This morning at 6:24 Sydney time, we passed under the Harbor Bridge and viewed the famous Sydney Opera House behind us. Because my father was here during WW II and talked about it the rest of his life, Sydney has been the place I most wanted to see on this trip. It was worth getting up before five to see the entrance to the harbor.

We have an exciting day planned. First we are visiting The Rocks, an area representative of the original colonial times. We will skip the afternoon trip to the beach to be fresh for tonight when we will be attending a performance of Puccini’s Turendot at the Opera House. It is one thing to tour and view the Opera House and another thing entirely to attend a performance there. I can hardly wait.

Sydney was settled around 1790 when England decided to create a penal colony in Australia. This was necessary because those pesky Americans had rebelled. The first settlers were half prisoners and half guards. It made for interesting early times. More later.