Sydney
Trip Start
Jun 18, 2008
1
46
72
Trip End
Ongoing
Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Warning to casual readers:
If you are one of them types of people who feel that traveling is all about being a thousand miles from civilisation, living with a previously unknown tribe of Pygmys, and wearing clothes only made of Hemp and Lentils, you may wish to stop reading now. The following entry is nothing but being very touristy in a very touristy city.
So we made it to the east coast of Australia, ending up on Botany Bay of all places, where Captain Cook himself landed in some long ago year, proclaimed the place New South Wales and promptly mooched off again. We managed to get a camping spot in Ramsgate Beach, one of the endless pleasant suburbs that make up Sydney. With access to the city centre just a 15 minute bus, then 15 minute train ride away, it was somewhat of a great spot. However, it being Australia, where they seem to have a school holiday every two hours, we ended up here at a very busy time, and could only get two full days stay. So to make the most of it, we simply became very touristy.
Both days started pretty similar to each other - jumping off the train at central station, then walking around all day until dark, getting food and then stomping back to the suburbs before the busses stopped running.
Our first day was the most active - we mooched around Darling Harbour, with it's pretty wharfside cafes and attractions (Museums etc) then hit Paddy's Market to see what cheap tat we could pick up. A lot, as it turns out. You have to respect a market where they don't even bother to lie that it's all fake goods, at fake prices.
With all my Christmas shopping done for $10, we walked through the central business district; around the olde Queen Victoria Building; through Hyde Park, watching a homeless fella beat tourists on a giant Chess board (at Chess, he didn't beat them up); up through the Royal Botantical Gardens; then around the headland to the two main sights - Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. With token snapshots of ourselves in front of icons, we then did what everyone else does and get on the ferry to the nice suburb of Manly. Back to Sydney centre, we walked down to Chinatown in time to get some cheap eats. With a huge Asian population, Sydney does have some awesome Asian food to be found, and I think on the basis of the dishes I had there, I'm defintely going to Indonesia and Malaysia at some point. Lovely stuff.
The second day started the same, only taking things more slowly (not that the previous day was exactly rushed). More walking around randomly in the nice hot sunshine. That was, until, we walked past the headquarters of our previous employers. I joke not when I say the clouds came over fast and didn't come out again for the day. With the spring taken out of our steps, we walked up around and under the Harbour bridge, around the Rocks area, and then up and across the bridge itself to the north side of Sydney, around Luna Park themepark and then jumping on the ferry back to Circular Quay. With darkness coming on fast, it again was a case of getting cheap eats then back to the campsite.
And that's it. Sorry to not have been a real traveller (by getting pissed on Bondi Beach?) but with no room at our chosen inn, we had no choice but to leave with just two days stomping around. With such a short time there, it would be unfair of me to have any real opinon of the place, but I can't help but feel it lacks something Melbourne had. I don't know what. I just get the feeling that Sydney has a certain arrogance about itself that Melbourne didn't. Sure, we didn't spend anytime off the beaten path, but it didn't strike me as a city I would want to live in. Melbourne did (add to the list New York, Adelaide, Hong Kong and London), but as I said, we weren't there long enough to get a real opinon. Sorry! .
Sydney from Botany Bay
