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Published: July 19th 2010
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Bondi Beach
Our first look at Sydney. Good Day Mates, Good Morning from Australia!
By now most of you know that we have made it safely to Sydney, Australia! The other side of the world is remarkable. The weather, even though it is their winter is the kind of winter that we pray for each November. The animals are incredible, Cockatoos and flying Foxes everywhere. Evergreens butted up to an ocean that looks like drinking water, whales in the distance and scenery that allows you to forget that you have been walking for hours .
It feels like Bali and the Gili Islands were months ago and not weeks, so Thailand feels like I did it back in High School. I can’t believe that we have been here for almost 3 weeks. So I’ll fill you in what we have seen and done so far.
Before leaving Jimbaron in Bali we were on a frantic search for places to stay in Sydney. Much like NYC there are tons of neighborhoods and being new to the area we had no idea where to start. Leigh was able to connect with some of her fashion friends who hooked us up with a PHAT pad in Bondi Beach
Iceberg Pool
I think something Olympic went on here when they were in Sydney...so we sort of did what really athletic people do (at least for 2 laps), Kat you would have been so proud of me. for a week. Lovely Lucy had her apartment offered up to us by her oh so giving boyfriend Miro. So while she having never have met us handed us the keys to her beach front apt. and she packed her bags and moved in with Miro. God Bless Lucy, God Bless Miro.
So our first residence in Sydney was the world famous Bondi Beach. Lucy’s apartment is right off of the sand, so each morning we awoke to surfers, swimmers, whales and rain. It’s their winter here now so the normal temperature is about 50-60 degrees. This has been their coldest winter in over 50 years (yeah for us.) And remember we are coming from 80+ weather and Leigh brought only clothes for the islands. So we were on a desperate search for anything warm, shoes, socks, hoodies, hats the works. And oh yes, Sydney makes New York look like middle America when it come to prices. It is so EXPENSIVE here I can’t believe it, seriously I don’t know how people can afford to do anything here. Oh and let me not forget to mention that 90% of the apartments here don’t have heat. They have never needed
Caught between a rock and hard place...
Leigh found some cover on our way to Bronte... it prior to the past few years..so needless to say we were curled up on the couch under 4 blankets and a space heater for a couple of days.
Once we got some rest and warm clothes we were on the search for all things Sydney. We took the walk from Bondi beach to Bronte which takes you along the ocean with panoramic views of the coastline and if you’re lucky you’ll get the chance to see a few spouts off in the distance of the Humpback Whales.
Miro gave us access to the famous Icebergs Pool which is a pool that is filled with Ocean water and is situated right on the coast, once we saw it we knew we had to do it but knew also that we would most likely DIE after jumping in the freezing ocean water. Well we managed to eek out 2 Olympic lengths in the pool before calling it quits. Definitely something to do when the weather is manageable.
We toured the city, Queen Victoria Mall, Oxford Street, Elizabeth St. (if you are picturing London, you would be spot on, England is still very much present here, for those who have
A sleeping Fox
Pictures don't do them justice.... been to London and enjoyed it then Sydney is almost a mirror image of it set along a picturesque ocean). We have photos of the Sydney Opera House, took the Manly Ferry, headed over to Cockatoo Island for the 17th Biennale of Sydney, and the Botanical Gardens where I fell in love.
I had seen a flying Fox in Bondi and I didn’t believe what I was seeing. I was told it was a bat. Well being from the Midwest and having camp before in my life I knew Bats weren’t that big. I was WRONG. In the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon you can look up and see 100’s of sleeping “foxes” as they are called. But at sunset they all come ALIVE…they fall from the tree and turn the sky black. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen. I wanted to stay in the park after close but was forced out…but I will go back under cover and watch this most amazing thing….Leigh of course will be waiting for me in the nearest bar.
The garden also had dozens of birds from Cockatoo’s that will gladly land on any part of your body that
My favorite bird photo...
I can just picture him saying..."really they don't have Seagulls where you come from? Fine snap the damn photo." may contain food, and these are not small birds and they are LOUD like you can’t imagine. An Ibis that looks like a Pelican, turkey and a Crain all in one roams the gardens as well, then they have the most beautiful bird the Lorikeet (rainbow) which literally looks like a flying brilliant rainbow. I’ve only see most of these birds in cages or in a zoo. It was magical to see them all just flying about.
While I was in Thailand I met Lauren who lives in Manly Bay and told me look her up if I ever made it to OZ, so that was our next stop. There is a local debate of which is better the South (Bondi Beach) or the North (Manly Bay) after about 5 minutes Leigh and both agreed that we both loved Bondi but would both gladly LIVE in Manly. It was again the best of both worlds, the crystal clear ocean water, white sand beaches lined with evergreens and stocked with the friendly people on earth.
Now in our third week of Australia, Leigh has started working on the upcoming Fashion Festival and has moved into her oh so cute
Potts Point apt (for you New Yorkers picture the West Village). I’ll take this week to read the 8 books that I have picked up along the way, wash ALL of my backpacking clothes and plan my next jaunt. I’ll spend my birthday here in Sydney this Friday with our new friends (Lucy has the same birthday, go figure) then I’ll head North to Carins (pronounced Cans) where I will do what I set out to do back in May and that is to DIVE THE GREAT BARRIER OUTER REEF! Hopefully I’ll have enough funds to make it down the coast to Frasier Islands and Byron Bay and fingers crossed hopefully New Zealand before heading home.
It has been a world win so far each day I pinch myself that I am still here and having a blast. Can’t believe that I’ll be turning 39 in Australia, going out of my 30’s with a BLAST. Happy almost birthday Ash!
One more blog to come before I head back to reality.
Signing off from Down Under!
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Schach
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Happy Bday!
Loved the shout out, but more importantly love that you are having such an amazing time. Wish I was spending my bday there vs. in a bar in NY!!! Happy bday to you too!