We're through four days of our visit to Sydney, and we've been having a blast! Lots of walking, good food, great sights, and very friendly people have made the trip so far incredibly enjoyable... even if the weather hasn't been ideal.
Day one was the morning we arrived. Arriving at the airport in the early morning after about 22 hours of traveling, we made our way to the hotel - an absolutely lovely B&B in a quiet neighborhood just outside downtown Sydney but well located for access to the entire city. We were able to check in and freshen up before heading out for our first Sydney experience. The botanical gardens - right next to downtown - make for a fantastic experience every time we walk to the CBD. Wild cockatiels, tree kangaroos, and flying foxes are just a small sample of the wild animals that live in the gardens. The garden also gives you one of the best views of the CBD, the Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge all at once.
Day two included more walking around the downtown CBD area, as well as an unforgettable experience - the Harbour Bridge Climb! Probably the best views in the city, and a great out-of-the-ordinary activity.
Day three was our big excursion day outside of the city, with me actually driving on the "wrong" side of the road in a right-hand drive car (a la England). We started early in the morning with a visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park. The park was an amazing visit with all varieties of Australian animals, some of them you could even touch, hold and feed. We also drove out to the Blue Mountains for some very cool hiking and views. The mind-numbing traffic, sporadic rain and low clouds made the trip a little less enjoyable, but the surprises we found during the hikes made up for most of it.
Day four was a general romp-and-shop fest throughout Sydney. We found some interesting finds, great food, small markets and wonderful walks. We did a lot of shopping, but not a lot of buying. There are a lot of boutique clothing stores where a t-shirt will cost $90, so we stuck to some more touristy shops and markets while still making some fun discoveries. We capped off the day with a ferry ride around the harbour and a nice dinner near the hotel.
The only downside to the visit has been the APEC conference that has almost choked the city with security and road closures. There are road barriers and police all over the place, and many stores in the CBD have closed for the weekend. Helicopters are hovering at all hours of the day and night, and it's not uncommon to see a small motorcade every now and then. The barriers have been the biggest headache for us, since there is no clear map of what is open or closed to pedestrian traffic.
We have one more day of wandering and exploring before we head north to Cairns. So far, so good!
Posted by Austin at September 08, 2007 02:42 PM