G’Day from Sydney, Australia!
We arrived in Sydney, Australia after a 6 hour red eye flight from Bali. We have a 12 hour layover today, and we are excited to get going! I can’t believe we are all the way in Australia!!
Attack of the Zombie Explorers
When we arrived in Sydney, Australia it was a little after 6:00 in the morning, and naturally we got no sleep on the flight over. In serious need of some food and a pick me up, we zombie walked through the airport, crossing our fingers something was open this early! We lucked out and found a cute little bistro that was open. I grabbed a corner booth (so I could sneak in a little nap while waiting for our food) and enjoyed our breakfast while trying to game plan our day. First things first, I wanted to find a shower. That will help me wake up! We did find showers in the airport, but you do need to have your own toiletries and towel. Luckily we had a small hand towel in our carry on. At that point I didn’t care if I had to drip dry. I just needed to feel refreshed!
After feeling a little bit more alive, we ventured out. While doing some research, we read that Sydney’s public transportation is fairly priced, easy to use, and the best way to see the city. We found an information window where the lady working was very helpful and patient with us, talking us through the process. We had to buy a specific card, called the Opal Card, which would give us access to the trains and buses. After we acquired the card we could attach our credit card and were free to roam about the country.
The Sydney Opera House
Our first stop was the Sydney Opera House. What a beaut. We found a cute cafe that wasn’t too busy right outside the building, so we ordered more coffee and a little something to eat and soaked in the views of this stunning location. Big white sails in front of us, and the iconic Harbour Bridge to the side of us, the water calm and sparkling. We lucked out getting a seat at this restaurant! It was chilly out, but there was barely a cloud in the sky. It is beautiful here.
After refueling, we strolled around what is called Bennelong Point. There are souvenir shops and plenty of restaurants around. We stopped in a souvenir shop and found plenty of placenta pills and kangaroo scrotums. Those seem to be the most popular items, seeing as almost every store carried them, and carried quite a large assortment.
We strolled around Circular Quay, which is where the main ferry port is and more shops and dining. There was a “smack” of jellyfish (yes, smack is the technical term for a group of jellyfish. I had no idea either) that we watched float around for a while. Some were so small. They’re so cute! There was a guy sitting along the waterfront playing a didgeridoo. Seth and I have always had a weird fascination with didgeridoos (I think we just like saying the name) so we were so excited to watch this guy rock it. Turns out he was really good.
The Royal Botanic Park
After circling the Opera House for a few hours, we found our way into a park. Turns out this is the Royal Botanic Park! There was a big display of shrubbery that spelled out “Bite Me”. This is my kind of place! The park is beautiful. Big, open, and so green. If I had the energy, I would most definitely be frolicking through here. There were a bunch of really cool looking birds roaming around the park. They are the Australian White Ibis and were super interesting looking birds! They mostly kept to themselves, but they would get really close to us.
For the last hour before we needed to be back at the airport, we hopped on the train and got off at random stops. We would go explore the area a little bit, walk around the streets, stop in some shops, grab a coffee, then make our way back to the train.
Until Next Time
Sydney, Australia is beautiful. Oh to have more time here. There is SO much more I need to see, and so much more I want to eat! It was a bit pricey here, but I would pay extra any day to have these views and this beautiful and clean city.
Eventually, we found our way back to the airport and are off to our last stay of the trip!
Follow along as we discover New Zealand!..
