Posing in front of the Three Sisters. Notice the strong winds.


3. Taronga Zoo

Taronga Zoo is located on an off-shore island, situated on elevated land along the waterfront, in one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour overlooking Sydney Cove, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. What differentiates the Singapore Zoo from this one is not only the weather, but also the way exhibits are being presented. Facts of the animals are presented as ‘fun facts’, which makes the learning process interesting yet informative at the same time. And, as touted on the website, it is the nation’s leading zoological garden, so it houses a wide variety of local and other species of animals.

There are many volunteers who work in the zoo, most of whom are retired individuals, like the friendly elderly man manning the enclosure for koala photo-taking sessions. As we were walking along the paths, we saw 2 of such volunteers basking in the sun, one cradling a reptile in her arms and another holding up a branch with an insect on it (sorry, can’t remember the names of these creatures). We walked over to take a look, and these nice elderly ladies started to explain to us certain facts about the animals they were holding. Gives one a warm and welcomed feeling. Qin1 Qie4 is what they call it in Mandarin.


4. IMAX Theatre

Located in Darling Harbour, Sydney’s IMAX theatre dome shaped screen is the largest of its kind. We watched a 3D documentary one night there, called Aliens of the Deep. An exhilarating experience indeed. Who would have thought that there was an entire eco system thriving on the deep sea beds, relying only on the heat that spurts out from the earth’s core to survive. Remember what textbooks told u about how all living things depend on the sun? Well, think again.


More travellers’ tips:

Oh yes, that reminds me. When visiting Sydney (in fact, I think all major cities do this), be sure to pick up an ‘official guide’ booklet on your way out of the airport. They not only provide u with information on just about anything about the city, but also lots of discount coupons to various attractions. Can be quite a bargain.

And should u be unsure of where to go or what to visit, visitor information centres are located in many tourist attractions around Sydney. Just look out for the huge blue ‘i’ logo. There are some very friendly staff who will help you over there. In fact, this is a useful establishment not only in Australia but I suppose in many large cities as well. We relied heavily from information provided by these information centres while getting around in New Zealand and Melbourne (we travelled to the Great Ocean Road)