New Zealand Part 8

I've decided to post some journal entries from my travels in New Zealand for the benefit of those who won't get see the pictures or talk with me about it. Mind you, this is not a narrative meant to explain everything about New Zealand and my time there, only a reproduction of what I thought was worth putting into my own journal. Enjoy, post any questions as comments and I'll respond as soon as I can.

November 12th, Taronga Zoo

Slept very soundly last night, probably because I wore my ear plugs! The street noise and louder German roommates could definitely put a dent in my sleep. I might try it again tonight, but I'm worried I won't hear my alarm tomorrow morning if I do... tough call.

I made my trip to the zoo today. I couldn't believe the regular adult ticket is $43.00! I bought a zoo pass from the ferry terminal, saved myself $10.00 by getting it all in one.

Turns out today was an unusual day to visit , apparently every elementary school in Sydney decided this would be a great day for a field trip! It was a lot of work just to move around sometimes, I heard there were going to be 1500 students there that day.

The seal show was quality, but brief. Maybe if you go to all 3 shows you see different tricks? The rest is pretty much standard zoo - a high standard - but nothing really worth writing much about. Animals I hadn't seen before: Siberian Tiger, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koala, and Tasmanian Devil (awesome!).

Thoughts on Sydney: It was a bit revealing to find out Sydney has a lot of brothels. I had noticed many adult venues on Darlinghurst street, but the paper said there are over 270 in the Sydney area and that surprised most people, even those who are in the industry. Also, much like New Zealand, there isn't too much "culture" for tourists. At least not the culture I think of when I remember traveling Europe. But it does seem to be a big spot for drinking and partying! Most people at the hostal are here to do some drinking - I expect for scenery more people go to Cairns or Brisbane.

Which makes Sydney not the best city for me. It is tempting to go out to the bars, but it is way too expensive to drink here and I don't have an interest in getting drunk. The party scene and party people just don't really fit my values, I'd rather enjoy a evening with friends or take in some great hikes or art museums. It's almost a shame I came here for 4 days instead of heading up to the Great Barrier Reef, but I did want to see the architecture and say that I've been here. Maybe there will be a next time, and then I'll know I can probably just bypass Sydney.