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Published: March 12th 2010
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YHA
This hostel was actually built OVER an archaeological site! These would be our last few days in Australia. What an amazing time we had seeing the country.
That afternoon (Wednesday November 25) we took the train back from the Blue Mountains. Weeks earlier we had picked up some coupons to stay at one of the newest hostels in Sydney, the Sydney Harbour YHA. We only had two more nights in Australia, so we figured we’d go out in style. Turns out we made the right choice when we picked this brand new YHA. It was right down by the water, with fantastic views of both the Opera House and the Habour Bridge. It was so new and clean, it felt like staying in a hotel!
After checking in, Hillary and I were treated to a tour of the city courtesy of some distant relatives, Janet and Daniel. It was really quite amazing. They took us across the bridge to Luna Park, we got to see some new views of the city and we even checked out the Olympic Park! Honestly, we weren’t expecting such generosity. Thankfully I had my tiny compact camera with me; otherwise we wouldn’t have had any pictures at all! We even had dinner at
YHA - 2
Plenty of open air stairwells. a great Chinese restaurant which reminded me of home and eating on Hwy 7.
Thursday was our second last day in Australia. As we were reaching the end, money was getting a little tight. But Hillary decided she needed to finish things with a bang. That morning she did the Bridge Climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This crazy experience is where you suit up in what looks like a maintenance uniform, and trek up the arch of the bridge, crossing it at the top and coming down the other side. You get some of the most amazing views in Sydney. Hill absolutely loved it. What was I doing at this time? Working on my foreign relations. I actually spent much of the morning helping our French roommates on their résumés. And trust me, they really needed the help. The afternoon was then spent souvenir shopping. We had taken some time to get rid of some of the clothes (especially Hillary's) we’d been wearing everyday for the past 10 months, so luckily we had a bit of room now.
For dinner, we caught up with an old friend also enjoying his Australia trip. We discussed our futures, and
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It was like the whole hostel was outside. really got to see how other people view the experiences they’ve been having. After dinner, we then caught up with another old friend, Freddy! We’d spent a lot of time together on the Kangaroo Island tour, the Great Ocean Road tour and then checking out Melbourne! He was now in Sydney working to save up some money at the Lowenbrau pub. Great place. It was a busy night, so we couldn’t chat much, but it was great seeing him.
Friday was our FINAL day. It was sad to pack up our bags, knowing we wouldn’t be carrying them around Australia for much longer. But it had to come to an end at some point. And what better way to transition us back to living in Canada than to meet up with family one more time! We met up for breakfast with Erin, Cam, Ian and Alexa, right in downtown Sydney. We had caught up back in Tasmania, and now our travel paths were crossing again! Seriously, what are the chances?
After breakfast, we walked a bit through the city and debated about what would be our last taste of Australia. Fittingly, we chose to take a tour of
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It had a great rooftop patio. In fact, our room was just around the corner. the Sydney Opera House. Hill and I had only seen the outside when we arrived back in February, and Erin and Cam were looking forward to seeing it too. What a building! We learned a lot about its history, and the huge mess it was trying to make it a reality. But in the end it came together. Hugely over budget, but what isn’t these days?
With the tour over, we darted out of there for some groceries and a few last minute chores to take care of. Hill and I were treated to some delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and watermelon, and were quickly back on the road. We hopped on the train, and knew it wouldn’t be long until we were back home in Canada.
Kevin
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