Day 6 Sydney

Wow! What a day. How to see Sydney in 24 hours. We started by walking to the Opera House through the city for an 8.45 guided tour. The tour included many of the different theatres which have staged operas, rock concerts, classical recitals etc. Back on our feet and off to the famous Harbour Bridge to view the city from one of its pylons. The clear sunny day helped us get some spectacular views of the city. A stroll back to Darling Harbour to catch a ferry for our lunch which was enjoyed with a cruise around Sydney Harbour. This was followed by a visit to the Sydney Tower where we got an idea of the diversity of this country with the Oz Experience. We followed this by heading up to the viewing platform to see the lights of the city by dusk. A whirlwind tour of the city left the lads tired but wanting more. I think we’ll have quite a few return visitors in the future.

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Day 5 Canberra Sydney

Day 4 Canberra

Day 5 Canberra Sydney

A travel day. Rather than take the straight Canberra to Sydney route we went via the famous Blue Mountains. The drive allowed us to see some of the variety of Australian countryside. Lunch was had in the revolving restaurant at the Blue Mountains. Followed by a trip on a cable car across the gorge. From here we went to Sydney and finished the drive with our first sighting of the iconic harbour bridge. Our hotel is located “shlap bang” in the centre of Sydney and our chilly roof top swimming pool was a must for all our weary travellers.

Day 4 Canberra

Day 4 Canberra

Day 4 Canberra

Match day one finally arrived. But first a tour of the Australian Institute of Sport. The group got to see the facilities used by 17 different sports and also the committment required to be the best. Then to Philips Stadium to play the Royals. The first game kicked off at 1:30 and saw us chalk up our first win on tour with a strong performance. A ten try haul saw us win 56-5. The 3 o’clock game saw a much closer affair. 7-5 to us at halftime but after Conor Browne’s drop goal a steadied College team took control. This included a hat-trick from Kevyn Mahon. A late fightback saw Royals score 2 late tries to leave the end score 34-17 to us. Players of each game were choosen. For the 1:30 game William O’Brien was best forward and Ronan O’Neachtain was best back. In the 3 o’clock match Marcus Duke was player of the pack and Gary Burns in the backs. The group were then entertained at the Canberra Irish Club. They were greeted by the 1st Secretary from the Irish Embassy, Orla Tuohey, and the Consular and Cultural Attache of the Embassy, Martha Mc Evoy. A special thanks to the Canberra Royals rugby club for their generous hospitality in organising billetting for the boys, transportation around Canberra, lunch and many more favours.