The day following Christmas is known in Australia as boxing day. This is not about pugilistic boxing. The name comes from the fact that many families in Australia have household servants, and the day after Christmas is when the families give the workers gifts in boxes to take home. Boxing day is also the day the Sydney to Hobart sailboat race starts…. I headed out from Pittwater at dawn and came into Sydney harbor about 10AM. The harbor was crowded with boats with everyone who wanted to watch the start of the race. I just wanted to get to the Jones Bay Marina where we would have our slip for the next ten days. But it was quite impressive sailing past the famous Opera House and then under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, especially as several of the 100 foot long Maxi sailboats passed close by me on their way out to the starting line of the race. I got to see Skalywag and Black Jack up close. Very impressive high tech boats.

The slip I was to pick up was for the boat that does the radio relays for the Sydney to Hobart race. It was just leaving the slip as I was coming in. I got in too late to make it out to the viewing point to watch the start of the S2H race, so I went over to the nearby Star Casino and watched it in the Sports Bar there while I had several beers. I liked Sydney.

The Maritime Museum was close to the boat, so I explored that for several hours. I returned a week later to examine in detail the full scale replica of the Endeavor, Captain Cook’s ship. I went very early in the morning and had the boat to myself. The docents there gave me great explanations of all the interesting aspects of the boat. I also enjoyed a detailed exhibit on the deep diving exploits of James Cameron.

There are literally hundreds of waterfront restaurants in Sydney. I tested quite a few, and they were all good. I enjoyed riding my bike all over town, especially riding around the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. Pretty quickly I learned to get around on the Trains and Light Rail system with my Opal Card which allows you to pay with a quick tap. I found a good tennis pro at the City Tennis Courts, and a good pool hall down town.

Phil and Carole arrived two days before New Years. We soon met Miriam who owns a Persian restaurant near the boat slip. She was a bundle of energy, and we ended up spending New Year’s Eve at her restaurant. At midnight there was the most amazing fireworks show any of us had ever seen. There were five areas setting off fireworks across 180 degrees of horizon behind and off of the Harbor Bridge, and all of the locations had their fireworks synchronized and the same so it was like one massive fireworks show across the horizon. And of course the finale was overwhelming. We had a great New Year’s Eve that we will never forget.