Sunday, the day we decided to take the ferry over to Taronga Zoo, turned out to be a historic day for Sydney. It was the first time since World War II that two 'Queens' were in the harbor. The aforementioned 'Queens' were two of the famous Cunard oceanliners. The Queen Victoria was moored in Circular Quay. She was part of the way through her maiden voyage around the world. As you can see from the photos, she is absolutely enormous. People turned out and lined the entire perimeter of the harbor to see her set off and change positions with the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2). It is the last time the Queen Elizabeth II will grace Sydney Harbour with her presence. She is about to retire from duty and become a floating hotel in Dubai.
We just happened to be in the ferry returning from the zoo before this momentous occasion. There were hundreds of boats in the harbour to watch the 'Queens' take off. There must have been at least 12 helicopters circling in the air and the harbour patrol boats were keeping people from crossing. We thought we were going to be stuck in the middle of the harbour, but the harbour patrol finally allowed us to cross. We were the last boat in the harbour before the Queen Victoria pulled out. We were able to see the smoke arising from the smoke stacks as we passed by. We joined a couple of Rob Ferrone's friends (Tina and Amanda) for a drink at the Opera House bar. We could see everything happening in Circular Quay from there. We watched the Queen Victoria disappear behind the opera house with all her rich patrons waving from the decks. Then, we watched as the QE2 was tugged into her place. The atmosphere was incredible. There were people everywhere. We just happened to be there in the right place at the right time.
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