Aside from the Opera House, the Harbor Bridge, wonderful
restaurants, and I’ve heard an active night life. Can’t tell you much about night life-I’m an
early riser, pack a full day when on the road, and am exhausted by ten. A
nightcap in my hotel is about it for the night scene for me.
If your tastes run to museums, as mine does, there are a few
to visit.
There is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney’s answer
to the Chicago Art Institute. Overlooking the Sydney Harbor and the Botanic
Gardens, it is a relaxing, well lit museum that showcases Australian Artists,
and has a huge display of Aboriginal art, along with a fine collection of
European and Asian, and of course Australian art. It’s a museum that is easy to
visit, at an pace. I prefer the smaller, more intimate museums, less angst that
I’m missing something.
Over a million people visit the museum annually. The week we
were there, there was a school holiday and the museums were filled with parents
and children.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, located in the Rocks
area-considered to be the oldest part of Sydney. The building is modern and
quite lovely, and if you like modern art, you will enjoy the visit. I found a
few exhibits I really enjoyed and some that were downright funny.
The Australian Museum, established in 1827, is considered
Australia’s oldest museum, and covers natural history, Australian animals, and
I actually got see a Cassowary Bird. There is a skeleton room, gems, and
interactive kiddie areas. There is also the Indigenous Australians display,
along with local cultural heritage galleries, among them displays that
highlight the Aboriginal life .
While we were there, toward the end of our visit, bits of
dust and soot started coming down from the vents; it was raining all sorts of
speckled stuff. Then the fire alarm went
off. The exit from the museum was orderly, no panic ensued. I don’t know what
happened, but by the time we were outside, the fire trucks were already in
place.
The Rocks Discovery Museum, located in the oldest part of
Sydney, provides a wonderful history of the Rocks, along with a terrific
collection of pre-1788 artifacts. This
museum takes you back to the beginning, when English sailors, whalers, traders and adventurers made the area their
home. I think it was my favorite area in Sydney.
The Australian National Maritime Museum, features historic
vessels, along with a full-scale replica of Captain Cook’s ship, the HMB
Endeavour. While I was there was an Ansel Adams exhibit, Photography from the Mountains to the Sea. That was a delightful
added bonus.
There are others, but I only had a limited time and picked
the ones that most interested me.
Cheers,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
A Hotel in Venice
A Fire Within
Blood Art
A Fire Within
Blood Art
www.mjustes.com
