I was up earlier today thanks to an early bedtime the night before. Normally I like to sleep in but when I’m travelling I do make an effort to be up earlier to make the most of the time I have.
Upon the recommendation of some friends from Adelaide, I decided to visit the Australian National Maritime Museum. The museum is located in Darling Harbour, a pedestrian precinct to the west of the CBD. It was a short walk from the hotel, so I made my way there on foot.
I walked across the pedestrian and cyclist Pyrmont Bridge, which also used to carry the Sydney Monorail until its removal in 2013. This area looks quite a bit different, with lots of tall towers in the recently renewed Barangaroo area, which used to be industrial land.
My first stop once I arrived at the museum was to check out the HMAS Vampire, a retired RAN destroyer. Construction on the ship started in 1952 and was completed in 1959, and it remained in service until 1986, when it made its way to the museum. It carried a crew of 300 sailors and 20 officers, and was primarily deployed to missions in Southeast Asia.
Thankfully it was a lot cooler than yesterday. The museum closes the ships when the temperature reaches the mid-30s, and you can tell why in the interior spaces. While it was quite pleasant outside, it was hot and stuffy inside.
My next stop was to check out the HMAS Onslow, a retired RAN submarine. It was finished in 1969 and served until 1999, when it was presented to the museum. A full crew of 60 sailors and 8 officers kept it running.
The torpedo hatch was repurposed as the visitor entrance to the sub, and required quite a steep climb down to get inside.
The corridor is quite narrow and the spaces onboard are cramped. Of course, the sub was not designed for comfort but for practicality.
Feeling quite glad to be back out in the open, I made my way to the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse. It was built in 1874 to help ships navigate around the Great Barrier Reef, and remained there until 1987 when a more modern lighthouse took its place. Unfortunately it was closed for restoration, so I wasn’t able to go up.
The last ship I went to check out was a replica of the HMS Endeavour. It was commissioned in 1988 with the opening of the museum, and completed in 1994. After completion, it trailed the world, completing a circumnavigation the late 90s before heading to New Zealand, and then back to Sydney in 2005.
The original HMS Endeavour was the ship commanded by James Cook on his journey to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. Navigating underneath the main deck required some awkward movements due to the low ceilings in many places.
After checking out the ships, I made my way into the regular museum galleries. One such exhibit showcased Kay Cottee and her 189 day circumnavigation in 1988.
Another exhibit showcased the stories of immigrants making their way to Australia in the mid-twentieth century.
After wandering around a bit longer I made my way to Central station via the light rail. Since it was my last day in Sydney, I wanted to spend a bit more time riding the trains.
Once back at the hotel I began to pack up and prepare for the next day’s journey to Darwin.
That evening, I had a ticket to see The Importance of Being Earnest at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in The Rocks, so I made my way in that direction in search of dinner. I found a nice spot up George Street and opted to sit outside, although I started to regret it once the wind picked up. A large family at the table next to me decided it was too much for them and asked to move inside, and I felt a bit sorry for the servers who had to move all their food upstairs.
It was a short walk to the theatre, but in a rare event, I ended up getting slightly lost. I couldn’t figure out how to get onto the adjacent street which was at a lower elevation, and spent about 10 minutes wandering around until I found an unmarked staircase that took me down.
The theatre was quite modern and many people were out to see the show. I had studied the play in high school and had such a fun time with it, so I was really looking forward to see what a professional production could pull off.
All I can say is that I was absolutely blown away. The Sydney Theatre Company absolutely nailed it! The set design was top notch, the costumes were flamboyant, and the actors put on an amazing show.
Afterwards, I made my way back to the hotel with the hopes of getting some rest before my flight in the morning.
Today by the numbers
Steps taken: 16,597
Flights climbed: 18
Ships boarded: 3
Quinn Kozlowski 
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