Mon 0223 - Sydney

Today was a bit disappointing. We took the HOHO and should have recognized there was a problem from the very beginning. I knew there were two companies, but I didn't realize that there was a signficant difference between them. I merely looked at the two as competitors. I was wrong.
One company advertises a $39AUD package including both the Sydney and Bondi routes. The other advertises $30. It turns out that the 2nd company also advertises a $20 senior rate. OK, so one advertises that, surely the other matches it, right? I don't know.
I got on the bus first and paid my $20. Then Toni presented a $50 bill and the driver refused to accept it, saying he didn't have change. I had already given him $20. Did he really not have another $10? We should have realized that something was amiss at that point, but we didn't.
The narration has not been updated in a few years. For example, there is a reference to a Hard Rock Cafe, but there is a sign posted advising that there no longer is a Hard Rock in Sydney.
The driver often did not play the narration at the proper time. We frequently heard "welcome" statements before we reached a particular stop.
On the Bondi route, the driver was scheduled to have a 30 minute break in the middle of the trip, at which point we were told we had to get off the bus. Contrary to experiences in other places, there was no snack bar, no souvenier shop, no T-shirt vendors - nothing where we had to wait.
When we were waiting to change back to the Sydney bus, there was a rather unpleasant dispatcher who refused to help an Asian woman who was trying to find out which bus was right in front of us and how long the trip would be.
Then, the most disappointing part of the day took place when the Sydney Explorer bus pulled up behind us. What a nice, air-conditioned bus that was with very comfortable-looking seating.
The moral of the story clearly is that you get what you pay for. Take the Explorer, don't take the so-called Official City Sightseeing tour. If your concierge tells you there are 2 companies but one is better than the other (as reported by fellow passengers), listen to him. If your concierge tells you to taken the HOHO, find out if there is more than one, and if so, which is better.
The other disappointment was the Sydney Tower. There was nothing particularly wrong, it just was not a satisfying experience. I wouldn't tell you not to go there, but rather to moderate your expectations and you'll be ok.