A week in Sydney in July
Jul 9th, 2012, 05:56 AM
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A week in Sydney in July
I'm getting over my jet lag and wanted to post a brief report on my trip.
Thanks to everyone that gave me advice and helped make my first visit to Australia a resounding success.
With special thanks to Bokhara2 for a great night out.
I
Sydney
I'll start with a few photos which I haven't fully edited yet. They are in the order in which they were taken.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets
Thanks to everyone that gave me advice and helped make my first visit to Australia a resounding success.
With special thanks to Bokhara2 for a great night out.
I
SydneyI'll start with a few photos which I haven't fully edited yet. They are in the order in which they were taken.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets
Jul 9th, 2012, 07:24 AM
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Patty, have a great trip!
Maybe the slideshow link will work for you.
http://www.flickr.com//photos/762645...86985798/show/
Maybe the slideshow link will work for you.
http://www.flickr.com//photos/762645...86985798/show/
Jul 9th, 2012, 06:27 PM
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Thanks Mel, Sydney is very photogenic.
My serendipitous trip came about when my daughter was invited to a friend's grandmother's home in Florida for a week. DD was already spending the weekend prior to this with another friend in New Hampshire so suddenly I had 10 days of 'home alone' time.
I briefly considered getting some serious yard work done and promptly dismissed the notion in favour of joining my husband on his business trip to Australia. It was a very easy decision
DH had already booked his flights and would be leaving 3 days ahead of me for Perth where he stayed for 2 nights before flying to Sydney.
I arrived bright and early on the Saturday morning after non eventful flights from BOS to JFK to LAX to SYD and caught the Airlink train to Circular Quay.
Picked up a weekly MYMULTIPASS for $61 which included 2 x airport gate entries and a weeks worth of travel.
I'm not sure if I technically got my monies worth but for the ease of jumping on and off buses and ferries without a second thought I think it was invaluable.
Unbelievably as I was crossing the street from the train station I glanced up at the Marriott and Tony was looking down from the executive lounge at the Marriott wondering what the chances were of spotting my arrival! He met me in the lobby right by the elevators.
After a quick coffee in the lounge I showered and we were ready to go out around 10.30 am. I felt pretty good and not as jet lagged as I expected to be. The beautiful sunny day might have helped and it was warm (67F)
Plans for the day were to tour the Rocks area, potter around Circular Quay taking the first of those iconic photos of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge then take a ferry to Manly and on our return walk across the bridge.
more later...
My serendipitous trip came about when my daughter was invited to a friend's grandmother's home in Florida for a week. DD was already spending the weekend prior to this with another friend in New Hampshire so suddenly I had 10 days of 'home alone' time.
I briefly considered getting some serious yard work done and promptly dismissed the notion in favour of joining my husband on his business trip to Australia. It was a very easy decision
DH had already booked his flights and would be leaving 3 days ahead of me for Perth where he stayed for 2 nights before flying to Sydney.
I arrived bright and early on the Saturday morning after non eventful flights from BOS to JFK to LAX to SYD and caught the Airlink train to Circular Quay.
Picked up a weekly MYMULTIPASS for $61 which included 2 x airport gate entries and a weeks worth of travel.
I'm not sure if I technically got my monies worth but for the ease of jumping on and off buses and ferries without a second thought I think it was invaluable.
Unbelievably as I was crossing the street from the train station I glanced up at the Marriott and Tony was looking down from the executive lounge at the Marriott wondering what the chances were of spotting my arrival! He met me in the lobby right by the elevators.
After a quick coffee in the lounge I showered and we were ready to go out around 10.30 am. I felt pretty good and not as jet lagged as I expected to be. The beautiful sunny day might have helped and it was warm (67F)
Plans for the day were to tour the Rocks area, potter around Circular Quay taking the first of those iconic photos of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge then take a ferry to Manly and on our return walk across the bridge.
more later...
Jul 10th, 2012, 06:02 AM
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Super!! I can't wait to get back to SYD in two weeks! Your photos are beautiful! So many fond memories of Sydney and its gorgeous harbor. I can only 'hope' that I'm in a similar room at the Marriott, for that view you had!! Wow!!
Keep the report coming. So glad you enjoyed your trip. Are you planning your RETURN yet? haha
Carol
Keep the report coming. So glad you enjoyed your trip. Are you planning your RETURN yet? haha
Carol
Jul 10th, 2012, 02:53 PM
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<i>I briefly considered getting some serious yard work done</i>
I can't believe you even considered it
The second link works for me, thanks! We're also staying at the Marriott. Looking forward to more.
I can't believe you even considered it
The second link works for me, thanks! We're also staying at the Marriott. Looking forward to more.
Jul 10th, 2012, 04:23 PM
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Carol, we were on the 29th floor @ the Marriott directly below the lounge. The view was lovely.
The return IS already planned.. we had originally planned to visit Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns next June and this trip was an extra treat.
Patty, yeah I can't believe it either!
So Day 1..
We wandered around the outdoor market craft stalls in the Rocks area and I bought a few souvenirs including an old Australian penny set into a magnet and a cheap bag made from an animal feed sack with something written in Thai on it and an image of a chicken.
The bag was supposed to be for my daughter but I ended up using it during my stay as my camera fitted in it easily.
After an hour or so we walked back to the wharf and caught the ferry to Manly.
The ferries were a highlight of my stay and I spent this trip moving around the various decks, taking photos and admiring the water views of the bridge and Opera House.
On arrival we headed to the beach via the Corso stopping briefly at a Vodaphone shop to pick up an inexpensive phone for me with a plan that lasted until my last night in Sydney.
I actually ran out of minutes and couldn't respond to texts but could answer calls on my last morning and didn't get a chance to top up my phone!
We walked along the beach working up an appetite and Tony decided it was time for fish and chips. I wasn't hungry and my body clock wasn't sure what meal to expect so I shared a little of his lunch then caught the ferry back to Circular Quay.
We figured we had time to walk across the bridge before sunset but we only got half way before our energy levels dipped quicker than the setting sun and we called it a day at 5pm and walked back to the Marriott.
Too tired for dinner we nibbled on hors d'oeuvres in the lounge. The food was good, a nice selection of crudites, a hot dish, cheese platter and some small savoury tartlets.
I was asleep before 8pm.
Day 2
Such a great day in the Blue Mountains!
Rented a car with Avis in the hotel lobby which was so convenient and headed out after breakfast. We were on the road by 8.30 am and we first visited Wentworth Falls, walked to a couple of viewpoints. It was rather chilly and my teeth were chattering but fortunately it warmed up as the day wore on. Seeing the rainbow parrots and other birds was a treat
more later!
The return IS already planned.. we had originally planned to visit Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns next June and this trip was an extra treat.
Patty, yeah I can't believe it either!
So Day 1..
We wandered around the outdoor market craft stalls in the Rocks area and I bought a few souvenirs including an old Australian penny set into a magnet and a cheap bag made from an animal feed sack with something written in Thai on it and an image of a chicken.
The bag was supposed to be for my daughter but I ended up using it during my stay as my camera fitted in it easily.
After an hour or so we walked back to the wharf and caught the ferry to Manly.
The ferries were a highlight of my stay and I spent this trip moving around the various decks, taking photos and admiring the water views of the bridge and Opera House.
On arrival we headed to the beach via the Corso stopping briefly at a Vodaphone shop to pick up an inexpensive phone for me with a plan that lasted until my last night in Sydney.
I actually ran out of minutes and couldn't respond to texts but could answer calls on my last morning and didn't get a chance to top up my phone!
We walked along the beach working up an appetite and Tony decided it was time for fish and chips. I wasn't hungry and my body clock wasn't sure what meal to expect so I shared a little of his lunch then caught the ferry back to Circular Quay.
We figured we had time to walk across the bridge before sunset but we only got half way before our energy levels dipped quicker than the setting sun and we called it a day at 5pm and walked back to the Marriott.
Too tired for dinner we nibbled on hors d'oeuvres in the lounge. The food was good, a nice selection of crudites, a hot dish, cheese platter and some small savoury tartlets.
I was asleep before 8pm.
Day 2
Such a great day in the Blue Mountains!
Rented a car with Avis in the hotel lobby which was so convenient and headed out after breakfast. We were on the road by 8.30 am and we first visited Wentworth Falls, walked to a couple of viewpoints. It was rather chilly and my teeth were chattering but fortunately it warmed up as the day wore on. Seeing the rainbow parrots and other birds was a treat
more later!
Jul 11th, 2012, 06:12 PM
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Carol, You'll probably get a room with a great view (they have Opera House views too if you prefer).
My husband has lowly Gold status with Marriott and we were very happy with our stay.
Too tired to add more tonight due to the combination of jet lag and return to the daily grind.
My husband has lowly Gold status with Marriott and we were very happy with our stay.
Too tired to add more tonight due to the combination of jet lag and return to the daily grind.
Jul 12th, 2012, 07:33 AM
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Thanks Peteralan and Florida1, The return trip is 'planned' but not booked yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything pans out.
Carol, both views would be fantastic and you'll get that just by visiting the lounge. I preferred the Harbour Bridge view from the lounge as the Opera view can be a little too bright in the mornings when you're looking into the sun.
So back to the Blue Mountains..
We were feeling peckish after our walk around the Wentworth Falls lookouts (Princes Rock Lookout and Weeping Rock/ Queens Cascade) so we stopped in Leura around 11.30 am. With eyes peeled we drove through the main street looking for a parking place and found one just past the The Bakehouse at Wentworth.
We intended to get just coffee but the pies looked tempting and while queuing to get coffee we saw them rapidly snapped up by other customers. Tony was lucky enough to score the last sausage roll and I chose the curried vegetable pie. Sausage roll was deemed excellent and the pie was good. The bread and pastries also made on the premises looked tempting too and the place was full by the time we finished our coffee and left for Echo Point.
We stopped at Sublime Point lookout en route.
We weren't prepared for how busy Echo Point was going to be. There had been a few other people at Wentworth Falls but when we reached EP around noon it was packed. Cars were lined along the roads and we were lucky to find a space in a car park nearby ($4 for an hour).
We enjoyed the spectacular views of the Three Sisters from a couple of different vantage points and took the necessary photos. I was disappointed we didn't have more time to hike in the area as we saw people climbing between the Three Sisters.
Tempting as it was to set off on a trail I had to consider that DH had work the following day and he wanted to be back in Sydney before dark. Maybe next time!
Popped into the information centre and souvenir shop to pick up a few postcards and ask about Govett's Leap and the route to Blackheath and then pressed on.
Govett's Leap was thankfully less busy (no tour buses) so after admiring the view from the top viewpoint we studied the information provided and decided we had time to walk along one of the trails to another view point so we step off on the track to Pulpit Rock.
A family of 4 were just returning to the parking lot and I noticed how muddy their feet were but somehow it didn't really register that this was ahead of us!
The trail quickly became rather wet and muddy and we squelched along avoiding the puddles as best we could.
We caught up with a group of 3 and commented on the mud and one guy pointed to his feet. He was wearing crocs! Those socks won't be fit to wear again I told him and he laughed adding that his suitcase would be lighter going home.
We pressed on and the views were definitely worth it. At one point we could just see both falls. I was determined to photograph the birds that were flitting about and had limited success due to the mud. I didn't want to lose my footing that I was certain of.
We've hiked in lots of places and I'm pretty sure if this had been in any US National Park there would have been warning signs everywhere or more likely the trail would have been closed and if it had been in Iceland then the guardrails along the edge that we were very grateful for would not have been there!
So Australia seems to be somewhere in the middle LOL.
We drove back to Sydney and I spotted two cockatoos on the way but only managed to catch a tail feather in my viewfinder! Saw a sign for kangaroos on the road for the next 2km and even though I sent up all sorts of prayers, offerings to any and every deity that I could think of we did not see one. Thank goodness for the Taronga Zoo!
More later as life intervenes again...
Carol, both views would be fantastic and you'll get that just by visiting the lounge. I preferred the Harbour Bridge view from the lounge as the Opera view can be a little too bright in the mornings when you're looking into the sun.
So back to the Blue Mountains..
We were feeling peckish after our walk around the Wentworth Falls lookouts (Princes Rock Lookout and Weeping Rock/ Queens Cascade) so we stopped in Leura around 11.30 am. With eyes peeled we drove through the main street looking for a parking place and found one just past the The Bakehouse at Wentworth.
We intended to get just coffee but the pies looked tempting and while queuing to get coffee we saw them rapidly snapped up by other customers. Tony was lucky enough to score the last sausage roll and I chose the curried vegetable pie. Sausage roll was deemed excellent and the pie was good. The bread and pastries also made on the premises looked tempting too and the place was full by the time we finished our coffee and left for Echo Point.
We stopped at Sublime Point lookout en route.
We weren't prepared for how busy Echo Point was going to be. There had been a few other people at Wentworth Falls but when we reached EP around noon it was packed. Cars were lined along the roads and we were lucky to find a space in a car park nearby ($4 for an hour).
We enjoyed the spectacular views of the Three Sisters from a couple of different vantage points and took the necessary photos. I was disappointed we didn't have more time to hike in the area as we saw people climbing between the Three Sisters.
Tempting as it was to set off on a trail I had to consider that DH had work the following day and he wanted to be back in Sydney before dark. Maybe next time!
Popped into the information centre and souvenir shop to pick up a few postcards and ask about Govett's Leap and the route to Blackheath and then pressed on.
Govett's Leap was thankfully less busy (no tour buses) so after admiring the view from the top viewpoint we studied the information provided and decided we had time to walk along one of the trails to another view point so we step off on the track to Pulpit Rock.
A family of 4 were just returning to the parking lot and I noticed how muddy their feet were but somehow it didn't really register that this was ahead of us!
The trail quickly became rather wet and muddy and we squelched along avoiding the puddles as best we could.
We caught up with a group of 3 and commented on the mud and one guy pointed to his feet. He was wearing crocs! Those socks won't be fit to wear again I told him and he laughed adding that his suitcase would be lighter going home.
We pressed on and the views were definitely worth it. At one point we could just see both falls. I was determined to photograph the birds that were flitting about and had limited success due to the mud. I didn't want to lose my footing that I was certain of.
We've hiked in lots of places and I'm pretty sure if this had been in any US National Park there would have been warning signs everywhere or more likely the trail would have been closed and if it had been in Iceland then the guardrails along the edge that we were very grateful for would not have been there!
So Australia seems to be somewhere in the middle LOL.
We drove back to Sydney and I spotted two cockatoos on the way but only managed to catch a tail feather in my viewfinder! Saw a sign for kangaroos on the road for the next 2km and even though I sent up all sorts of prayers, offerings to any and every deity that I could think of we did not see one. Thank goodness for the Taronga Zoo!
More later as life intervenes again...
Jul 12th, 2012, 02:57 PM
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After reading this section of your report, sassy_cat, I think we might have to include Blue Mountains in our itinerary. We had a very quick look-through many years ago, but sounds like it deserves a better look.
I sympathise with the last paragraph- have had those experiences so often!
I sympathise with the last paragraph- have had those experiences so often!
Jul 13th, 2012, 12:14 PM
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Hi dottyp, I knew I wanted to see the Blue Mountains and even though it was winter we really enjoyed our short visit. If you go in October it will be even better I'm sure!
Day 3 I was left to my own devices as my husband left for work around 7am. We were checking out of the Marriott and into the Westin so we had packed the night before. Tony put the cases in the back of the car (he'd needed to keep the car for the week after all so it was handy to leave our luggage in the boot).
I had arranged a late check out at the Marriott (3pm) and an early check in at the Westin to make things easier! I just had my small backpack to carry but decided to leave it an go out after breakfast.
I didn't have any major plans today so I strolled to the Opera House thinking I should maximise my time in this area before we moved further away from Circular Quay.
Then after a few view shots I walked into the Botanical Gardens and around to Mrs. Macquaries Point and Chair... more photos and I took several for others with their cameras.
I like to offer to take photos for groups of people so everyone is included and often they are very grateful. Sometimes they don't speak much English and it's funny explaining in sign language what I'm attempting to do.
Two women were very pleased with their photo and I admired the lace parasol that one of them. They then offered to take my photo for me and lent me the parasol for the shot!
I enjoyed the gardens even in winter as there were lots of birds; some with interesting calls that I attempted to photograph.
I had lunch at Botanic the restaurant in the gardens around 1pm and returned to the Marriott around 2pm to grab one last coffee in the lounge, pack up and check out.
30 mins later I was at the Westin and we were upgraded to a very nice tower room on the 26th floor. The view was of the clocktower and surrounding buildings with a glimpse of blue water in the distance.
I really liked the Westin room especially the bathroom which was very modern with a glass window between it and the bedroom complete with a motorised blind for privacy!
The tub was excellent and so was the rain shower but the shower could only be used for s minute or two before the bathroom flooded as the water pressure was so strong and the drain just couldn't cope.
Overall this was a better room but I missed the view from the Marriott. We didn't have lounge access here but our rate included breakfast and the buffet @ Mosaic was excellent. There was a 'superfoods' section with fresh juice concoctions that I really enjoyed. Kiwi with mint and watermelon splash were my favourites. The breads and pastries made in house were always very fresh, well presented and most importantly tasted divine.
I spent the afternoon relaxing, tried out the tub and Tony got back in time for dinner so we ate downstairs in the GPO. We shared a wood fired pizza and some olives. Good but not something I'd go out of my way for.
Day 4 (Tues) A great full day out. After breakfast I walked to Circular Quay and caught the ferry to Taronga zoo. This ferry was much smaller than the Manly only but it was fairly empty and I enjoyed the views. I arrived at the zoo about 30 mins before it opened. Caught the bus to the main entrance and paid $44 entry.
I started by taking the cable car for a round trip. Nice views of the city at the bottom but you don't get to see many animals.
I didn't expect to enjoy the zoo as much as I did but getting to stroke a kangaroo made my day! I loved the zoo and spent almost 4 hours here walking around, back tracking at times and spending most of my time in the Australian section.
I caught the ferry back and jumped on a bus to Bondi as it was leaving. I was a little too quick putting my ticket in the machine and it jammed as the card was the wrong way round.. oops.
The bus driver was nice and said oh just sit down and everyone boarding after me used the spare machine.
Getting off I asked nervously about my Multipass and the driver was surprised as she thought I'd used a single ticket. She spent couple of minutes writing down my hotel details and then scribbling a note on another ticket to say I'd lost mine and to allow me free travel until it was returned.
I was very sceptical of ever seeing my ticket again but around midnight the following day it was pushed under my hotel room door. Where else in the world would that happen?? I was amazed! And the scribbled note I used in the meantime worked like a charm
Meanwhile Bondi Beach was a little cool and very breezy so after a quick brisk walk on the beach I decided to postpone my coastal walk and I found a small coffee shop with a view.
I regretted postponing as when I did get around to walking to Bronte it was far windier and there were a couple of showers too but as the weather had been so good so far I assumed I would continue to be so lucky! Well, I did get to see rainbows so I suppose the rain was worth it too.
More later.. I'll have to finish this up as I have a busy weekend and I'm going away next week so I'll be more concise.
Day 3 I was left to my own devices as my husband left for work around 7am. We were checking out of the Marriott and into the Westin so we had packed the night before. Tony put the cases in the back of the car (he'd needed to keep the car for the week after all so it was handy to leave our luggage in the boot).
I had arranged a late check out at the Marriott (3pm) and an early check in at the Westin to make things easier! I just had my small backpack to carry but decided to leave it an go out after breakfast.
I didn't have any major plans today so I strolled to the Opera House thinking I should maximise my time in this area before we moved further away from Circular Quay.
Then after a few view shots I walked into the Botanical Gardens and around to Mrs. Macquaries Point and Chair... more photos and I took several for others with their cameras.
I like to offer to take photos for groups of people so everyone is included and often they are very grateful. Sometimes they don't speak much English and it's funny explaining in sign language what I'm attempting to do.
Two women were very pleased with their photo and I admired the lace parasol that one of them. They then offered to take my photo for me and lent me the parasol for the shot!
I enjoyed the gardens even in winter as there were lots of birds; some with interesting calls that I attempted to photograph.
I had lunch at Botanic the restaurant in the gardens around 1pm and returned to the Marriott around 2pm to grab one last coffee in the lounge, pack up and check out.
30 mins later I was at the Westin and we were upgraded to a very nice tower room on the 26th floor. The view was of the clocktower and surrounding buildings with a glimpse of blue water in the distance.
I really liked the Westin room especially the bathroom which was very modern with a glass window between it and the bedroom complete with a motorised blind for privacy!
The tub was excellent and so was the rain shower but the shower could only be used for s minute or two before the bathroom flooded as the water pressure was so strong and the drain just couldn't cope.
Overall this was a better room but I missed the view from the Marriott. We didn't have lounge access here but our rate included breakfast and the buffet @ Mosaic was excellent. There was a 'superfoods' section with fresh juice concoctions that I really enjoyed. Kiwi with mint and watermelon splash were my favourites. The breads and pastries made in house were always very fresh, well presented and most importantly tasted divine.
I spent the afternoon relaxing, tried out the tub and Tony got back in time for dinner so we ate downstairs in the GPO. We shared a wood fired pizza and some olives. Good but not something I'd go out of my way for.
Day 4 (Tues) A great full day out. After breakfast I walked to Circular Quay and caught the ferry to Taronga zoo. This ferry was much smaller than the Manly only but it was fairly empty and I enjoyed the views. I arrived at the zoo about 30 mins before it opened. Caught the bus to the main entrance and paid $44 entry.
I started by taking the cable car for a round trip. Nice views of the city at the bottom but you don't get to see many animals.
I didn't expect to enjoy the zoo as much as I did but getting to stroke a kangaroo made my day! I loved the zoo and spent almost 4 hours here walking around, back tracking at times and spending most of my time in the Australian section.
I caught the ferry back and jumped on a bus to Bondi as it was leaving. I was a little too quick putting my ticket in the machine and it jammed as the card was the wrong way round.. oops.
The bus driver was nice and said oh just sit down and everyone boarding after me used the spare machine.
Getting off I asked nervously about my Multipass and the driver was surprised as she thought I'd used a single ticket. She spent couple of minutes writing down my hotel details and then scribbling a note on another ticket to say I'd lost mine and to allow me free travel until it was returned.
I was very sceptical of ever seeing my ticket again but around midnight the following day it was pushed under my hotel room door. Where else in the world would that happen?? I was amazed! And the scribbled note I used in the meantime worked like a charm
Meanwhile Bondi Beach was a little cool and very breezy so after a quick brisk walk on the beach I decided to postpone my coastal walk and I found a small coffee shop with a view.
I regretted postponing as when I did get around to walking to Bronte it was far windier and there were a couple of showers too but as the weather had been so good so far I assumed I would continue to be so lucky! Well, I did get to see rainbows so I suppose the rain was worth it too.
More later.. I'll have to finish this up as I have a busy weekend and I'm going away next week so I'll be more concise.
Jul 13th, 2012, 02:11 PM
#20
Good story about the bus ticket, Saasy_cat, someone went out if their way to get it back to you- nice one!
This is a terrific trip report, lots of info & wonderful photos. I offer to take photos for others too and it's funny sometimes trying to get the message across, isn't it?
Looking forward to the rest of your travels.
This is a terrific trip report, lots of info & wonderful photos. I offer to take photos for others too and it's funny sometimes trying to get the message across, isn't it?
Looking forward to the rest of your travels.
