Friday 18th January. Searing heat in Sydney

It was an excellent flight from Auckland and as it was busy they had changed the plane to a 747; we were seated right up front in the nose just below the pilot. We took a taxi into the city and encountered the taxi driver from hell who not only hadn't a clue where our hotel was but hardly spoke any English.  Even showing him the map which showed approximately where the hotel was didn't seem to help. However, after going around the houses a few times we did arrive at the Langham and sorted ourselves out before heading off to explore the city. As soon as we left the hotel it was clear that this was not going to be a day for walking very far or staying in the sun. As we landed at Sydney airport at 08:00 the pilot announced it was already 29C and by the time we left the hotel it was mid 30s C.

By the time we had walked down to Circular Quay it was already time for a cold drink in the shade and we contemplated the most sensible activity for the day.



Our conclusion was to board the ferry to Watson's Bay and this was a big success; an air conditioned boat with plenty of outside room to admire the views before retreating inside again. At Watson's Bay there was a cooling breeze coming from the sea and as long as we stayed in the shade it was very pleasant. A light lunch at Doyles could not be resisted and afterwards we caught the ferry back to Circular Quay as as we approached the heat became very obvious.




Normally when standing at the bow of a boat travelling at some speed  you feel a cooling wind. Not today! The wind felt like a blast from a sauna; it was quite incredible. The walk back to the hotel which was no more than 15 minutes felt like an eternity as we dodged from one piece of shade to another.



Back inside our air conditioned hotel, we logged on to the web and saw that the BBC had reported

"The Australian city of Sydney is experiencing its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching nearly 46C. A temperature of 45.8C was recorded at Observatory Hill in the city at 14:55 local time (01:55 GMT)."

Observatory Hill is where out hotel is located (the hotel is the Langham and was formerly called the  Observatory) and 14:55 is just about the time we were walking up Argyll Street back to the hotel.

Time for a short rest before we headed out for the evening. Rosemary had arranged to meet up with Anthony Alexander and his wife Louise. Rosemary had worked with Anthony at Oppenheimers and Denton Hall some time ago and met with them socially on a number of occassions in London. They now live in a beautiful appartment in North Sydney with a wonderful view over the harbour. We had an aperitif enjoying the view before heading of for an excellent meal at Manta on the wharf at Woolloomooloo. A lovely evening