The Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House anchor the Circular Quay, now the place to catch ferries to Sydney’s ever-growing girth. On weekends the Rocks Market spreads down George Street where booths filled with crafts and street music provide a back drop to the magnificent views.

As I looked down from the Argyle Terrace it wasn’t hard to understand why locals love their city. To myself and just about every visitor to Sydney, the Rocks remains the first spot to begin exploring Oz splendor.

Observing from the Observatory Hotel

Part of my love of the Observatory Hotel, aside from its sandstone prominence yet low-key setting, was the lack of tourists; after all I was back to court the prom queen of cities. It isn’t high-rise or ostentatious, just plain fabulous.

Its dining room, Galileo, was fun and fantastic. It was built from a row of buildings that developed over Sydney’s rise in prosperity. Across the street were some homes to the Rock’s residents. Perhaps it was a blend of the Sydney attitude, cool but welcoming, that captured me. Over my stay returning to the Observatory was like getting to my home.
Oysters are a local specialty.

After dining at great eateries I often headed down the street from the Observatory Hotel to raise a pint at the Lord Nelson Brewery with the locals. After a few visits I was shown the trap door in the pub where unsuspecting sailors were deposited after a night of landfall imbibing. The term, “Shanghaied” began beneath the old floor boards — many a sailor was well on his way to China before realizing it. Much of Sydney’s hidden history is revealed by lifting an elbow with a smile.
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