Day 9 - Port Douglas to Sydney, or Who would have known the shopping was so good at the Cairns Airport

Well, you would have thought we would know better.  Thanks were going along quite swimmingly this morning.  We had washed our clothes, gotten a little brekkie, and wee off the the Cairns airport.  In at 11:30 for a 1:05 p.m. flight to Sydney.  Checked in just fine, went to the bar and ordered lunch.

Which was our first mistake.

Remember when I said we were fed on our way from Melbourne to Cairns?  Well, I guess we thought that Qantas did that on international or Saturday flights to Cairns, so we went to the cafe and order pot pies for lunch.  They make them to order in the Cairns Airport, so they take a while.  But they are worth it.  Took a while, but the wait was worth it.  Right, though deloosh and I don't even like pot pies.

Besides, everything is really relaxed.  Check the Departing Flights screen.

They even tell you to relax.  Well, maybe not for our flight.  Maybe we should have taken heed.

And then there is this Australian Made store.  Let's go shop and buy stuff.  Having a great time until we hear, "This is Qantas Flight 925 to Sydney, last call for Seabaugh.  Please proceed immediately to the gate."

Well, we had paid up and hustled on down to Gate 17 and down the jetway to the plane, closely followed by a a couple of flight attendants who were polite, but had suffered through this many times before.  We quickly made our way to the seats and were about to take off when the flight attendant announced that they had found a green windbreaker on the floor of the jet way and if you would turn on your call button.....  Of course, it was my "U" windbreaker.  So, in the course of about 45 seconds, everyone got to see that we were the ones they were waiting for and I was the one who couldn't keep track of my jacket.  Awesome.  And not the good one.

We landed in Sydney in late afternoon.  It was getting dark by 4:30, but the day was downright balmy.  25 centgrade.  Beautiful.

We checked into Hotel Langham, near the Rocks section.  This is a residential area within easy walking distance to the harbor.  When we went out to see the harbor, the area reminded us some of the French Quarter in New Orleans, just without the loud crowds.

We walked to the Opera House and had a drink at the Opera Bar before we went to dinner.  We'll stop talking now and hope the pictures turned out.

The Opera House.

The Harbor Bridge.  We're walking to the top at twilight Thursday.

Looking back to the city from the harbor.

The Contemporary Art Museum.  Too cloudy tonight to see the Crux, so this has to do.

Cheers!