Some Details of Our Trip to Sydney
Jan 4th, 2006, 06:55 PM
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Some Details of Our Trip to Sydney
So, we are back from our trip to Sydney. It was short but wonderful. And I want to thank all of you who posted questions, answered questions and gave suggestions. And I want to share with you some of our encounters.
Day 1
We arrived in Sydney as scheduled at around 08:20. It was included in our package the transfer to our hotel by the sun bus and we found the driver easily after picking up our luggage. But because some of the others that were supposed to get on the same bus were a bit late, we had to wait for quite a while on the bus before we could leave the airport.
The trip to the city was pleasant but we arrived at the Four Seasons a bit later than expected. Upon check-in, we were offered an upgrade, with AUD125 extra per night, from a city view room to a junior suite with an opera house view. We accepted the offer. It was Christmas, after all. The junior suite was very spacious and bright. We had a corner window overlooking the opera house. However, because we were on the 9th floor, we could not see the Harbour Bridge from our window.
After settling a bit and unpacking, we went out. We were planning to go to the Fish Market today to have a seafood lunch. But since we were a bit late, a bit tired and we still wanted to do some shopping and see the CBD before the shops closed for Christmas, we changed our plan. It was a very hot day but we happily wandered along George Street, the Pitt Street Mall, Martin Place and the QVB, where we had a light lunch at one of the coffee shops – the Old Vienna Coffee House. It was pleasant.
We spent the afternoon just going around and taking our time. We also went to David Jones and I remembered reading on this forum that the food section of David Jones was delightful to see, so, there we were. When we saw the oyster bar and the noodle bar, we wished we had discovered them earlier. We then went to the Hyde Park and spent some time there. We were enjoying the atmosphere around the area before getting back to the hotel to rest a bit and change for dinner.
We had booked a table at the Quay (http://www.quay.com.au) for our Christmas Eve dinner. We arrived a bit early but the table was already waiting for us. We got a table by the window in the tower overlooking the opera house on one side and the Harbour Bridge on the other. There was no special menu for the day and we ordered from the regular menu. We had our first oysters for this trip and they were very good. We also enjoyed other appetizers, the main course and the dessert. The food was very good. The view was very good. We were happy with our choice.
Day 2
After breakfast at the hotel, we went to Circular Quay to take the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. We bought a Zoo Pass. The trip was very pleasant and we arrived in a short while. As suggested, we took the cable car to go up and walk down along the way. We did not manage to see everything but we saw quite a lot. We enjoyed seeing the animals, specially the koalas and the kangaroos, as well as the giraffes with the background of the city. What a view! We had a good time and could have stayed longer, if we did not have our reservation for Christmas Day lunch.
We took the ferry back to Circular Quay and walked in the direction of the Botanic Garden. We had our reservation at the Pavilion on the Park (http://www.pavilion.com.au). It was really quite a walk, especially because we got in from the first entrance we saw on Macquarie Street. So, we went around that part of the Garden and did not see anything or any sign indicating the restaurant or the Art Gallery opposite to it. We, in the end, realized that we had to go out of the Garden and entered after passing the street where the Library was. And we arrived at the restaurant just in time – 2 o’clock. The restaurant was full, mainly with local families and we were happy that we got a table by the window. We had the set menu of the day. The food was good, the atmosphere relaxing and we had a good and long lunch.
Lunch finished at around 4. We had nothing in particular to do or see today. So, we just walked around the Botanic Garden until we got to the St. Mary’s Cathedral, where we sat and people watched before we started walking all the way to Darling Harbour and back to the hotel.
As we were expecting a late lunch, we did not reserve anything for dinner today. We were ready to order room service. And we were happy that the staff set up a table by the window in our room, where we had our dinner, overlooking the opera house. We had a very light but delightful dinner.
Day 1
We arrived in Sydney as scheduled at around 08:20. It was included in our package the transfer to our hotel by the sun bus and we found the driver easily after picking up our luggage. But because some of the others that were supposed to get on the same bus were a bit late, we had to wait for quite a while on the bus before we could leave the airport.
The trip to the city was pleasant but we arrived at the Four Seasons a bit later than expected. Upon check-in, we were offered an upgrade, with AUD125 extra per night, from a city view room to a junior suite with an opera house view. We accepted the offer. It was Christmas, after all. The junior suite was very spacious and bright. We had a corner window overlooking the opera house. However, because we were on the 9th floor, we could not see the Harbour Bridge from our window.
After settling a bit and unpacking, we went out. We were planning to go to the Fish Market today to have a seafood lunch. But since we were a bit late, a bit tired and we still wanted to do some shopping and see the CBD before the shops closed for Christmas, we changed our plan. It was a very hot day but we happily wandered along George Street, the Pitt Street Mall, Martin Place and the QVB, where we had a light lunch at one of the coffee shops – the Old Vienna Coffee House. It was pleasant.
We spent the afternoon just going around and taking our time. We also went to David Jones and I remembered reading on this forum that the food section of David Jones was delightful to see, so, there we were. When we saw the oyster bar and the noodle bar, we wished we had discovered them earlier. We then went to the Hyde Park and spent some time there. We were enjoying the atmosphere around the area before getting back to the hotel to rest a bit and change for dinner.
We had booked a table at the Quay (http://www.quay.com.au) for our Christmas Eve dinner. We arrived a bit early but the table was already waiting for us. We got a table by the window in the tower overlooking the opera house on one side and the Harbour Bridge on the other. There was no special menu for the day and we ordered from the regular menu. We had our first oysters for this trip and they were very good. We also enjoyed other appetizers, the main course and the dessert. The food was very good. The view was very good. We were happy with our choice.
Day 2
After breakfast at the hotel, we went to Circular Quay to take the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. We bought a Zoo Pass. The trip was very pleasant and we arrived in a short while. As suggested, we took the cable car to go up and walk down along the way. We did not manage to see everything but we saw quite a lot. We enjoyed seeing the animals, specially the koalas and the kangaroos, as well as the giraffes with the background of the city. What a view! We had a good time and could have stayed longer, if we did not have our reservation for Christmas Day lunch.
We took the ferry back to Circular Quay and walked in the direction of the Botanic Garden. We had our reservation at the Pavilion on the Park (http://www.pavilion.com.au). It was really quite a walk, especially because we got in from the first entrance we saw on Macquarie Street. So, we went around that part of the Garden and did not see anything or any sign indicating the restaurant or the Art Gallery opposite to it. We, in the end, realized that we had to go out of the Garden and entered after passing the street where the Library was. And we arrived at the restaurant just in time – 2 o’clock. The restaurant was full, mainly with local families and we were happy that we got a table by the window. We had the set menu of the day. The food was good, the atmosphere relaxing and we had a good and long lunch.
Lunch finished at around 4. We had nothing in particular to do or see today. So, we just walked around the Botanic Garden until we got to the St. Mary’s Cathedral, where we sat and people watched before we started walking all the way to Darling Harbour and back to the hotel.
As we were expecting a late lunch, we did not reserve anything for dinner today. We were ready to order room service. And we were happy that the staff set up a table by the window in our room, where we had our dinner, overlooking the opera house. We had a very light but delightful dinner.
Jan 4th, 2006, 06:56 PM
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Day 3
Today, we had to go to Darling Harbour to board the lunch cruise to watch the start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. So, we were just taking our time in the morning to have our breakfast before we got to Circular Quay to take a ferry to Darling Harbour. Today, we bought an Aquarium Pass.
When we arrived at Darling Harbour, there were already a lot of people around and luckily we did not have to wait for too long to get on the cruise. It was a magistic cruise and we were assigned a table. The buffet lunch started as soon as the cruise started. Food was ok, not spectacular, but that was not what we were there for. The best part finally came when we arrived near the spot where the race would start. What a view to see all the yachts, boats, cruises, water taxis, etc on the blue water under the blue sky. It was really wonderful. Our cruise followed the yachts all the way until they went to the open sea. It was a beautiful view from there.
We really enjoyed the cruise. It allowed us to see the biggest race on the Harbour as well as some beautiful parts along the Harbour that we might not have seen if we did not take the cruise. We were happy that we decided to take it.
When we left the cruise at Darling Harbour, it was after 3 and we went straight to the Aquarium. We were happy that we bought the Pass, which allowed us to go direct to the window where no one was waiting. We saw a lot of people queuing to buy tickets in other windows. We spent almost two hours there and were happy to see it. But by the time we finished, we were already tired, especially because I was already sunburn because of the zoo and the cruise. We walked a little bit around Darling Harbour and saw a restaurant called Meat & Wine Co (http://www.themeatandwineco.com). After a few seafood meals, we thought it was time to try some good Australian meat. So, we booked a table for 8 o’clock before we took a ferry back to the hotel to rest and change for dinner.
We took a cab from the hotel to Darling Harbour as we realized that ferry to Darling Harbour did not run so frequently and apparently the last one to Darling Harbour started a bit after 7 (I am not sure if it is true but that was what we read in the timetable when we took the ferry back to Circular Quay earlier). The cab costed us just the same as the ferry, anyway. The dinner was nice. We got a table outside, overlooking the harbour and we did enjoy some good meat.
Day 4
It was our last full day in Sydney. There were a few things that we wished we could do in this trip but we did not do them yet at that point. Anyway, we went ahead with our original plan to go to Bondi.
We took the Bondi Explorer from the Circular Quay and were happy that we did because it took us to a lot of places that we could not have seen by ourselves with such a short time. We got to Bondi around mid-day and we tried to locate Icerbergs (http://www.idrb.com) where we had reservation for lunch. We found it. There was a couple in front of us. They did not have any reservation and could only get a table in the bar but not in the restaurant. We were happy that we made our reservation. And we were happy to get a window seat, overlooking Bondi beach. It was a beautiful day. A lot of people were on the beach and the sea was very blue. We had a fantastic lunch at Icerbergs. Everything was beautiful, from the food, to the presentation, the decoration of the restaurant and the view.
Because of the sunburn of the last few days, we could not stay under the sun much more. After walking around a bit, we took the Bondi Explorer to go back to Circular Quay where we tried our last chance to go to the Fish Market – somewhere that we really wished we could see – at least to have a look, so we thought. We got a cab and were there in ten minutes.
How could we resist when we saw the oysters costing AUD11.5 for one dozen, not to mention the cooked lobster and other seafood. What did we do? We bought one and a half dozen of oysters, two lobsters, and some wine, some fruit and called a cab to go back to the hotel to put them in the fridge for dinner later. We then called to cancel our reservation at the Aria. We were sorry to miss it but we were very happy with our change of plan.
We managed to go out for a walk around the Rocks and the Circular Quay and had a beer before dinner. We even bought our last piece of souvenirs – a piece of art/decoration for our home.
We called room service to order two soups and salads for them to put up a table by the window for us. We had a very good dinner – the last one for this trip.
Day 5
We had to catch our flight today. So, we had our breakfast and checked out. Our sun bus driver arrived and picked us up to the airport.
We enjoyed our short trip and hope that we could go back one of these days for a more in-depth visit.
Today, we had to go to Darling Harbour to board the lunch cruise to watch the start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. So, we were just taking our time in the morning to have our breakfast before we got to Circular Quay to take a ferry to Darling Harbour. Today, we bought an Aquarium Pass.
When we arrived at Darling Harbour, there were already a lot of people around and luckily we did not have to wait for too long to get on the cruise. It was a magistic cruise and we were assigned a table. The buffet lunch started as soon as the cruise started. Food was ok, not spectacular, but that was not what we were there for. The best part finally came when we arrived near the spot where the race would start. What a view to see all the yachts, boats, cruises, water taxis, etc on the blue water under the blue sky. It was really wonderful. Our cruise followed the yachts all the way until they went to the open sea. It was a beautiful view from there.
We really enjoyed the cruise. It allowed us to see the biggest race on the Harbour as well as some beautiful parts along the Harbour that we might not have seen if we did not take the cruise. We were happy that we decided to take it.
When we left the cruise at Darling Harbour, it was after 3 and we went straight to the Aquarium. We were happy that we bought the Pass, which allowed us to go direct to the window where no one was waiting. We saw a lot of people queuing to buy tickets in other windows. We spent almost two hours there and were happy to see it. But by the time we finished, we were already tired, especially because I was already sunburn because of the zoo and the cruise. We walked a little bit around Darling Harbour and saw a restaurant called Meat & Wine Co (http://www.themeatandwineco.com). After a few seafood meals, we thought it was time to try some good Australian meat. So, we booked a table for 8 o’clock before we took a ferry back to the hotel to rest and change for dinner.
We took a cab from the hotel to Darling Harbour as we realized that ferry to Darling Harbour did not run so frequently and apparently the last one to Darling Harbour started a bit after 7 (I am not sure if it is true but that was what we read in the timetable when we took the ferry back to Circular Quay earlier). The cab costed us just the same as the ferry, anyway. The dinner was nice. We got a table outside, overlooking the harbour and we did enjoy some good meat.
Day 4
It was our last full day in Sydney. There were a few things that we wished we could do in this trip but we did not do them yet at that point. Anyway, we went ahead with our original plan to go to Bondi.
We took the Bondi Explorer from the Circular Quay and were happy that we did because it took us to a lot of places that we could not have seen by ourselves with such a short time. We got to Bondi around mid-day and we tried to locate Icerbergs (http://www.idrb.com) where we had reservation for lunch. We found it. There was a couple in front of us. They did not have any reservation and could only get a table in the bar but not in the restaurant. We were happy that we made our reservation. And we were happy to get a window seat, overlooking Bondi beach. It was a beautiful day. A lot of people were on the beach and the sea was very blue. We had a fantastic lunch at Icerbergs. Everything was beautiful, from the food, to the presentation, the decoration of the restaurant and the view.
Because of the sunburn of the last few days, we could not stay under the sun much more. After walking around a bit, we took the Bondi Explorer to go back to Circular Quay where we tried our last chance to go to the Fish Market – somewhere that we really wished we could see – at least to have a look, so we thought. We got a cab and were there in ten minutes.
How could we resist when we saw the oysters costing AUD11.5 for one dozen, not to mention the cooked lobster and other seafood. What did we do? We bought one and a half dozen of oysters, two lobsters, and some wine, some fruit and called a cab to go back to the hotel to put them in the fridge for dinner later. We then called to cancel our reservation at the Aria. We were sorry to miss it but we were very happy with our change of plan.
We managed to go out for a walk around the Rocks and the Circular Quay and had a beer before dinner. We even bought our last piece of souvenirs – a piece of art/decoration for our home.
We called room service to order two soups and salads for them to put up a table by the window for us. We had a very good dinner – the last one for this trip.
Day 5
We had to catch our flight today. So, we had our breakfast and checked out. Our sun bus driver arrived and picked us up to the airport.
We enjoyed our short trip and hope that we could go back one of these days for a more in-depth visit.
Jan 4th, 2006, 07:57 PM
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Maxi,
It was so good to read your Report and to see that all your plotting and planning was very successful and you managed to fit in so much in such a short time. Especially all the restaurants etc.
It was so good to read your Report and to see that all your plotting and planning was very successful and you managed to fit in so much in such a short time. Especially all the restaurants etc.
Jan 4th, 2006, 09:03 PM
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Thanks Maxi,
I'm SO pleased you had a happy time and that Pavillion & Icebergs lived up to your expectations & our promises. Glad you made it to the fish market, it is pretty impressive, isn't it?
Now that you've missed out on a few things, you'll just have to come back, won't you?
I'm SO pleased you had a happy time and that Pavillion & Icebergs lived up to your expectations & our promises. Glad you made it to the fish market, it is pretty impressive, isn't it?
Now that you've missed out on a few things, you'll just have to come back, won't you?
Jan 5th, 2006, 03:56 AM
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That's a great report, and I am so happy that you enjoyed our city. Really, you filled your four days extremely well, and while you didn't see anything, I think you'd now count as an expert. So please don't leave the forum.... keep looking in and answering questions for the new chums!
Jan 5th, 2006, 05:52 PM
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Thanks for all your kind words. Without your help and contribution to the forum, it would be very difficult for me and others to gather necessary information and insiders' tips for our trip.
We will definitely love to go back to Sydney and other parts of Australia to see more.
We will definitely love to go back to Sydney and other parts of Australia to see more.
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