Friday was the pick of the week as far as weather goes…cloudless skies, warm and dry. Thursday was a bit overcast so we mailed a box of acquisitions and clothing that we did not need back to the US via Australia Post. Way more cost-effective than the Pak & Ship place that we initially stopped into (thanks to a recommendation from them).

In the afternoon we walked back down through the gardens to Circular Quay for the longer (22 minute) ferry ride to Manly Beach.

After some beach time it was gelato time at Anita’s – and some of the best we’ve ever had other than Sant Eustachio in Rome.

And then there was this little beachwear shop across from Anita’s that we did not visit, but had to post:

And Friday was the tour of the Opera House. Let two architects loose with cameras in such an iconic building… we’ll spare the gushing and the photos of building details. But it is truly amazing that the design architect Jorn Utzon, was able to transform the initial inspiration to building drawings to built form without the benefit of utilizing 3D modeling or CAD (circa 1973)!

The solution to defining the modeling of the multiple shells of the building was the revelation by Utzon to extract the individual forms as pieces from a sphere…

The roof is panelized, with individual two-tone cream colored ceramic tiles affixed to larger panels that were then attached to the ribbed concrete structure. There was nearly three years of design work by Arup, the structural engineers for the concrete structure.

And then there is the interior…

Even the detailing in the bathrooms is amazing (OK, this was a geek-out)

Our time in Sydney is wrapping up with beverages outside at the Opera Bar, in the late afternoon sun…

with this as a backdrop…

Thanks Australia and Sydney for our visit to your native lands, and for the many friendly encounters, and the amazing flora, environs and weather!

Saturday morning we leave the car at Sydney airport for the flight to Wellington, New Zealand.