of animals, with a good emphasis on Australian creatures like kangaroos, wombats, and koalas, but what really makes it special is it's location on a hillside, with fantastic views of Sydney across the water. Since I last visited a few years ago, the "zoo with a view" has added a new Asian wildlife exhibit, and they're in the middle of building several other displays, so some of the place had that "under construction" look, which was a little disappointing. Still, it was a good time. My favorites: The meerkats, the bird show, and the nocturnal display with crazy Aussie creatures like bilbys, bandicoots, possums, and gliders.