DAY 61: The Rocks

It being Sunday we rose later than yesterday, had a tasty breakfast of stuffed mushrooms then made our way by bus back to Circular Quay to begin an exploration of The Rocks, the site of the original settlement and where a few of the earliest buildings still remain.

We were a little distracted by the presence of a market, mostly of crafts and some artisan foods and having browsed we found the Discovery Museum which provided an excellent introduction to the area. One of the displays showing European discoveries over several centuries at first surprised and then helped me understand why Britain had so quickly settled so much of Australia during the end of the 18thC through to the middle of the 19thC. The surprise was how many discoveries and provinces the Portugese and then the Spanish held during the 16thC - 18thC, how unimportant Britain seemed to be, apart from the colonisation of America, until their Declaration of Independence. No longer being able to send convicts to America, Britain had to find a new location and Australia suited their purposes. It was interesting to note how many convicts appeared to serve quite short sentences and many, being literate, were able to establish businesses and engage in worldwide commerce and become respected members of the new society.

We stopped for liquid refreshment at the oldest surviving Irish Pub in Australia, so they claimed, listened to some live music then went to find a picnic spot. We wandered down to the river to Walsh Bay and sat watching the many different boats moving up and down the river then continued our exploration of the area. We came across the foundations of homes from the early 19thC cleared when the bridge was built and explored by the Big Dig. A small number of terraced houses, looking just like the two up two down, back to back homes of the early and mid Victorian period in the UK were nestled between buildings of totally different eras and information boards provided lots of insights into the lives of early settlers.

As the afternoon wore on we felt the need to sit and found a delightful wine bar, with free wifi, called Wine Udysses which offered a tasting system and the option to then purchase a glass or two of those wines tasted which included several from New South Wales.

Beginning to feel hungry we made our way back to the apartment by bus, visited a local hotel bar and restaurant for a $12 AUS steak with salad, chips and a drink and more free wifi. We were surrounded by tv screens showing a range of sports, rock music and lots of a young people but the food was cheap and quite tasty and our apartment building was just next door which was fortunate because just before we were ready to leave a thunder storm began with quite heavy rain. Hopefully, it will be short lived as we have a trip I to the blue mountains booked or tomorrow so early to bed for a pickup at 0710!

 

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