Tags
australia, blue mountains, bondi beach, hobart, manly beach, sydney, sydney harbour bridge, sydney opera house, tazmania, the rocks
With the inevitable timer running out on this amazing journey, I have been so focused on taking advantage of every travel opportunity that comes my way. In true Type A fashion, I even possess a continually updated SE Asia travel bucket list. I may or may not also have a column that checks off each new city experienced. Gotta have goals. Australia and New Zealand were two countries I could not wait to check off my list, so when my parents decided to travel there after their first visit to Singapore, I was totally on board.
Our journey started off here, in Singapore, with my parents’ arrival one very early morning. I surprised them at the airport before work which is one of the best decisions I ever made. It was so fun to see the excitement and interest on their faces as they embarked on their first Asian experience. I took the next few days to give them a sense of where I have been living all this time (mostly reassuring them with each well-established and structured location I chose to take them to that I was NOT living in a dilapidated shack covered with monkeys and located on the most undesirable street in the most dodgy neighborhood in this foreign country they knew little about). The thought that they will now be able to more thoroughly understand my new city (and know exactly where I am sitting each time we Skype) is invaluable. I’ll share our Singapore details on another, more complete post on the city at a future date. For now, it’s on to NSW, Australia.
Did you know that Sydney first became a city in 1842? Useless fact, you may think; however, my fellow Notre Dame friends and family will appreciate the coincidence.
First stop after leaving Singapore was Sydney and I must say that my first rendezvous with Australia did not disappoint. While a big city, it feels anything but. Traveling from the airport to the city center, we passed open fields and easy living. Once we arrived closer to our destination, the feeling of easy living continued but with more structure in place. Sydney is very well designed and easy to traverse. A thriving city, its backyard is filled with lovely beaches and hidden alcoves. While we were in town for four days we set up shop at the Four Seasons hotel, situated close to Circular Quay at the Rocks. In my mind, it was perfect and centrally located to all the activities and sights we were interested in taking part in. The Rocks is a historic area in central Sydney that boasts many shops, restaurants, open markets (on the weekends) and all around lovely architecture and charmingly narrow streets. Once we dropped our bags, we spent the next few hours wandering around this area and sampling some of the local food available at the market (read: shrimp on the barbie. hey, when in Rome). Local artists displayed their goods and were more than happy to welcome us to their city.
While I was preparing for this trip and asking friends for advice, it was casually mentioned that the banana bread in Sydney could not be beat. Since it was still pre-noon and I never need an excuse to eat banana bread, we found a coffee shop in The Rocks to grab some. Two things: 1. coffee in Australia is top-notch and I miss it and 2. their banana bread is GRILLED. A simple, yet amazing, concept. Banana bread abounds throughout the city, so just keep a look-out (and purchase it at every available opportunity). It was out of this world.
After that little treat, we wandered over to the Sydney Opera House across the harbour from The Rocks. Known not only for its beauty and transformation of a major city skyline, the Sydney Opera House also has a reputation for its fair share of setbacks while under construction. My mom and I took the guided tour through the opera house (Dad politely declined) which allows you inside access (and which I highly recommend) and a thorough education on over-budgeting, not only with regards to money but time and resources. Engineering problems and escalating costs abound and were the main cause of this over-budgeting. Quick history lesson: To begin, the government of NSW announced its intention to put Sydney on the map by engineering an opera house somewhere within the central business district. An international competition ensued and Jorn Utzon’s submission won. A few years into production, construction was halted due to disagreements over the cost of the project. Utzon subsequently resigned and new architects spent the next 7 years redesigning and completed Utzon’s original vision. Scheduled to be completed in 4 years at a cost of $7M, it actually took 16 years to complete at a staggering $102M! Since the tour cost $30/person, I feel confident that the debt has been fully restored.
For our afternoon activity, we ventured over to the Royal Botanic Gardens and took a stroll around the grounds. My parents didn’t last long, blaming it on the extreme heat and sun, but I marched on. They were probably right here, so says my sunburn. Anyways, I ventured over to St. Mary’s Cathedral and Hyde Park. It really was the perfect summer day, sun and all. Both beautiful landmarks, I spent little time at each as a) we were meeting back at St. Mary’s for mass later that evening and b) Hyde Park was the perfect segue into the Pitt Street pedestrian mall and the Strand Shopping Mall. Lots of shops, little time. Priorities.
That night, we went to Cafe Sydney above the Customs House for drinks before taking in the view along the waterfront at Sydney Cove Oyster Bar for some delicious fish&chips. And craft beer! I adopted a newfound love for craft beer whilst in Australia and NZ, mostly because I want what I can’t have and Singapore has ZERO of this.
Blue Mountains. Roughly a 2 hour (quick and direct) train ride from Sydney is the Blue Mountains range (not actually blue, much to my mom’s chagrin). There’s not much to the town, so don’t worry about saving time for that, but the mountain range boasts some beautiful, expansive views and nice trails. It reminds me of the Grand Canyon but with trees.
Our third day in Sydney called for an early morning wake-up call on my part to take advantage of the best viewpoint in the Sydney – atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The actually climb was more informative and educational than strenuous and once we reached the top, the landscape before me was memorable. It may be pricey, but I highly recommend it. When else can you legally and lucidly feel like Spider-man?
That afternoon, we took the easy, 30 minute ferry ride from Circular Quay over to Manly Beach. The ferry ride was an attraction in and of itself with beautiful views looking back at the Sydney skyline and Opera House. Once we arrived at Manly Wharf, we were on a focused and no-BS hunt for food as it was late in the day and I was getting hangry. (Hey, it’s not every day you climb a bridge.) After walking for 20 minutes down towards the beach without sight of the restaurant we were searching for, Hugo’s, we finally stopped and asked a local for directions. It probably would have worked out best for all involved if we just chose one of the other 15 restaurants we passed along the way, but I was determined, and not about to waste my one meal at Manly on a bad restaurant. I clearly have strong feelings towards my food. Unbeknownst to us, we were heading in the completely wrong direction and needed to backtrack because, Hugo’s is very conveniently located along the Manly Wharf, where the ferry originally dropped us off. I couldn’t even tell you if the meal was that great because scorpions would have tasted great by that time. I do remember enjoying a beautiful view and crisp white wine from the region, once I was finished eating. After lunch, we walked BACK to the beach for the second time that day and thoroughly enjoyed it with full stomachs. The beach is as long as it is wide and boasts a pleasant pedestrian trail (Shelly Beach walk) up and along the south side. Many young professionals live over here and commute into Sydney for work, for good reason. The probably go to Hugo’s all the time, and never get lost finding it.
That night, we went to Pony at The Rocks for dinner. The food was great and the ambiance was comfortable. A great last night before checking in onboard the cruise.
The next morning, my dad and I squeezed one last excursion in to Bondi Beach before the cruise sailed away into the sunset. I’m so glad we made the time. Similar to Manly Beach, it is also a popular, stunning beach but boasts more of a laid-back, surfer culture. It too had a pleasant coastal walk up the side of the beach that culminated in a breathtaking look-out point towards Bronte. Grab a coffee on the way, and enjoy the pleasant seaside walk.
When we arrived back into Sydney, my dad headed over to the ship and I wandered back along the shops at The Rocks (obviously). I stopped for some sushi at Sake. The fish was extremely fresh and nicely presented. Paired with a glass of local sauvignon blanc, it was just what I was looking for that afternoon. PS – sushi is very popular, good and common throughout the city. Get some.
And then it begins. The cruise. It was wonderful for so may reasons that I will get into over the course of the next few blog posts. However, the next time anyone recommends that you cross the Tasman Sea on a boat, do yourself a favor and hop on a plane instead. You can high-five me later.
The first port of call from Sydney was Tazmania, a seemingly forgotten amputated piece of the rest of Australia to the south. Check it out on a map – it looks like a puzzle piece that someone neglected to add and complete the picture! But it is a gem. I’d love to go back and explore some more of the area (we only spent a day in Hobart). Hobart is a beautiful, quaint town with a fun, hipster vibe. The Salamanca shopping market has some great restaurants and shops that feel very local and unique. I did get my fill of burgers and craft beer (a reoccurring theme for this trip), so I was thoroughly satisfied. Head to Jack Greene Bar along the Salamanca market to get YOUR fill.
Up next…New Zealand!