Sydney - Visit 1

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Trip Start Feb 13, 2008 Previous
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  Sydney, Australia
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Well my luck certainly ran out with the Greyhound Coaches last night. The coach left Byron Bay at 21.25 last night 30 minutes late. The driver was a miserable bastard ( only way to describe him ) So no one person to two seats have had on other legs of the journey. Anyway 13 hours and 3 stops later we arrive in Sydney. Was  noticeably cooler and overcast on the Tuesday morning, but to get that in context it was probably still in the mid twenty degrees. The hostel was about a 15 minute walk from the coach station. A massive place, old building, small room, quite similar to the one is Brisbane, but as it is only for 2 nights will do fine. Also once I start exploring I realise it is in a really great location.
Spend the rest having a look about. It does start to rain late afternoon, which scuppered my plans, as have picked a few things to do from my faithful lonely planet guide, and it suggests walking to the Sydney Opera house via Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens

And again

. I skip the parks and decide to walk through the city, as it is more sheltered and I am out in just shorts and t shirt. All of a sudden I walk round a corner and Sydney Harbour Bridge is the first thing I see, then the water, and then Sydney Opera House. I think once you see that you certainly know you are here!! It really is a spectacular sight. It was finished in the early 70's, and was well ahead of its time, because it still looks so new and totally modern. Went for a sandwich and a beer, and it stopped raining about 7pm. Hung around in the harbour and got some great photos of before and after sunset. The whole area looks even more impressive as it gets lit up.
Walk back to the hostel in about 25 minutes. There are loads and loads of chinese/ thai places to eat. And have a really nice chinese meal and a beer for about $14 - cant be bad in a city centre. Enjoyed the day, but resolve that if the weather is better tomorrow I will do the recommended walk through the parks etc, and go and have another look.
Wednesday I lay in the latest I think I have the whole time I have been away. Think it might be a catch up from my broken efforts of sleeping on the coach. But by the time I am up and out of the hostel it is 11am.
I walk through Hyde Park and have a short stop at the New South Wales Art Gallery. I then walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens, that are famous for their flying foxes ( look like bats to me !

Needs no introduction

! ) I exit the park through the Elizabeth gate and find I am right at the Opera House again. Today is bright and sunny, and it looks more impressive than the first time I saw it yesterday, with the light reflecting off its famous peaks. I then walk round the harbour and get some good pictures of the bridge. I manage to zoom right in to get the best picture I can of the people that are doing the bridge climb. Which is basically a hikealong the top curve of the bridge which is semi - circular in shape - so once they get to the middle, they are up at the highest point. I would imagine the views up there would be absolutley stunning though and worth the near $200 dollars it costs to do it!
I then jump on a ferry to Manley which is just further north along the bay ( about 7 km ) takes about 30 minutes and spend the afternoon there. The views crossing the harbour are brilliant, it is such a beautiful place whith all sorts of contrasting scenery.
There is a great beach,a wharf, lots of little shops, bars etc. the place is basically a cape north of Sydney harbour.
Spend a couple of hours on the beach. Then head back to Sydney harbour on the ferry.
Had a beer again at the bar right opposite the opera house, and made a couple of stops in bars etc along the walk back to the hostel. Sorted my stuff out ready to go to Sydney Airport in the morning to get a plane to Tasmania. Am really, really looking forward to that. Will then have my second visit to Sydney for another couple of nights.........

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People on the Bridge Climb

Sydney Harbour

Sydney harbour Bridge

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