Welcome to Sydney
We arrived in Sydney on Wednesday night at 10 PM. The cab driver charged us nine dollars (Australian $, from now on) to drive one kilometer to the Ibis Airport Hotel where we showered in an alien looking dome bathroom and slept for the night.
We’re staying in Kings Cross, which is the official party area of Sydney. We are within walking distance of public transportation and have all the conveniences nearby that one could ask for, including restaurants right next door and across the street.
Aside from the odd shopping mall here and there, yesterday was our first full day exploring the city. First, we hopped on a CityRail train to Circular Quay, the main tourist public transportation hub in Sydney. The doors of the train open to one of the most stunning views in the world, a panorama including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, with hundreds of ferries and sail boats cruising up and down the harbor.
Hayley posing in front of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
We walked around Circular Quay to the Opera House. It was pretty cool to see it in person; as it is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. We took our share of photos at every possible angle, and walked around the building as far as was permitted. Directly opposite the Opera House is the Harbor Bridge, which is equally as spectacular. This is where they shoot off the New Years Eve fireworks.
The Sydney Opera House doing its best to look like a spaceship.
The Sydney Opera House from a commuter ferry.
After soaking in the view, we walked up the nearby steps to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The park combines the large grass parks similar to London, with the climate of San Diego.
Beautiful flowers await you in the botanical gardens.
The gardens are also home to some of the coolest birds that I’ve ever seen. Many different types of parrots are as common as pigeons in the United States. Bats hang from the trees! It’s pretty amazing, not what you’d expect from the surroundings.
A parrot in the park.
Ever seen a bat at noon? How about one looking directly at you?!?
Look closely and you’ll see over a hundred bats in this tree.
We walked back to Circular Quay and rode out to Watson’s Bay on a ferry. This trip is the most breathtaking commute you could imagine, with sail boats everywhere and beautiful homes packed into the surrounding coastline.
One of the marinas in Sydney Harbor.
A docked boat on the beach at Watson’s Bay.
After four quick stops we were in a park overlooking beautiful Watson’s Bay filled with marinas and crystal clear water. We walked up to the open ocean, only a short five minute walk from the bay and watched the waves crash against the huge stone cliffs, then we walked down to the gelato shop for tasty refreshments. The ride back was equally as breathtaking the second time around.
The cliffs opposite Watson’s Bay, and the ocean crashing into them.
Watson’s Bay and the Sydney Harbor. On the left are the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
After a quick dinner, we boarded the CityRail down to Ryan’s Bar to watch the South Africa vs. Australia rugby game. We picked Ryan’s after receiving an annonymous tip that it was the South African rugby safe-house. At the door we were each given a copy of Sabona magazine, “The mag for Southern Africans living in Oz.” We purchased some drinks, sat down with a group of South Africans and watched the match. Despite the outcome of the game (SA lost), the night was a blast.
Today we took a ride down to Bondi Beach and watched surfers tear up the waist-high waves. The sand in Bondi is like nothing I’ve ever seen, very fine and soft. Easy to sleep on.
Now we’re back in our apartment and I’ve finally finished uploading all our pictures from South Africa. If you’re bored or would like to view them, please click the Pictures link if you are reading this on my website, or go to my Flickr page at http://flickr.com/mswebersd.
Thanks for reading.