Sydney

Posted On December 7, 2012

Leaving cloudy Canberra we drove the 300 odd kilometers to Sydney. Besides a stop for some outlet shopping (guess who’s idea this was) there was not much in terms of attractions on the way. The late afternoon traffic became heavier as we approached Australia’s biggest city. Thanks to goggle maps we managed our way through the maze of tunnels and overpasses of Sydneys suburbs. And suddenly after one last tunnel the Sydney Harbour Bridge appeared out of nowhere and as a bonus a huge cruise ship was docked just in front of it. What a view (we wondered how many accidents by unfocused drivers were caused at this spot each year… must be a few).

Keeping ourselves focused we managed to cross the bridge and a few minutes later we were at Neutral Bay. Pru and Sky, two old friends of Kevin, were our charming guest for the next few nights. A big thanks again! The evening was spent with some nice tapas and muscles as well as with a few beers and ciders.

The next day was devoted to sightseeing – hey it was Sydney after all. Having two local tour guides was amazing as they provided a lot insight and some hidden gems for us.

An so we saw it all, from the Harbour Bridge, to the Opera House, to the Queen Victoria Building and much more. After lunch we all took a ferry across the harbour to Mosman. Needless to say that the views were amazing. A nice stroll along the coastline (more astonishing views) brought us back to their home. All in all a fantastic day.

As the next day was a Sunday we did what so many people of Sydney do. We headed to the Northern Beaches (namely around Palm Beach). Despite the weather being rather gloomy we had a fantastic and relaxing day and even had a short dip into the water (no sharks and no jelly fishes).

Monday consisted of more sightseeing around Hyde Park and the impressive ANZAC memorial. For lunch we headed to Sydney’s Fish Market for some fish, chips and oysters. Besides the food the main attraction were the uncountable seagulls who are always keen to get some leftovers (imagine a table with some Japanese tourists being attacked by about 20 seagulls – that’s about it). After another photo-taking session at the Rock’s (the area near the Harbour Bridge) we met with Paulette, another uni friend of Hazel and had a lovely dinner.

After a lazy relaxing and planning day at our temporary home it was already time to say good-bye to Sydney and to move on. Despite both of us having been in Sydney before it’s a fascinating City with a lot to offer and a very special atmosphere due to it’s location near the water. Hope we will be back again.