This video was taken in Milford Sound, New Zealand. I think the dolphin was having more fun than I was having.
19 January 2010
18 January 2010
Groundhog Day/Back to the Future - January 18, 2010 (U.S.)
The culmination of our trip would make both Bill Murray and Michael J. Fox proud. Making up for the day we lost on our way here, we would experience both Groundhog Day and Back to the Future (the first two movies, the third movie doesn’t exist to me).
Our flight departed Sydney on Monday at 3:35PM and we stopped in San Francisco on Monday at 11:00AM after being in the air for 12 hours. Great Scott, Marty! We then connected on a flight that returned us back to NYC on Monday at around 8:30PM.
A little abstract to wrap your head around. But actually going through the date-line changes and replay of days, and quasi-time travel without 1.21 Gigawatts, makes the mechanics all too real. And tiring.
Our skin had been thinned by the warm weather. So we didn’t welcome the cold embrace of the North East.
Nicolle has only two words about the flight back home: unwelcome turbulence.
Sightseeing in Sydney - January 17, 2010 (Australia)
We had an exhausting day today in Sydney, using all forms of public transportation and our legs to get around the city. We started by walking from our hotel in the southern part of the city through Hyde Park and a second large park called, “The Domain.” This second park reminded me of a smaller version of Central Park, with a summer concert series held on Saturday nights. We headed to the waterfront from The Domain, thus walking along the harbour and the Botanic Gardens, which encompasses most of the northern section of the city up to the Sydney Opera House.
We reached our first view of the Opera House from an area called Mrs. Macquaries Point at the northern tip of the Botanic Gardens. We took a few photos from this area before continuing along the waterfront/Botanic Gardens to the Opera House.
We went inside the Opera House to check out tour prices and what shows they had for the day. The forecast stated it would be nice during the day with 90% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Unfortunately for us, the 8pm showing of a Brazilian music, dance and capoeira performance was sold out. There were tickets available for the 2pm show, but we didn’t want to miss out on the beautiful day.
We left the Opera House and continued along the water to Circular Quay (pronounced KEY). This area is where all the ferry terminals are and there was a cruise ship docked here as well. Our walk along the water continued to an area called the Rocks, which had a downtown Newport feel to it with outdoor cafes and streets lined with little shops.
From The Rocks we got onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked across, getting a few more photo opportunities of the Opera House and downtown areas.
Since we purchased an unlimited train, bus and ferry pass for the day, we decided to give our legs a break and take the ferry back to the Harbour side of the bridge. Along the ride, we saw a submarine, sailboat and battleship at the Maritime Museum.
Instead of continuing on the ferry back to Circular Quay, we decided to try the rail system. It was strange to step onto wooden escalators and even stranger to get on a double decker train. The seats were innovative, allowing you to flip them from facing one direction to the other. Part of the ride on the train was underground and part of it was above ground.
Once we got back to Circular Quay, we decided to take another ferry and enjoy a 30 minute ride past the Opera House to the northern beach called Manly Beach. The weather cooperated with our plans and we had a much nicer beach day than yesterday at Bondi Beach. Unfortunately, the water was pretty cold, so we lounged in the shade, relaxing and watching beach volleyball.
We did a short coastal walk to check out Manly Beach and its surrounding coves. There was an area with a swimming pool near the ocean rocks where we took a quick dip to cool off. There were also areas where people were snorkeling and a sheltered cove with really calm waters where many of the families were enjoying the beach.
Once the clouds started rolling in it was about time for dinner. I enjoyed a hamburger and Colin tried prawns (shrimp) in an outdoor restaurant.
The ride back to Sydney Harbour was calm and we reached our destination just prior to sunset.
Because it was our last full day of vacation, we decided to check out the city at night. Our adventure brought us to Darling Harbour, an area that seemed landscaped for the 2000 Olympics. There were some really nice fountains and lights all along the water.
We also took one last look at the Opera House and Bridge by night before retiring back to our hotel room. Sadly, we had to pack our bags to be ready for our flight back to the States. It was a good last day in Sydney, and I am not looking forward to the long travel back home.
We reached our first view of the Opera House from an area called Mrs. Macquaries Point at the northern tip of the Botanic Gardens. We took a few photos from this area before continuing along the waterfront/Botanic Gardens to the Opera House.
We went inside the Opera House to check out tour prices and what shows they had for the day. The forecast stated it would be nice during the day with 90% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Unfortunately for us, the 8pm showing of a Brazilian music, dance and capoeira performance was sold out. There were tickets available for the 2pm show, but we didn’t want to miss out on the beautiful day.
We left the Opera House and continued along the water to Circular Quay (pronounced KEY). This area is where all the ferry terminals are and there was a cruise ship docked here as well. Our walk along the water continued to an area called the Rocks, which had a downtown Newport feel to it with outdoor cafes and streets lined with little shops.
From The Rocks we got onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked across, getting a few more photo opportunities of the Opera House and downtown areas.
Since we purchased an unlimited train, bus and ferry pass for the day, we decided to give our legs a break and take the ferry back to the Harbour side of the bridge. Along the ride, we saw a submarine, sailboat and battleship at the Maritime Museum.
Instead of continuing on the ferry back to Circular Quay, we decided to try the rail system. It was strange to step onto wooden escalators and even stranger to get on a double decker train. The seats were innovative, allowing you to flip them from facing one direction to the other. Part of the ride on the train was underground and part of it was above ground.
Once we got back to Circular Quay, we decided to take another ferry and enjoy a 30 minute ride past the Opera House to the northern beach called Manly Beach. The weather cooperated with our plans and we had a much nicer beach day than yesterday at Bondi Beach. Unfortunately, the water was pretty cold, so we lounged in the shade, relaxing and watching beach volleyball.
We did a short coastal walk to check out Manly Beach and its surrounding coves. There was an area with a swimming pool near the ocean rocks where we took a quick dip to cool off. There were also areas where people were snorkeling and a sheltered cove with really calm waters where many of the families were enjoying the beach.
Once the clouds started rolling in it was about time for dinner. I enjoyed a hamburger and Colin tried prawns (shrimp) in an outdoor restaurant.
The ride back to Sydney Harbour was calm and we reached our destination just prior to sunset.
Because it was our last full day of vacation, we decided to check out the city at night. Our adventure brought us to Darling Harbour, an area that seemed landscaped for the 2000 Olympics. There were some really nice fountains and lights all along the water.
We also took one last look at the Opera House and Bridge by night before retiring back to our hotel room. Sadly, we had to pack our bags to be ready for our flight back to the States. It was a good last day in Sydney, and I am not looking forward to the long travel back home.
17 January 2010
First Day in Sydney - January 16, 2010
Once again, we had to be up very early this morning to catch our flight from Brisbane to Sydney. A 7:15am flight meant getting up at 5:30 to catch the 6:04 train. Once we were out of the hostel, the morning passed very quickly. We caught the train on time, arrived at the Jetstar domestic terminal 45 minutes before the flight, and breezed through security onto the plane. Had we driven from Brisbane to Sydney, it would have taken about 12 hours, but our flight was less than an hour and a half.
Upon reaching Sydney, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and went out to explore the city. Unfortunately for us, the YHA hostels in Sydney were more expensive than a three star hotel, so we decided on a hotel that is a 10 minute walk from the city center. First, we hit up a market in a section of the city called Glebe, an area very similar to Williamsburg, BK with all it’s hipness and trendiness.
Once we finished at the market, we decided to enjoy the rest of the day at Bondi Beach. We caught a bus that deposited us back in the city center so we could transfer to another bus to Bondi. Unfortunately, buses don’t give transfers, so we lost a few dollars in the process. Colin was disappointed in the bus system, especially when our bus drivers all seemed to hate their jobs and most could not tell us information about reaching our destination.
We finally reached Bondi around 2:30pm, just as some hazy clouds were rolling in. It was actually perfect since we both wanted a nice nap on the beach!
Once we rested a bit, we were off for some shopping and exploring. Bondi seems to be hit by the recession – I found some of the cheapest prices on items. One employee even told me the hours of the store change based on whether or not people are out late.
I had to take a photo of the water fountain, or as they call them in Australia, “bubbler” – just like my Rhode Island roots!!
After our shopping adventure we decided to grab some dinner at a pub off the side road. We were so hungry that we ordered two entrees and an appetizer! In hindsight, it was way too much, but the pub specialized in Mexican food, and their guacamole was divine.
We had heard there was an amazing cliffwalk from Bondi Beach to it’s southern neighbor beach. It was getting late by the time we finished dinner, but we decided to check out part of the walk. It reminded me of the cliffwalk in Newport, RI. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do the whole thing because it was dark. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!!
We managed to catch the correct bus back to the downtown area of Sydney, where we walked back to the hotel. It was so nice to have a room to ourselves where we could keep the air conditioning on. Too bad the train passed pretty close by – but I think we were so tired it didn’t really keep us from sleeping.
Tomorrow the plan is to see the touristy areas of Sydney by making our way to the Opera House and the Bridge.
Upon reaching Sydney, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and went out to explore the city. Unfortunately for us, the YHA hostels in Sydney were more expensive than a three star hotel, so we decided on a hotel that is a 10 minute walk from the city center. First, we hit up a market in a section of the city called Glebe, an area very similar to Williamsburg, BK with all it’s hipness and trendiness.
Once we finished at the market, we decided to enjoy the rest of the day at Bondi Beach. We caught a bus that deposited us back in the city center so we could transfer to another bus to Bondi. Unfortunately, buses don’t give transfers, so we lost a few dollars in the process. Colin was disappointed in the bus system, especially when our bus drivers all seemed to hate their jobs and most could not tell us information about reaching our destination.
We finally reached Bondi around 2:30pm, just as some hazy clouds were rolling in. It was actually perfect since we both wanted a nice nap on the beach!
Once we rested a bit, we were off for some shopping and exploring. Bondi seems to be hit by the recession – I found some of the cheapest prices on items. One employee even told me the hours of the store change based on whether or not people are out late.
I had to take a photo of the water fountain, or as they call them in Australia, “bubbler” – just like my Rhode Island roots!!
After our shopping adventure we decided to grab some dinner at a pub off the side road. We were so hungry that we ordered two entrees and an appetizer! In hindsight, it was way too much, but the pub specialized in Mexican food, and their guacamole was divine.
We had heard there was an amazing cliffwalk from Bondi Beach to it’s southern neighbor beach. It was getting late by the time we finished dinner, but we decided to check out part of the walk. It reminded me of the cliffwalk in Newport, RI. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do the whole thing because it was dark. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!!
We managed to catch the correct bus back to the downtown area of Sydney, where we walked back to the hotel. It was so nice to have a room to ourselves where we could keep the air conditioning on. Too bad the train passed pretty close by – but I think we were so tired it didn’t really keep us from sleeping.
Tomorrow the plan is to see the touristy areas of Sydney by making our way to the Opera House and the Bridge.
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