Sydney - Day 2 - Opera House and Harbour Cruise

Again we were blessed with stunning weather when we woke up, so we decided today was the perfect opportunity to use our Matilda Harbour Cruise voucher kindly given to us as a present by Tim and Nicola Kirk. The cruises were on a large catamaran and took you all the way around the bay upto Rose Bay on the way to Manly, east of the city

Unfortunatley the company only ran 2 cruises per day and when we attempted to get onto the 11.30am cruise we were told that that particular trip was not running on that day so we had to change our plans and go on the 3.30pm trip instead.

Meanwhile we decided to make the most of the stunning surroundings and headed straight to the Sydney Opera House, dominating the landscape at Circular Quay. The building really is as stunning as all the photographs, although up-close it looks a lot different. We booked onto a tour which took us right inside the Opera House explaining how it was constructed and the history of the building. We were lucky enough to see both Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra and Austalian National Ballet warming up for their respective shows in the two main concert halls. The music venue was mightily impressive, the theatre less grand, but both equally sizeable. The building was designed by a Danish architect, the winner of an international competition in the 1950's. It took 16 years to build and around $107 million. Up close it really is a work of art as all the tiles change colour according to the light above. The structure is probably still way ahead of its time, and provides a stunning backdrop to the city.

Next we headed over to a region known as 'The Rocks', on the opposite side of Circular Quay to the Opera House. This is where some of the first European settlers landed in Australia, and is reflected in the architecture - old brick buildings connected by small cobbled streets housing quaint restaurants, cafes and gift shops. This one one of our favourite spots in the city, as it was a lot quieter and less touristy than places such as Darling Harbour.

Mid afternoon we headed back to the quay for our Matilda catamaran Cruise. As the sun was going down we sailed out of the harbour past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge with the CBD behind us. From out in the Harbour you begin to realise not only what a beautiful city Sydney is, but also it's vast extent. The suburbs of the city seem to stretch for miles round into hidden bays and coves. It is apparently one of the biggest cities in the world in terms of area covered. The cruise capped the day off perfectly, and rest assured we have got some super photos to show you all when we get back!