day 86 Sep 18 Sun Sydney

Sunday in Sydney - and it is Sydney Marathon day and also Family Sunday on the transport network which means that we can use buses, trains, ferries, metro and some trams for $2.50 each all day - this is too good an opportunity to waste so we head to Darling Harbour to take in another glorious space and location. Darling Harbour is one of the world's leading waterfront leisure and entertainment destinations- originally derelict docklands and now sparkling international playground.We are also here to visit the Sydney Aquarium - as promised to try and see the elusive duckbilled platypus to complete our Australian "Big 5" animal list - the only one we havent seen in the flesh. Sadly this is as close as we get as the platypi are less than co operative today!

Taking advantage of the cheap travel tickets we board the iconic Manly Ferry, another "must do" for Sydney visitors. It is 7nautical miles via the magnificent waterway of Sydney Harbour and running since 1855, the ferry is the original and still the best way to make the journey from Circular Quay to Manly Wharf.

And who should we bump into on the trip to Manly?!!!!! What are the chances of this happening! On a massively busy Sydney weekend, in an enormously hectic ferry terminal the girls suddenly shout again...  "Mummy - there's Hazel and John and Sandy..." we don't believe them but they are, of course, correct! We share the ferry ride back to Circular Quay and sadly say our very, very last goodbye!

As the harbour draws closer and our ferry ride nears it's end the sun is beginning to set on another fantastic day.