We very much enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Our hotel was on Hong Kong Island, just a little way out of the main commercial centre. On our first day we explored Hong Kong island, taking in a meal in a very chinese restaurant, and then making up for it in a more Brit-friendly pub half way up the pedestrian escalator. We saw a Buddhist temple, then made our way to the Peak tram for a trip to the top overlooking Hong Kong and the very busy water in between.
The following day, we went over to Kowloon, and walked around the perimeter, taking in the 'Avenue of Stars'. This is the area with most of the very smart hotels. We wnt back to the tube via one of the busiest shopping streets, where we were pestered to look, see, buy anything from electronic gismos to suits. We got lost in a shopping mall and could not find the pedestrian way out. We then went out on the subway to L island, where we took the bus to go and see the 'Big Buddha' erected there and opened in the early 90's at a monastry. We returned via another bus ride to the ferry, and then back across to Hong Kong island. The next morning was an early start back to the airport.
We were very impressed, particularly with the subway system, and everywhere people stopped and went out of the way to help and point the way if you appeared to be hesitating. You could definitely spend a lot longer there, quite economically.
We arrived in Sydney in the evening, and immediately got into the mood in a pub with live music. The following day we went out and looked around Circular Harbout, adjacent to the Opera House. Having looked at this lovely building from the outside, we were in the extensive gardens nearby when the heavens opened. We were soaked even though we had tucked ourselves under an overhanging rock with a thick bush over it. We returned to our hotel to dry out. The next day we went to Darling Harbour, and had a look around the Aquarium, took a ride on the monorail, and spent some time in the beautiful Chinese gardens. We had booked a day out to the Blue Mountains, so were picked up the following morning from our Hotel by an amusing guide in a large minibus. Unfortunately he could not organise the weather, so that when we got to the vantage points there was nothing to see but drizzle and fog! The trip took in an animal park, a session of boomerang throwing, lunch in a country/golf club. We took a cable car down into the temperate rain forest and walked along some of the board walks, returning in the converted funicular railway once used for hauling coal. The trip ended with a tour around the Sydney 2000 Olympic site, before we boarded a ferry to return along the river to the Circular Harbour. We spent our last day visiting the National Maritime museum, including a visit to the replica of James Cook's Endeavour. True to life on deck and on the top deck below, she has engines and other modern conveniences in the cargo space, so that she is able to undertake voyages with paying crew. Afterwards, we took the ferry out to Manly, where we walked along Manly beach before heading back for a very enjoyable meal at a restaurant overlooking the beach.