SYDNEY 2001

After spending 11-years dreaming of visiting the most beautiful country on the face of the earth, I finally lived it out in February 2001. I've got loads of stories ranging from language lingo mishaps (the multiple meanings of "thongs" and "nursing") to the days leading up to the gay and lesbian mardi gras (I conveniently left the airport the day before the parade!)!!

I'd hate to bore you with these type of stories on a webpage, but via e-mail and IM's (yahoo - wsdp, aol - wsdp881) I'm more than willing to share these ventures with you!

Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite pics from down under!

--------------------------------

OPERA HOUSE

The opera house is the most unique and stunning architecture I've ever seen in person. Built in the mid 1900's...... oh well, I'll save the history lesson for an IM or e-mail if you're truly interested...

*Opera House @ sunset - PICTURE

*Opera House @ sunrise - PICTURE 1 --- PICTURE 2

*Denny with Opera House - PICTURE 1 --- PICTURE 2

SYDNEY HARBOR BRIDGE

The Sydney Harbor bridge connects the north end of Sydney with the south end of the downtown area. It is the widest steel structured bridge on earth.

*Sydney Harbor Bridge - PICTURE

KOALAS

All these pics were taken @ Featherdale Wildlife Park in west Sydney (about an hour and a half drive from downtown). Koalas live on 9 of the 225 varieties of eucolyptis plants found in Australia. Contrary to popular belief, the aren't necessarily ENDANGERED, but their habitat is becoming so. Without eucolyptis, they will cease to exist; and the rain forests that supply their food are being cut down each day.

*Koala "profile" shots - PICTURE 1 --- PICTURE 2 --- PICTURE 3

*Denny with a koala - PICTURE

KANGAROOS

The most intriguing marsupial known to man (or to me at least)! The ones pictured are of the Eastern Grey variety. The "Red" kangaroos live on the western side of Australia can stand up to 7-feet tall!!! Some of the pics you'll see were taken @ Featherdale, others are in a regular national park. Touching the 'roos at the national park is not in your best interest because somewhere nearby is the "father" who will kick you to the ground with his feet and tail and proceed to GUT you with his foreclaws should you get to close to his family. I got loads of stories and info on 'roos to pass on should you ever have interest... I suppose the thing I realized immediatly is how much power they have in their tail... that's where they get the majority of their "hopping" power from. 'Roos are nocternal so they wake up around 4 PM. We visited the national park about 3:30 PM and caught them in various forms of exercise.

*A stretching kangaroo - PICTURE

*A couple playful joeys (young 'roos) - PICTURE

*Hopping 'roos!!!! - PICTURE 1 --- PICTURE 2

*A friendly 'roo! - PICTURE

*Boxing 'roos - PICTURE

*Denny with a 'roo - PICTURE

*A male 'roo - PICTURE

MISCELLANIOUS

These don't fall in to any of the above categories but they were among my favorite moments of the trip.

*Denny on top of Dawes Pointe Reserve - a small picnicy area near Bondi Beach (where Beach Volleyball took place during the 2000 Summer Olympics). In the background is the skyline of downtown Sydney. The photographer messed up and put me right in front of the Opera House which defines the Sydney Harbor :( --- PICTURE

While in Sydney, I got to visit a 'net friend I had talked to for 2-years. She had the one of the cutest dogs (yorkshire terrier I believe) I have ever seen.

*Sharna's dog, "Sasha" - PICTURE

*Denny with Sasha - PICTURE

These two pics were taken @ Featherdale

*Penguin - PICTURE

*Wombat (sleeping on his back) - PICTURE