What a day of sightseeing with the elders and deacons in the Sydney and outlying areas today!  

This has been a day of relaxation for Bev and me . We traveled to the center of Sydney at Circular Quay, where the British First Fleet landed in 1788 and an anchorage was established. It's interesting to us how the history of Australia is so relatively recent. Things didn't get going there until after the American Revolution. Captain Cook didn't come to Australia until 1770... The history is fascinating to us.

The Harbour indeed is beautiful and spectacular. It is well shielded from the Pacific Ocean as all ships have to pass through the "Heads" a straight that leads to a few miles of protected water before coming to the deep anchorage where the heart of Sydney is found.  

Traffic is fierce in the center, so we traveled into the city by train. Bev, Bruce and I set out at 10 am and caught the train at the neighborhood Gymea where Bruce lives. After two stops Beatrice Stefanovic boarded the train and traveled the rest of the way into Sydney. She is a widow, an elegant and gracious woman with whom we enjoyed spending the day .  

We arrived at Circular Quay and met deacon Jim and Lynn Carnocan from Sydney. They both were at the Bible Study last night. Also deacon Dallas Drury from up towards Newcastle came down. Then elder Matt Seiiff and his wife Leah from the northern part off the metro area. And, elder Doug Gray. He is chairman of the Australian National Council. There were 10 us in all.  

We walked along the quay. In port was the large cruise hip Queen Victoria from the UK. The weather was perfect...a bit warm....in the mid 80's. Yesterday it was 100 degrees in Sydney. the people here are saying that they are welcoming the cooler temperatures as autumn and winter are coming. 

We then had lunch in an open air restaurant on the quay. Very plesant. Then most of us walked the short distance to the famous landmark Opera House which is a spectacular structure. There are several musical halls there....a large one and smaller ones . The opera Madam Butterfly has been playing there for two months now. What looks like boats planted in the harbor are tiled structures that make them look like fish scales. We walked around and viewed the Sydney Harbour Bridge right in front of us.  

Then we got on a ferry vessel to take us all the way to the Heads...where the harbor meets the "Sea" meaning the Pacific Ocean to Manly Wharf. Again, the weather is perfect with welcoming sea breezes making the 45 minute journey pleasant. Lots of photos. I took 320 pictures today along with a few video clips....notably one of aborigines doing some musical thing. One was playing a big pipe called the didgeridoo. That was back at the quay from where we left.

After we arrived at Manley wharf we walked about 1/3 to 1/2 mile to the Pacific beach. There our entire group had some ice cream in one of the many ice cream shops in this touristy area. We unofficially agreed that this was definitely one of the high points of the day It was fun for all of us to walk about as mob and just have a good time sharing in the day's experiences . The Sydnians couldn't have planned a better event for Bev and me that this Harbour day.  

Then we took the 45 minute ferry back to Circular Quay. Here's where we go the best pictures of the harbour as we approached the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  

We then parted all going back to our homes. Bruce, Bev, Beatrice and I took the train south. We said good-bye to Beatrice and went back to Bruce's Gymea.  

We concluded the day by going to a Thai restaurant a mile from Bruce's. Then back to his home where we talked for some time. Bruce showed us maps of all the areas that he serves in the ministry. Our relationship goes back almost 40 years and it was good to see the routes our lives have taken having been educated both at Ambassador College and serving in the ministry in parallel continents. Here we are together. We really appreciate Bruce's hosting us at his home...gave us time to talk and share....