After checking into the hotel and dropping off the cases we head off to Darling Harbour to the Leather Bags and Accessories Show that we have come to attend at the Sydney Convention Centre.

Darling Harbour is one of those places that is pleasant to walk through, with its many water features, the Carousel, Imax theatre, and assorted other entertainment and shops – lots of shops. 

 A leisurely stroll along the meandering pathways is a very nice way to spend a couple of hours and there are lots of restaurants at which to enjoy a pleasant meal.

Kids of all ages love to splash around in the many water features.

CHINESE GARDEN OF FRIENDSHIP:
These beautiful gardens provide an oasis of serenity in a bustling city. And if you are looking for somewhere to spend an hour or two of blissful peace then the Chinese Garden of Friendship fulfills this desire.

The garden was designed in China and presented to Sydney by its sister city Guangdong as part of the Australian Bicentenial. It is the largest Chinese garden outside Asia so make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of your Sydney visit.

COCKLE BAY WHARF:
This has become the place to eat with eateries that cater for the budget conscious through to the lavish.  Take an enjoyable  break at one of the outdoor eateries.

IMAX THEATRE:
A must for anyone who hasn’t experienced the thrill of a movie shown on an 8 story screen that gives you the feeling of being right in the action. One of my favourites is the movie about the dinosaurs however, there are many others such as the film about Space and climbing Mt Everst that are equally as enthralling.

SYDNEY AQUARIUM:
Here you can experience the thrill of seeing over 5000 varieties of Australian fish  swimming in their natural habitat, while  “walking” through the underwater tunnels in one of the largest aquariums in the world.

SYDNEY CONVENTION CENTRE:
Here is where all the latest and greatest exhibitions and conventions are held. We were here to check out the Fashion, Leather bag and accessories exhibitions and previously we have attended jewellery conventions as part of our online jewellery business.

AUSTRALIAN MARITIME MUSEUM:
Here is where you can see historical records and artifacts from Australians Maritime History.

Slept in and went down to the restaurant for late buffet breakfast. Customary fare, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, fruit of many varieties, cereals breads, cheeses and cold meats.

Then off to the Concierge to collect the car and head off to Northbridge to purchase the ARA shoes that we have been trying to buy for quite some time. Those who read this blog regularly will remember that we brought our first pair of ARA sandals in Florence, and they are amazingly light to wear and pack when travelling. Got a little carried away, I brought 3 pair of shoes and Paula brought 2, and while we are delighted with our purchases, the lady in the store is absolutely over the moon.

We also found a kitchen shop that was relocating and had some absolute bargains that we couldn’t resist.

Then its back across the Sydney Harbour Bridge into Sydney City. There are 250,000 cars that traverse the bridge every day. Sydney’s population is 4 million, quite small when you think that Manhatten Island which is about the size of Sydney has 20 million, and at the opposite end of the scale, Sydney’s population is as much as the total population of New Zealand. Matt our Guide on the Skywalk took much delight in relaying a number of anecdotes about the rivalry between NZ and Australia, one of my favourites was about when Bob Hawke, the Prime Minister of the time, mentioned to Robert Muldoon, the Prime Minister of NZ that there were too many Kiwi’s coming to Australia and Muldoon retorted that it was a good thing as it raised the IQ of both countries.

After dropping the car and purchases off at the hotel, we headed off to have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and to purchase some pins, something we started to do when we were in the US recently.

Well we couldn’t find the cafe to start with and were just about to give up when we decided to ask at a car rental place if they knew where it was. And sure enough we were on the right street but just needed to walk a bit further up the road. The signage is minimal so unless you were really looking hard for the place you would miss it.

Nearly collapsed at the prices of the drinks but we wanted a glass to match the one we brought in Miami so we ordered drinks and I had an Aussie Burger and Paula had a cheeseburger. Both lived up our expectations. The decor is the customary Hard Rock paraphanalia and the music was at a nice level, we were still able to talk to each other unlike in Miami where you couldn’t hear yourself think.

After lunch we each brought a Hard Rock Cafe pin, there wasn’t much to choose from.

Then it was off to Myer to buy a Jamie Oliver frypan. I have been looking for a new pan for sometime and after reading the reviews on the internet, I decided on a Jamie Oliver pan for quality and design.

We also wanted to pick up some pins from Planet Hollywood, so we set off to try and find the restaurant with the intention of also having dinner there. Well it’s gone, so I think Planet Hollywood should update their website. It is now Star Bar and although the customary planet trademark still shows outside, inside is now just a bar. They have kept some of the costumes etc but no pins and no restaurant. So that was disappointing.

By now it was getting dark and we headed back to the hotel, didn’t want to miss Dr Who. We are both fans and this was the second episode of story. Not much of an excuse to cut an evening short but good enough for us.

Next morning after breakfast we head off to the Rocks street market. Walking around Circular Quay we stop to watch Emma, a contortionist who manages to fit herself into a 16″ perspex box. Absolutely amazing to watch and she is very entertaining, so next time you are in Circular Quay keep an eye out for Emma and don’t forget that these artists rely on donations from the crowd for their living, so if you enjoy what you see make sure you give the act a small gratuity of appreciation.

At the market we find a chap who is selling pins from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games so we buy a few. There is such a lot of interesting stuff at the market so it’s well worth a visit.

All too soon its time to check out, get the car and head off back to Canberra, and after a 3 1/2 hour drive we arrive home. Back to work tomorrow but at least we work from home so a sleep in is order.

We have been working hard on our Affiliate Business so we decided to take a break-a-thon to Sydney.

For those who know us, we are students of James Martell the Affiliate Marketing guru and we follow his advice to take a break-a-thon whenever you have been putting in the hard yards. So that’s what we do on a regular basis.

The beauty of working from home is that you can take a break on any day that suits, you are not restricted to weekends.

So we were able to take advantage of a fantastic deal from the Marriot Hotel in Circular Quay which included valet parking and buffet breakfast, 2 of Willow Glen and a pamper pack of Bulgari toiletries.

The Marriot hotel is very nice, the service and food are excellent.

The beds were comfortable although I have yet to come across beds as comfortable as those in Rydges Parramatta. Those beds are just divine. .

The trip served two purposes, firstly it gave us a chance to relax and unwind and secondly we were able to visit the Shoe Shop in Northbridge to purchase the ARA shoes that we have been searching for.

ARA shoes are lightweight, German designed and European made sandals and shoes that are just ideal for walking and packing when you are traveling.  The last pair that we had have finally worn out and we have had a real battle to find a shop that stocks them, in the end we contacted the factory in Germany to get an address.  So that is a task that we have now finalized and we are set for walking shoes for our next trip to the US.

While we were in Sydney we also went on the Skywalk which is a walk around the outside of the Sydney Tower, 260 meters up in the air over Sydney.

This was a truly awesome experience as you step out onto a glass platform and can see the streets of Sydney beneath your feet. What an absolute buzz. Our guide Matt was funny as well as very professional and ensured that we were all safe as we stepped out onto the glass platform looking down at the traffic 260 meters below on the Sydney streets.

We went on the 4:30pm dusk walk and the view was truly amazing. We set off in the daylight and as we worked our way around the building the evening lights were being turned on all over the city and the sight of the traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge was awesome.

Our guide, Matt, was very entertaining and informative and we learnt a lot about the points of interest that we could see in the distance. We thoroughly recommend this experience.

Here we are decked out in the glamorous Skywalk paraphernalia complete with radio, headphone, wet weather jacket and hat, which would be required in inclement weather, an a rather heavy harness.. The Sydney Harbor Bridge is in the background as are the tops of the Opera House.

Part of the deal included the OZ Trek which is a theatrette presentation of the sights of Australia. The total package is well worth the money as the ticket also includes entrance to the Sydney tower.

Then it was back to the hotel for dinner. We ordered room service which was tasty and plentiful.