Latitude 34: Captain Cook’s loss, my gain

We decided to concentrate on Sydney and its surrounds for a week after covering a lot of distance in New Zealand. I remembered traveling in Africa after college, and making a point to avoid Australian travelers. I was pleased to find that the rowdy, loud, beer guzzling travel culture I had observed was, of course, a gross generalization. I liked the self-effacing humor I encountered and found a kindred spirit in the former British colony. I learned a new acronym, POME. The Australians, ironically call the British tourists POME’s, for Prisoners of Mother England.

Poor Captain Cook passed Sydney Harbor, which looked unremarkable to him from the sea. He missed a beautiful, natural treasure. We attended opening night for Aida at the Opera House, wine-tasted in Hunter Valley and explored the city.