Sydney: The Rocks and Luna Park

After staying awake for almost 48-hours, everyone crashed when our heads hit the pillow. 

Except for me.

I had a jarring headache from being overtired, and my eyes burned from having kept them open so long. Once I finally had the chance to lay in quiet darkness, my head throbbed and I wanted to claw my eyes out. 

But, melatonin for the win and I never woke up until 8:00 the next morning.

Two kids were in one hotel with Grady, and two kids were in one hotel with me. After breakfast and Grady heading off to work, the kids and I decided to explore a small pocket of Sydney.

The Sydney Harbor is unique - some places with jagged cliffs, others quiet with sandy beaches, and others boasting a beautiful and modern skyline.

Not knowing exactly where we were going, and not knowing what our energy levels would be for our first day exploring, we opted to start with a small museum detailing the British discovery of Australia and its initial use for prisoners. 

History, Geography, Social Studies: Check. 

After completing a string of clues to solve a riddle at the museum, which Micah was insistent on doing, we walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This iconic bridge is the tallest steel arch bridge and contains only straight pieces of steel... even though the bridge is a massive arch.

And side note: Micah is frustrated he can't replicate the bridge in Minecraft. Apparently architecture really does have a mathematical component to it.

Once across the Bridge, we explored Luna Park, mostly just for a chance to sit down, get a cold drink, and enjoy ice cream by the water.

When we visited, Australia was in the final days of summer and beginning days of autumn. We felt a steady breeze, but with temps in the mid-80's it was plenty warm.

From Luna Park we hopped on a ferry, cruised across the harbor, and had a short three block walk back to our hotel.

After seven hours of sightseeing, I mandated "quiet time" in the hotel: kids wrote in journals, played video games, and I closed my eyes. At 5:30 Grady walked in the door, dropped his computer bag, and we were off to find dinner.

And, even though it was only 8:00, we were done for the day. The 15-hour time difference took some getting used to!

Everyone gave a one-word description about Sydney after the first day: fantastic, fun, easy-to-get-around, beautiful, exciting, and friendly. And we smiled knowing we had almost two more weeks in the city to enjoy and explore!

Next up: Darling Harbor...