Day One - Sydney Australia

                                                                     Sydney, Australia

         November 30 - December 1, 2025

We set out to do an Australia-New Zealand cruise thanks to Pam Henson and Mike Brown who are shown in the first picture.  They live in St. George, too.  They have their matching Australian outback hats.

Some of you realize that Australia was originally a penal colony of Jolly Old England.  Sydney was the first location to be used for dealing with English prisoners after the English could no longer deposit them in America.  Yes, once upon a time the 13 American colonies were a dumping ground for hundreds of thousands of prisoners who became indentured servants for 7 to 14 years.  This is part of the fort built to take in the English prisoners at Sydney.  Can you imagine sailing for eight months to be placed in a penal colony?  There was no dramamine or bonine in those days.

Australian history is like ours in that they also took the lands of the natives who are called aborigines in Australia.  

On the way to downtown Sydney, we saw this monument that recognizes the many efforts by the aborigines to support Australian democracy in spite of their limited status.  This and the next photos all take place in Hyde Park, Sydney.  Yes, London also has a Hyde Park.

This is the ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corp) Monument honoring fallen service men and women.  Australia and New Zealand fought alongside Americans in WWI and WWII as did other countries.  Sydney was the home base of our Navy in the Pacific during WWII.

Another World War monument was this fountain. 

Not far from the fountain is the Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary’s.  Some of you may think it looks like the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  

Shari and I mostly live a humble life, but we do like the adventure of travel.  More to come!  G’day.