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Sydney
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Day
4: Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004
Sydney approx. 26 °C, sunshine HIGHLIGHTS:
After another restless night we arrived in Sydney at 7 a.m. the following morning. We cleared customs in 30 minutes (they had dogs searching for imported food and
asked us if our walking boots had been cleaned). Then we bought tickets for the airport link train (AU$ 11.80) and headed for the city. It was only a short walk
from the Museum station to the Quality Hotel Southern Cross located between the Central Station and Hyde Park, and we were able to check in as early as 8 a.m.
We had made the hotel reservation already from Germany as this was included in the package with the flights (booked at Explorer Fernreisen). We slept till 12 p.m.
and an hour later we were on our way to explore Sydney. It was 26 °C with a blue sky. We walked through Hyde Park and the Botanic Garden (here we saw our
first big spiders) to Mrs. MacQuaries Chair, which offers a good view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Passing by Circular Quay, Sydney’s ferry
terminal, we went to The Rocks, an area of restored harbour houses, and climbed the pylon of the Harbour Bridge (AU$ 8.50), which offers another great view of
the city. We saw people doing the Bridge Climb, but this is very expensive and you normally need to register a long time in advance. Via George and Pitt Street, two
of the main shopping areas, we returned to our hotel where we arrived around 6 p.m. with tired feet. We went for dinner at a pub (Alice’s Thai) around the corner
Day 5: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004 Sydney approx. 26 °C, cloudy with sunny spells and occasional rain showers HIGHLIGHTS:
The continental breakfast at the hotel wasn’t too impressive, but it was included in our package. At 9 a.m. we met my penpal Angie in the hotel lobby. She had taken the day off to show us around Sydney. The weather wasn’t too good today. First we walked to Darling Harbour, then up to Circular Quay. Here we took the 11:30 a.m. ferry to Manly (AU$ 15.00 for a Day Tripper ticket valid on ferries, busses and trains), one of Sydney’s coastal suburbs with one of the city’s most popular beaches. The ferry ride takes 30 minutes, the faster JetCat catamarans only need 15 minutes. This is a good alternative to the more expensive Harbour Cruises. We walked along Manly’s beach promenade and had lunch at a fish & chips shop before we returned to the City on the 2:45 p.m. ferry. Even though it was a cloudy day, the sun was very strong and we were a bit red in the face. We strolled through The Rocks and had a coffee at the Rocks Café. At 4:30 p.m. we took a bus back to our hotel. By then Angie had to be off and Volker and I had a little rest before we used our day ticket to return to Circular Quay by train. We had dinner at the Rocks Café (AU$ 39.00) and finished the evening off with a stroll around Circular Quay enjoying the view of the illuminated Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We also spotted some flying foxes circling in the sky.
Day 6: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 Sydney approx. 26 °C, sunshine HIGHLIGHTS:
The sun was shining again. We took bus no. 380 (AU$ 2.70) to Bondi Beach, Australia’s most famous beach. It took 30 minutes. We walked up and down the beach, enjoyed the sunshine and atmosphere. Then we took a bus back to the City. After a sandwich lunch at a food court we walked to Queen Victoria Building, a beautiful historic shopping centre, and had a look around. Then we visited the Sydney Aquarium (AU$ 24.00 minus 10% discount thanks to a brochure we got from the tourist information at the hotel). The seal and shark tunnels and Great Barrier Reef Basin were impressive. After an hour at the aquarium we walked back to our hotel via Darling Harbour and Chinatown (Dixon Street). In the evening we met my Korean penpal Keun-Ho, who currently lives and works in Sydney, and his Russian wife Natasha. We had dinner together at a South-Asian restaurant in Darling Harbour, followed by some lovely ice-cream. This was our last night in Sydney. There is certainly more to see: Kings Cross, Paddington, Taronga Zoo, etc. We could have taken a ride on the Monorail or gone up the AMP Tower or the Gazebo Hotel (the cheaper option as it's for free) for a view of Sydney from the top. But there is never enough time to see everything!
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