Spectacular Sydney

Ahh Sydney. What a city. It doesn’t feel like it has as much ‘soul’ as Melbourne, but oh my, that harbour wins me over every time, especially when there’s fireworks and celebrations everywhere you look. It’s hard not to love it.

Sydney Harbour from Mrs Macquarie’s Point

This is my third time to this sprawling city, where I have spent the last 5 days. I depart for Hobart (Tasmania) today, so I thought I’d best update you on my Aussie adventure so far…

My trip was timed perfectly when it comes to free entertainment – Australia Day was 26th January, Chinese New Year commenced 27th January and being summer there has been myriad performances going on around the city; lots to keep me busy. I have walked pretty much everywhere and seen so much.

Royal Botanic Gardens

It took me a short while to adjust to staying in a hostel as a lone traveller. I only have one previous experience of staying in an Australian hostel and it wasn’t great. This one has been much better I am pleased to say. Chatting to some of the girls in my 8-bed dorm room has come quite naturally, a few are quite surprised by the extent of my travel experiences, the fact that I am keen to cycle and camp around Tasmania, and by how much I walk every day. Well, you can’t go spending money on buses and trains when you have a good pair of legs!

Darling Harbour by night

Some of the places I have explored in the city are:

• The CBD (central business district), including the Queen Victoria Building, Town Hall, and Central (where my hostel is)
• The Rocks (the oldest area of Sydney)
• THE harbour/circular quay (The Opera House and Harbour Bridge)
• Chinatown (17% of Sydney’s population are of Asian descent)
• Darling Harbour (newest part of Sydney)
• Surry Hills (funky cafes and shops)
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Domain and Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Darlinghurst (where my favourite gelato shop is – Messina)
• Sydney Observatory
• Milsons Point/Luna Park (North Sydney)
• Manly Beach via the 6 mile Sydney Spit to Manly walkway

Random photos from around the city – 

The Chinese year of the Rooster

Town Hall by night

Royal Botanic Gardens

Queen Victoria Building by day

Gelato Messina

Art Gallery of New South Wales – Cate Blanchett as 13 different roles in a video installation in the gallery

Surry Hills streets

Town Hall by day

Darling Harbour by night

Queen Victoria Building interior

Chinese Gardens

Surry Hills streets

Royal Botanic Gardens

Yuuummmmm! Gelato Messina. The best gelato I’ve ever had (even better than in Rome)

Darling Hardbour by night

Chinatown

At Mrs Macquarie’s Point

Sydney Harbour on an overcast but warm day, on the ferry ride back from Manly

City street art

King Street Wharf (Darling Harbour)

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Cute little cottages in Surry Hills

Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst. I had ‘The Voicemail’ and ‘Tongue Thai’d’ – wow!

A performance of The Wind and the Willows in the Royal Botanic Gardens

Sydney Spit to Manly walkway photos –

A lizard on the walkway

Aboriginal rock carvings (fish) on the Sydney Spit to Manly walkway

This plant looks pretty fierce. On the walkway

From the ferry back to the harbour

On the walkway

On ferry ride back from Manly to Circular Quay

From the Sydney Spit to Manly walkway

Beaches on the walk

After my 6 mile walk to Manly beach

Through bush on the walkway

Rainbow Lorikeet on the walk

Beaches on the walk to Manly

On the walkway

On the Sydney Spit to Manly walk

Manly

The walkway

On the ferry ride from Manly to circular quay

Australia Day was fantastic – the city became even more ‘alive’ – and extremely busy. I spent the day watching the celebrations down at the quay and The Rocks. On the water there was a ‘ferrython’, tall ships race and ‘dancing boats’. There was also cannon fire, singing, a red arrows fly-over, bands, market stalls, fun stuff for kids and an Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony (herbs and plants burnt to cleanse the land of bad spirits), and lots more. Plus the finale – fireworks over Darling Harbour. Fantastic.

Australia Day photos – 

Australia Day at The Rocks

Australia Day at The Rocks – a great band called ‘The Hunting Birds’ – “folk-rock outfit from Fremantle, Western Australia.”

Australia Day at The Rocks

Australia Day at The Rocks – a Japanese Okonomiyaki stall

Australia Day at The Rocks – many food stalls

Australia Day at the harbour – Chinese year of the Rooster

Australia Day at The Rocks – Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony and didgeridoo playing

Fireworks over Darling Harbour

Australia Day at The Rocks – fun band called Perch Creek – from their website “Perch Creek combine five‐part vocal harmonies with folk, roots and rock musical styles all threaded together by the band’s unique collaborative song writing.”

Australia Day at the harbour

Australia Day fireworks at Darling Harbour

Australia Day at the harbour – cannon fire

Australia Day at The Rocks – tall ships

Australia Day at the harbour – helicopter fly-over

Australia Day at The Rocks

Australia Day at The Rocks

Australia Day at the harbour – chaos on the water

Australia Day at The Rocks

Fireworks over Darling Harbour in the mirror

Australia Day at The Rocks – fun for the kids outside Cadmans Cottage – the oldest surviving residential building in Sydney, Australia, having been built in 1816 for the use of the governmental coxswains and their crews.

Australia Day at The Rocks – fantastic music by a band called Oka – quote from their website: “Try to imagine Bob Marley meets Stevie Wonder via the chemical brothers, on acid, playing in a steaming rainforest with a didgeridoo and you are getting close”

Last night I walked over the Harbour Bridge at sunset and witnessed yet more fireworks at the Sydney Opera House. I assume they were to mark the start of Chinese New Year. What a lovely surprise.

Twilight from Milsons Point

Small little buildings “old” buildings inbetween new skyscrapers in The Rocks

Twilight and fireworks from Milsons Point

Luna Park, Milsons Point

Sunset from the Sydney Harbour Bridge looking at Kirribilli (North Sydney)

Sunset from Sydney Observatory looking towards Darling Harbour

Twilight from Milsons Point

Town Hall by night

Harbour by night from the Harbour Bridge

Sunset from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Harbour by night, from Luna Park

Sunset over the harbour from the bridge

For now Tasmania awaits… I am so excited to visit some new territory in Australia.

Liz