SYDNEY

Rydges Wentworth Hotel is centrally located in the Sydney CBD, within walking distance of many of the main tourist sights

Sunday 4th March   Registration and Welcome Cocktail Party will be held in a hospitality room at the hotel when you will receive a Welcome Pack containing tickets for events, programme of activities, general information, and brochures about Sydney and surrounds.  This will also be a special time to catch up with old friends from all over the word and make new ones.

Monday 5th March  Coach tour of Sydney’s northern beaches will include a visit to a wildlife park where you will be able to pat kangaroos and koalas and see other native Australian creatures.  Lunch will be at the Newport Arms Hotel with beautiful water views.  Next stop will be North Head at the entrance to Sydney harbour and you will need to have your cameras ready as the views are spectacular.  The tour will end at Manly and you will be free to wander around the area or have a swim at one of the beaches before catching a ferry back to the city.
In the evening we will be visiting one of Sydney’s top Chinese restaurants for a sumptuous banquet.

Tuesday 6th March  Coach tour to the majestic Blue Mountains.  For more details on this tour please see page 2 of the newsletter below.
Evening at leisure.

Wednesday 7th March  Sydney Walkabut will take in some of the many sights the city has to offer but naturally there will not be time to see everything.  Be sure to wear comfortable shoes.  We will visit the famous and unique Opera House and wander through The Rocks, the oldest area of Sydney, before heading to Chinatown for Yum Cha lunch.  After lunch we will visit The Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay or those who have had enough walking can return to the hotel for a rest.
In the evening we will be boarding a sleek vessel, booked exclusively for us, for a harbour cruise and dinner when you will be able to relax and enjoy the lights of Sydney by night.

Thursday 8th March  Coach tour to the wine country in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney.  For more details on this tour please see page 2 of the newsletter below.
Evening at leisure.

Friday 9th March   We have left this as a leisure day for you to do whatever you want.  Some may like to do the Harbour Bridge Climb, others may like to shop at The Queen Victoria Building, CentrePoint, David Jones and Grace Bros department stores, and factory outlets, or wander through the many shopping arcades, take a lift to the top of Sydney Tower for views over Sydney and surrounds, or visit the many museums and art galleries.  Leisure suggestions can be found on page 2 of the newsletter.  We will be supplying you with numerous brochures in your Welcome Pack so we are sure you will have no trouble filling the day.
Re the Harbour Bridge Climb, it is suggested you book as soon as you arrive in Sydney or better still, book on the Internet.  The web site is given on the first page of the newsletter.
In the Evening our Sydney Reunion will end with a ‘Farewell to Sydney’ Dinner-Dance in one of the function rooms at the hotel.
 

   Email addresses of Committee members who are on-line :
   Nick Vargassoff (Chairman)  docvarg@ozemail.com.au
   Frank Rodrigues (Secretary)  frank@supersolve.com.au
   Les Baker (Treasurer)  lesrosebaker@one.net.au
   Jose & Susie Barros  jbarros@bigpond.com
   Vivien (Roach) Morley  vgmorley@thepla.net
   Maunie (Bones) Kwok  maunie@zeta.org.au
   Rui & Caroline Barros  rbarros@colonial.com.au
   Philippa & Mitch Meredith  philippamitch@ozemail.com.au
    Christopher Crook  c.crook@hsbc.com.au
   Claire (Marchetti) Cox  bricla@ozemail.com.au
   Phil Rosenberg (Qld)  philtini@hotmail.com
   Anne (Reynolds) Pike (WA)  apike@echidna.id.au
   Hilary (Bradley) Sayers  (Vic) ha_sayers@hotmail.com

The Blue Mountains National Park covers approximately 1436 square miles and is situated about 60 miles west of Sydney.  Our tour will take us through outer suburbs of Sydney then up the Great Western Highway through small towns that cling to ridges running off the highway on either side.
      We will visit some of the main tourist sights : Echo Point Lookout and The Three Sisters rock formation at Katoomba; Ride on the Scenic Skyway, a cable car that travels 350 metres across a deep gorge with spectacular views of the surrounding area and Katoomba Falls; Ride on the Scenic Railway, one of the world’s steepest incline railways which travels through a natural tunnel in the side of the mountain to descend 415 metres at a maximum grade of 52 degrees.
      Lunch at a restaurant with magnificent views and after more sightseeing enjoy Devonshire afternoon tea before heading back to the city.

The Hunter Valley is a two-hour drive north of Sydney.  It is a lush valley dotted with vineyards and little towns.  Rural settlement in the area dates back 200 years with coal mining being the main industry in the early days.
      There are over 80 wineries - traditional one specialising in aged vintages and others producing stylish boutique wines.  We will be stopping at two or three wineries where you will be able to sample and buy whatever pleases your palate and lunch will be served in a wine cask hall.  We will also visit a cheese factory and stop at Morpeth, a historic Hunter River town, where quaint shops and tea rooms abound.