Another(!) crack of dawn morning today. Up about 4:45am, on deck not too long after as we’re heading into the Harbour of Sydney and I definitely wanted a view of that. We were just a bit too early for good light – the city still had its lights on as we approached, then it only lightened to a cool, grey day. 100’s of people were on deck, jostling for selfie space, which turned out to be a great opportunity to find friends to say our goodbyes.

All those not traveling on to Auckland had to disembark by 8:30am. There was a long line that inched through Customs & Immigration, then I wheeled my luggage around the rectangular Circular Quay basin to my nearby hotel. It was still too early to gain access to my room so the helpful concierge circled 101 things to see & do on a city map and I set off to explore.

Right out the door is the magnificent Royal Botanical Garden to which I was immediately drawn. Grass, trees, flowers? Yes please. I walked around the bay to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a great scenic vantage point jutting out into the harbor, then meandered back through many of the different garden themes when my ankle started to remind me of my recent injury! A good 30 minute rest on a park bench allowed me to carry on.

I intended to find a market where I could gather my usual hotel picnic supplies but the Central Business District is rather a ghost town on Sundays and I ended up walking blocks and blocks just to find a simple burger kiosk open for lunch.

I crawled back to the hotel and got the key to my room, wowza! I better check my hotel bill to see how many 1’s are at the beginning of my room rate! I don’t think I’ll ever leave!

But I did. I had passed on the chance to buy a $12 fleece on the ship and not only was it very chilly this morning, tomorrow will be cooler and Taipei only 65° so I headed back out to find a warm layer to wear.

Not only did I find a cheap sweatshirt, I found all the people! They’re doing their Black Friday shopping on Pitt Street. And I found the food marts! Who’d guess they be down by the clothing shops? A few blocks of craziness was enough so I cut back over to Macquarie Street, the long street with Hyde Park, the Botanical Gardens, and historic buildings, to stroll back to my hotel.

A big walking day: 9.5 miles, according to my watch. I wonder what condition I’ll be in tomorrow….