Monday 4th February – Sailing Into Sydney

Today we had one of the most stunning arrivals in the cruising world – sailing into Sydney's stunning harbour. That meant that I was on the bridge at 7am, to give a commentary about the sights that we'd be seeing along the way. Once we'd sailed through the heads and into the world's largest natural harbour, I pointed out the various islands, lighthouses and landmarks along the way, before we turned a corner and were confronted by one of the most impressive sights in cruising – with Sydney's skyline of modern skyscrapers as a backdrop, we glided silently past the iconic Sydney Opera House, and then under the enormous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

We docked in Darling Harbour, and seeing these inspiring views along the way was enough to put a spring in the step of all the passengers, whether they were disembarking at the end of the leg, or if they had a day of sightseeing in the city. We walked across the atmospheric Rocks area, to go down to Circular Quay to meet our friend Lisi, for a day of frantic catching up and chat.

We took a ferry across the harbour again, to the North side of Sydney to the upmarket district of Cremorne, where we did an enjoyable walk around Cremorne Point. The houses in this area were extremely posh, and with their fantastic views across the harbour to central Sydney, it must be a great place to live.

After a very long lunch and some lovely wine, it felt like we'd never been away from each other, even though we hadn't seen each other for three years – it's a surreal experience to sail to the other side of the planet and meet up with long lost friends – we feel so lucky to be able to do this.

After lunch, we headed across the harbour again, and we paid a quick visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art – this had some of the weirdest art and least comprehensible art I've seen in a long time. I guess that it was meant to be thought-provoking, but the only thought that it provoked from me was, "What the hell is this all about?".

All too soon, our day was almost over, and it was time to say our goodbyes. Sydney was as vibrant and buzzy as ever, and you can never tire of those harbour views. Can't wait to get back here this time next year, on next year's world cruise!