Today was our last full day in Sydney which we spent visiting many famous monuments. To start our day we had a lovely breakfast at our hotel and took the coach and then a short walk to the wharf area at Circular Quay to get to our Captain Cook cruise. The cruise was great – we had excellent views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Taronga Zoo and other areas. It was very windy at the top, but we could move around and sit inside in the warmth. This was a nice change of pace compared to all our fast-paced activities.

After our cruise around the Harbour, we took the coach over the Harbour Bridge to Taronga Zoo where we got to explore the zoo with our friends and saw some of our favourite animals. We enjoyed visiting the capybaras, penguins, red pandas, lions and seals. The animals we saw were all full of energy. The seals were the most playful racing up and down their pools, while the baby platypus Tilly blew bubbles underwater and scratched her belly on the rocks inside her large enclosure. It was also clear that the zoo has put lots of effort and funds into preserving endangered species. We ended our time here by visiting the Zoo Shop where lots of us bought gifts for ourselves and our families.

From the zoo we headed to the Sydney Opera House for a guided tour where we learned about the history and architecture of the building. We were surprised to learn that the first architect of the Opera House, Jørn Utzon from Denmark, was forced by the government to resign based on the increasing costs and failure to meet project deadlines. Years later, Utzon was recognised for his work with several prestigious awards, and at one point was invited to assist with architectural work on the building, which he did from a distance. He refused to ever physically visit the site again. Our tour guide also talked to us about the kinds of acts that have performed at the Opera House, and showed us where Queen Elizabeth II used to sit in the theatre when she visited. Our tour guide was excited that King Charles III would be visiting in October. We sat inside two of the extraordinary rooms where performances take place, and learned about how the wavy wooden walls and giant adjustable magenta panels suspended from the ceiling are used to create the perfect acoustics for each kind of performance.

After our tour we went to The Rocks and had some free time to explore the area, which most of us spent together at Starbucks. To end our night, we headed to Ribs & Burgers where we had some delicious food – burgers and chips with soft drink. We enjoyed sitting with our new friends and talking about all the adventures we have had during the Tour. Overall today was a great fun-filled day in Sydney!

Tonight we had an early night to get plenty of rest before our departure tomorrow, and we have scored a later breakfast to enjoy a sleep-in. We are all sad that the trip is coming to an end but we are also quite eager to get home to our beds and our families. We have made some awesome memories and friendships on this trip that will stick with us.

Today’s adventures in Sydney today have been retold by Miss Glacken’s group: Summer, Evan, Zara, Taleesha, Fred, Justin, Xavier, Aiden, Jasmine and Veera.