P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney

After many years of traveling with Jess, I, Josh have finally volunteered to write a guest post on the travel blog.

We began the day with the now familiar rain-soaked walk towards Darling Harbor, but this time we finally stopped at the harbor's many attractions, the Sydney Aquarium. As soon as we entered, employees took our photos in front of a green screen, coaxing us into various poses and suggesting facial expressions. We later found out, as we exited the aquarium, that we were posing with giant prehistoric fish or cuddly penguins. It seems we  had more adventures than we realized!

The aquarium itself contained a number of exhibits, each with not only the appropriate climate but also tank accessories to create a realistic habitat. For example, the Sydney Harbor tank contained empty beer bottles, car tires, and other trash in a sad replica of the sea floor. After several smaller tanks, we reached one of the main events: a giant tank containing dugongs, manta rays, and an array of smaller, colorful fish. 

Of all of these, though, the dugongs stole the show. Dugongs closely resemble manatees, their sea-dwelling cousins, but their closest land relative is the elephant. These gentle creatures consume about 200 kilograms of lettuce daily, which their keepers attach to trays placed at the bottom of the tank, closely emulating sea grass, their only source of food. The other creatures in the tank also provided amusement and wonder, from the gliding wings of the manta rays to the lazy sharks perched above the walking tube glass.

The crowd favorite exhibit was next, the Penguin Expedition. 

The first part of the area contained a boat ride, carrying the passengers past penguin enclosures. The penguins themselves marched past the visitors in formation, dove into the water, and darted around for food. We marveled at their prowess in the water as they easily ducked and dodged, grabbing at small bits of food. As an individual who just started swimming again, I envied their deft movements.


Finally, we arrived at the shark tank for a glass-bottom boat tour to feed fish and sharks. Our guide, Eduardo, introduced us his work buddies, including Bruiser, a gray nurse shark. After some fun facts about the creatures swimming below us, we pulled bowls of food from beneath our seats and tossed them overboard. With a flash, the fish found the food in a frenzy and consumed all they could find. The sharks had a more difficult time, bumbling around with their poor eyesight. After about seven false passes, Bruiser and his buddies eventually found the squids, and with a quick snap, lunch was served.

Leaving the aquarium, we left for our own lunch spot, Mr. Wong's, which is a Chinese restaurant known for its Peking duck. Despite the incredibly large number of Asian residents in Sydney, they were notably underrepresented among Mr. Wong's patrons. Still, the Peking duck was delicious, slathered in plum sauce and wrapped in pancakes with scallions and cucumber.

Re-energized, we ducked into the Museum of Contemporary Art. 

The museum itself was free, but the temporary exhibit, by Tatsuo Miyajima, required tickets. As we wandered the permanent exhibits, our favorite part was the comments and interpretations from children who had visited the museum, immortalized in placards beneath some of the exhibits. Kids truly say the darndest things. 

We finished our visit with Tatsuo Miyajima's exhibit, which revolved around digital numbers that flickered between numbers and turned on and off. He was able to convey powerful messages using only simple, everyday items.

Finally, we strolled over to the Sydney Opera House to catch an evening show, Great Opera Hits, which included famous arias from well-known operas. As we neared the opera house, we realized that the famous white roof isn't actually large panels but small, off-white tiles in a geometric pattern. Though the facade was beautiful, the inside of the structure was a bit more austere, with exposed concrete walls. However, the show matched the facade - it was beautiful. And the show host and pianist, Guy Noble, was hilarious. He cracked jokes and even sipped champagne through a straw as he accompanied the arias. Four singers cycled through, performing individually or in duets, before the finale where they sang as an ensemble. After the finale, the Americans all gave a standing ovation while we slipped out in the fading light to beat the crowds.


Spotted: Revolving door direction. Many of the skyscrapers have revolving doors, but were not operating as they were closed on a Sunday. Because Australia was a British colony and therefore follows the British right of way on roads, we were curious if their revolving doors also rotated clockwise instead of the counter-clockwise directions that we are familiar with in America. We finally passed one that was in operation and we were correct! Even their doors rotate backwards.