Advertisement
Published: August 27th 2006
First View of Sydney
The first place to head in Sydney of course is to the spectacular harbour! The Sydney Harbour Bridge (affectionately nicknamed "the coathanger" by Sydneysiders) and the famous ferries cruising by.July 30th got off to quite the interesting start for me...I had arranged to meet Dob outside our apartment building at 7:30 sharp so we could catch the local train into Hiroshima station, and have time for one last breakfast at our beloved Doutour Coffee (you would have to drink it to understand, I guess...). I was awakened at 7:30 by Dob ringing my bell! After a frantic rush to scoop up last minute things, we caught a taxi to the station, and still had time for a quick breakfast, before I was dramatically swept away at the speed of light on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Fukuoka, from where my plane would depart...Dob was my angel that morning!
Before returning home to Canada, I decided to make a pit stop in Australia, and planned a 2-week whirlwind tour of the country, hoping to get in all of the highlights. After about 20 hours of travel (I left Japan on the 30th and arrived in Australia on the 31st, due to layovers and such...) I touched down in the Land Down Under.
My first stop on my Australia tour was Sydney. Surprisingly, Sydney is not the capital of Australia,
Sydney Opera House
The opera house in profile, appearing as though it's about to set sail... but boasts a stunning harbour, bustling downtown, and lots of things to see around the city as well. My motto throughout my trip was "everyday do something that scares you." This was my first trip alone (!) and initially, even dining alone proved to be quite the challenge. However, I found a lot to keep myself busy with, and discovered that I'm not such a bad travel partner afterall!
I scheduled 4 days to see Sydney, so when I finally arrived at my hotel around 11 a.m., after arriving at 7, I decided I couldn't let the first day go to waste! I was blessed with a clear, bright, sunny day, and was enjoying the refreshing "winter" temperatures of about 15 degrees Celsius, compared to the 40 degree Celsius, with humidity, summer weather that I had just left behind. I decided to wander down to the harbour and took in the spectacular views of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
My second day in Sydney I took a ferry from Circular Quay, located near the bridge and opera house, to the nearby suburb of Manly. This ferry ride was recommended by my guidebook as a "classic
Economical Bridge Climb
Visitors are able to go to the lookout towers of the Harbour Bridge for a much lower price than actually doing the bridge climb, and you're able to bring your camera too! If you look closely, on the steps and arch you can see groups of climbers. The bridge offered a spectacular view! taste of Sydney life." Who could resist a promise like that? It's here that I did the Manly Scenic Walk, an 8-kilometre journey, that passes through some beautiful scenery, including views of rainforest and part of the Sydney Harbour National Park.
Later that afternoon, I ventured to the famous Bondi Beach, to check out the sun-setting surfing action. I was surprised to see a number of surfers still in the water, and although it was a bit chilly, I enjoyed wandering around on the golden, mile-long stretch of sand.
My third day, I took a day trip to the Blue Mountains, located about an hour outside of Sydney. The Blue Mountains are surrounded by a subtle blue mist, due to all of the eucalyptus oil present in the air. Throughout the day, we did some hiking, and saw some spectacular scenery, including the Three Sisters, which are three rocky points named from an aboriginal story, that tells the tale of a leader turning his three daughters to stone to protect them against the enemy. I also got to take a ride on the Scenic Railway, a funicular used in the 1800s to carry coal, and now used to
I Can See a Rainbow!
A rainbow reflected in a fountain at Hyde Park, located near my hotel, with Sydney Tower in the background. This describes my days in Sydney: sunny, with clear, blue skies! transport people back and forth from the Jamison valley, at a ridiculous, thrill-inducing (and fun!) incline. Before heading back into Sydney, the day ended with seeing wild kangaroos at a wildlife park.
My fourth and final day in Sydney I woke up bright and early to do the Harbour Bridge Climb! The Sydney Harbour Bridge is probably one of the most famous landmarks of Australia. Nicknamed "the coathanger", it's the longest arch bridge in the world, and offers spectacular views from the top! Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take my camera on the bridge climb, but was able to conveniently purchase the photos that our guide took of me.
...and thus ends my trip to Sydney, filled with beautiful, sunny days, amazing harbour views, unique wildlife sights, blue, misty mountains, and so much more...It was alright, indeed!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.197s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 13; qc: 91; dbt: 0.1363s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Jaime
non-member comment
.. i love darling harbour..
there is nothing more gorgeous than the sun setting on darling harbour with the bridge and the opera house in the distance.. sigh.. well.. nothing more gorgeous in the circular quay area :)