SYDNEY/MELBOURNE TRIP 2018 # 3

23/4/2018
TUESDAY

WILD LIFE SANCTUARY @ DARLING HARBOUR
LUNCH PANCAKES ON THE ROCKS
DARLING HARBOUR WALKABOUT
THE ROCKS
BELGIAN HERITAGE CAFE

Cheerful in the morning. 

playing doctor with Aunty  Esther again while we get ready to go out.

Eunice had pre-booked the tickets for the visit to Wild Life Sydney Zoo, an enclosed air-conditioned wild life park located at the Aquarium Wharf in Darling Harbour.  There was a long queue to collect the tickets too.  It was officially opened in 2006. 

The open-air enclosure of the Butterfly Tropics...

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The Koala's Encounter...

the walk-through habitat of the kangaroos..

finally ....

face to face with the Kakadu Gorge Crocodile,  he is a 5 metre long saltwater crocodile that you can see eye level in the glass enclosure...thrilling.. 

resting under the bridge while Eunice attended to Alexa's nappy change. 

Lunch at Pancakes on The Rocks... 

this is serious study (of the menu)  

Pancakes as big as her face!

After lunch its siesta time for Alexa.  While Eunice looked over her,  we continued our walk around Darling Harbour right up to Paddy's Market which was happened to be closed today.. 

Behind is the world's oldest swingspan bridges..Pyrmont Bridge across Cockles Bay. This is a swingspan bridge which was opened in 1902 and its main purpose was to provide transport between the CBD to the surburbs of Pyrmont but nowadays its mainly for pedestrians and bicycle transport only.  The swingspan bridge open to allow tall vessels to pass through Darling Harbour.

Outside the  International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney @ Darling Harbour.

It consists of  a ultramodern ICC Theatre with its plenary  8000 seats, the ICC Exhibition Centre that has a floor space equivalent to 26 Olympic swimming pools and the ICC Convention Centre with its crystalline facade and largest ballroom. 

happy-go-round .. she got her free rides!  

Time for coffee recharging @ the Rocks  

Dusk @ The Rocks..we  managed to get some photographs before the sunset.

Before leaving us to wander around The Rocks, Jeremy told us must  see the magnificent night view of the Opera House from the rooftop of Hotel Glenmore @ The Rocks.   So,  we went up the Argyle Bridge, found the hotel and took the stairs up to the rooftop bar of Hotel Glenmore (with nobody bothering with us as we went all the way up).  It was truly amazing view!  Initially, we thought of having our dinner here but the place was packed with diners/drinkers!  My sister squeezed right up to the edge and got a quick photo before we departed. 

photo from the website.

The Glenmore Hotel was built by Brews Tooth & Co. in 1921 and has been an Aussie icon ever since.  It is one of the last surviving pre-Harbour Bridge buildings and is heritage listed for its traditional colonial old English charm.

So as we were walking back towards the train station, we passed this signage.

and this.... yes, what we need... beer!

The memorial stone in front of the cafe - "blessed by Archbishop Michael Kelly on 3/5/1914". The building was formerly a parish hall that belonged to the St. Patrick Presbytery.  

We stole a peek inside  and was amazed by this view....

the glass floor beside the foyer... you can see the sandstones architecture and artifacts of 1830 below

There is a small picture gallery relating the history of this building.

 
The long bar was calling us to come in for a beer!

the high ceiling

We decided to have our dinner as well as to celebrate Sarah's birthday.

We ordered a Leffe Brune, a dark brown (almost black) ale with its slightly bitter caramel taste..very good and a Victoria Bitter, which is one of Australia highest selling beer.  Leffe is a premium Belgium beer brand owned by InBev Belgium.  The brewing tradition which began in 1240 by Belgian monks from the abbey of Notre Dame de Leffe.      

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others, for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness and for Poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."- Audrey Hepburn

With so many choices, we definitely need some good advice from the handsome bartender.




gleaming leather stools...

happy with her choice

Hoegaarden Beer Battered Fish and chips 

Flemish Beef pot pie with mash 

Chicken Vol Au Vent

Actually their house speciality is a pot of steamed Mussels served with Belgian Fries.  These Kinkawooka mussels cultivated in the cold clean water of the Creat Southern Ocean are cooked the traditional way with white wine, parsley, cream and garlic.