The other half of I'm free tours

Haha, see, I got pictures of both founders of this tour group. I feel complete now. Anyways, he gave me a tour of this part of town called the Rocks. It is the oldest place in Sydney and is filled with bars all claiming to be the oldest bar in Sydney. Oh, and there was a statue too.

Sydney Botanical Gardens

Yeah, I took many more pictures of the gardens, but this is the only one I want to post to the blog. It captures what I want to say about this place. Well, I think it does at least. Anyways, the gardens. In the middle of this absolutely massive city filled with absolutely massive buildings lies this absolutely gorgeous garden. Stand in it and you are surrounded by flowers and trees and statues, look one way and see beautiful gleaming buildings, look the other and see the sparkling Sydney harbor. Quite the place.

Ehh, you know what, I'll throw one more picture up.

As you can see, they did not go cheap on this place.

Yeah, I know, that was two more pictures, not one. Cry some more. I don't care.

Pssst. More pictures are on my Picasa. Just so you know.

First tour of Sydney

So after the opera house, I decided that I wanted a tour of a city. My original plan was to get a pass for those double decker sight seeing busses and spend all day getting the feel for the city from the top of a bus. Plus doing so would make me feel extra touristy. When I got back to the hostel, I proptly realized that junk was for chumps. Savvy people go on the free tour of Sydney! That's right people, in Sydney, where everything is expensive to the point of ridiculousness, there lies a small glimmer of thriftiness for cheap bastards such as myself. It is called I'm Free tours and you need to check them out if you ever go to Sydney. Started by a couple who really like their city, they will show you around the city AND give you a free map full of information on where to get more free/cheap things! These people are great. So what did they show me? 

Well, here was the gathering point. Town Hall.

And there is Justine. One half of the founders of  I'm Free tours. She will pop up in quite a few of these pictures.

Here was this statue of Queen Victoria. It actually came from Ireland. 

And here is a talking dog. But it only talks if you give it money. 

This was inside the Queen Victoria building. It was sooo fancy.

And the Christmas tree was huge. I mean, seriously, look at that thing. You can't even see the whole thing.

There is St. Mary's Cathedral. You can't take pictures inside, but I will have you know that it is absolutely beautiful inside.

Some sort of barracks. I kinda zoned off here. Can't quite remember why it was important.

Here is a boar. It brings you luck if you rub its snout.

Occupy Sydney! Become a tourist attraction!

There is the crest of Australia. Not only do Australians have two national animals, but they are the only people in the world to eat both their national animals. Bet you did not know that.

Guitar man doing his thing.

The anchor from the first ship. It's still there.

Art!

And there was a small model of the city in Customs House. 

And to end it, an obligatory picture of the Opera House

Sydney Opera House

Alright, enough with New Zealand already. Now we talk about Australia! Sydney to be specific. So, the whole reason for me wanting to go to Australia was pretty much because I saw a picture of the Opera House a long long time ago when I was a wee little lad and I said to myself: "I must go there!" So a couple years later (and a couple thousand dollars later too for that matter) I was in Sydney looking at it! The real thing! Not some picture! Not some souvenir sculpture! The real thing! And get this! Not only was I looking at the real thing! I was holding in my hand a ticket to see the Australian Philharmonic play! Yeah, that's right. Be jealous.

Wooooo! I don't even know what is going on in this picture. I was too happy to frame things properly at that moment in time.

Then I decided to try and get a better picture. The thing about the Opera House is that because of it's unique shape, it is actually pretty hard to photograph. It is just sooo unlike anything else you have ever taken a picture of.

And here is the program that I paid 5 dollars for. I now use it as a mouse pad back at my site.

There was this really fancy restaurant there. Too fancy for me to eat there, so I just took a picture.

There is the Harbor Bridge. I had no idea it existed before getting to Sydney, but apparently it is just as iconic as the Opera House. Whatever, it was not some bridge I spent my childhood fantasizing about seeing.

Then I tried to get a even better picture. I don't think I succeeded. 

You can see the botanical gardens from the Opera House.

And the ocean too!

There were lots of tall buildings in Sydney. Sooo not like my site.

I asked a security person to take this picture of me. He looked like he had been asked that question too many times in his lifetime. I kinda felt bad afterwards. (this picture does not convey the badness I felt afterwards)

There was also an obligatory bar that sold overpriced drinks.

A statue of someone I don't know, but I imagine he is important.

Ooooo, pipes.

I don't know what those are. Must be something to be with the acoustics.

This was the view of the stage from my seat! Oh yeah, I had a great view of those speakers.

And there is me in the FRONT ROW OF THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE! The over requested security person did not take this picture, mind you.

Lugeing

After a few days in Auckland, Chris took me to Rotorua. Rotorua is a cool place. It was built around this huge volcanic crater that has filled in with rain water. Also, the whole town smells like sulfuric. That is how you know you are in for an authentic town-built-around-a-volcanic-crater experience. 

I did lots of other stuff in Rotorua, but I'm too lazy to post about those, so you will just have to go to my Picasa and make up silly captions for the pictures on your own. As for what I am posting about, why that would be the day I went lugeing. The name is totally awkward, but the fun is totally real. Basically, you get this little seat on wheels thingy and then they set you on this downhill course. Then you go "weeeeee" all the way down. When you get to the bottom, you get on the lift and get back in line and then do it again. So much fun. So much more fun then all the hiking and sight seeing everyone kept nagging me to do.

We ate at the restaurant with the great view, but we did not buy our own food. Haha! We are too smart for that nonsense.

Then you do something like this. There were many courses to choose from. I skipped the beginner ones and went for the advance ones, because I live life on the edge.

Then you take one of these lift things back up to the top.

And then you go back down!

Some more slowly that others. (HaHa!, Chris got left behind)

Look at these people who think that they are too cool for us!

But we did not care, because we knew that we were the coolest. I mean, just look at the picture. Is that not the epitome of cool?

Yeah, the view was really nice, like most everywhere in New Zealand.

Fort Victoria

So right after I got off of Waiheke island, Chris took me to Fort Victoria.

Like all the mountain/hills in Auckland, the view was very nice.

Fake mushrooms were everywhere! Nobody will think to bomb a place filled with cute mushrooms.

Which was good, because here is the not so cute gun

Here is the not so cute gun from another angle. Look at how cool Chris looks standing atop that gun.

There was a map of things for the gun to shoot.

And there you have it, Fort Victoria, protecting the proud city of Auckland.