The old district of Sydney is right on the harbor and is called "The Rocks."  The Rocks is one of the areas where the colony first developed.  We took another free tour by our favorite guide, Justine, who did a great job.  This tour was full of stories of murders, disappearances and general mayhem that was common in The Rocks in the 1800s.  Justine pointed out what the old sandstone buildings originally were (now they are tourist shops, restaurants, hotels and bars) and took us through tiny alleys and over old cobblestone streets.

Our guide, Justine, in front of the most popular spot for wedding photography in Sydney - in front of its oldest house.

One of the oldest bars in The Rocks

Though The Rocks used to be known as a dangerous slum as it was the initial contact point for sailors to party and meet with prostitutes, now it is a happening center for tourism and the arts.  This is all thanks to a committee of locals who saved most of the buildings from being demolished by the government around the time of the plague.  Now there are weekly markets and an interesting event called "Weird Fridays" during which you can pop into anything from theater performances, magic shows and masked parties all for free.

Another of the oldest bars in The Rocks

View of the harbor from up on a hill

 Since Sean and I did the tour on a Friday, we stuck around for the evening markets and cultural oddities.  One bar's ploy to intrigue customers was to advertise to "follow the rabbit" and there were various white footprints all over the place.  But upon finding the secret venue, one immediately learned that they needed a rabbit mask to enter which sent everyone on another search . . . I've never seen anything quite like it!

Walking around during "Weird Fridays" - Notice the people who have already found their masks

Following the rabbit feet . . .

Exploring the night market

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