First impressions of Sydney

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Bondi Beach

I’ve been in Sydney for the past 4 days.  The weather has varied from a high of 98 degrees F to a low of 67, with a mixture of lightning and rain, wind, high humidity, and sun.  


We were hoping Caroline wouldn’t blow off the bridge!

This was the weather 3 hours before that photo of Caroline in the wind!

 Other than a bus trip to Bondi Beach, we’ve spent most of our time so far around Darling Harbour.  This time has included running and walking, finding a grocery store, visiting the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Sydney Aquarium, and just getting oriented.  Oh, and hanging out at a local cafe playing word games, drinking an Estonian pale ale.  

 Darling Harbour has cafes, pubs, and restaurants galore,  That attracts lots of people, and the people produce lots of waste.  For the most part, you see little food waste on the ground.  However, there are numerous indications that there is an active management program for keeping rats, cats, and birds away.  For one, I have seen zero cats, day or night (but not too late at night), anywhere around the harbor.  There are rat bait boxes everywhere.  Many signs and lamps have “porcupine” wire to prevent roosting by gulls.  And the entire area under the Darling Harbour bridge is netted to keep the pigeons from roosting.
Wire on sign to prevent bird perching.
Bird netting under bridge.
Bait stations for rat control. 
I did watch some birds fight over a bag of food trash... mynas, gulls, pigeons, and an ibis.  The ibis won every encounter!

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