It's the end of my second day in Australia, and I must say that I LOVE it! Sydney is so refreshing! It's a clean and bustling city with tall office skyscrapers as well as buildings with an old English feel. Darling Harbor and Circular Quay are two of my favorite spots, both during the day and at night. From Circular Quay you can access the Botanical Gardens, the Harbor Bridge (built in the 1930s), and the city's famous icon- the Sydney Opera House. Sydney also has several large, beautiful sandy beaches that have been carved into cliffs by deep-blue water and the biggest waves I have seen.
I enjoy walking along George Street in the mornings and watching the Aussies commute to work. This includes train, metro, the bus (there are more of them on the street than cars), taxis, by foot, and on ferries across the harbor! I am fantasizing about working in Australia, and I hope that Deloitte can send me there on an extended project :)
The Aussies are extremely friendly people. So kind and helpful to travelers and tourists. Before I left the States, a friend Mr. Wuttke from Adelaide, Australia described the fashion in AUS as "grundgy". I must say... it is, and I LOVE it! Styles are not as clean cut here. In fact, there really are no styles- anything goes. Most of the Aussie women are not done up either, hardly wearing any make-up and rarely have their hair done. It's all very simple. I really like the relaxed attitude, I feel like I fit in.
Sydney is expensive. The US dollar and the AUS dollar are 1:1. However in Sydney, the prices are double and portions are halved. Think about a typical burger and fries that you can get at a tavern in Atlanta for $12. At a local Sydney grill, this meal costs $24, and you don't get the fries. I've been eating mostly sandwiches from street cafes and bakeries for lunch and dinner, while snacking on granola bars and fruit from the grocery store. There is really no Australia cuisine (other than beer and wine), but I am hoping to try some kangaroo meat and emu meat while I am here.
Things that I've done so far in Sydney include:
-Saw a show at the Sydney Opera House one night
-Walked across the Harbor Bridge for a fantastic view of Circular Quay
-Took a ferry across the harbor to Taronga Zoo to see kangaroos, koalas, and Tasmanian devils
-Visited the Sydney Olympic Pool (check!)
-Got lost in the alleys and back streets in the Rocks, a local shopping, cafe, and bar district
-Wandered along Circular Quay, a tourist hot spot, as well as George Street and the Queen Victoria Building
-Body surfed and BBQ'd at Coogee Beach
-Walked the 3.6 miles from Coogee Beach to the famous Bondi Beach along the soaring cliffs and crashing waves
-Watched surfers at Bondi Beach
Whoa Sydney Olympic pool? Thats sweet. You should make it a life goal to visit all the pools around the world that have ever hosted the Olympics! And you work for Deloitte now? Gosh we need to catch up on life... yall should stop by Ukraine on your way back to America :)
ReplyDeleteAh! This is bringing everything back, You have already been to everywhere I went in Sydney and more! Good-on-ya for visiting another olympic pool. Did you see the sweet signs all along the cliffs giving suicide help phone lines for people who want to jump the cliffs? Take tons of pictures. RRC misses you.
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