Back in Sydney

  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sunday, October 5, 2008

This will be my last blog from Aussieland. My 27-day stay in this stunning continent has just been extraordinary. The time has sped by so quickly, maybe because I did and saw so much, met so many friends and had so many wonderful experiences. 


I'm in Sydney now. I arrived on Thursday evening and the next morning, Frits arrived. We'll be travelling together for the next five weeks - that means some minor adjustments on my part I guess after having travelled on my own for the past four weeks. Well, at least I won't have to talk to myself anymore :-) On Thursday morning, we went for a long walk from our hotel in Darlinghurst to Kings Cross, Sydney's colourful red light district, then on to the super-trendy Potts Point with its gorgeous streets that are filled with lovely stores, restaurants and cafes. I especially loved the many beautiful Art Deco buildings. We then continued to Woolloomoolloo Bay (that's right, I counted: there are eight 'O's in the name!), the playground of Sydney's rich and famous. 

Woolloomoolloo Bay

  I've heard that people like Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue and Mel Gibson have apartments there. The pier is a buzzing place, with many trendy restaurants and ditto people. We sat at a cafe with a cold beer (at 33 degrees, it was pretty hot) and just people-watched. Think we saw Tom Cruise get out of a car. The paparazzi were there taking lots of pictures and everyone was looking but I couldn't tell if it was really him, except that the person kind of looked like him and was pretty short, so I guess it could've been him! 

Me @ Woolloomoolloo

  From Woolloomoolloo, we walked in the direction of the city, then through gorgeous Hyde Park back to the hotel. That evening, I surprised Frits with a dinner at Cafe Sydney; a Sydney institution, above the Customs House at Circular Quay. The food was great (delicious scallops!) and the view of the harbour was just priceless! 

Me and Frits @ Cafe Sydney

  Well, actually, I'm quite sure a 'view surcharge' was included in the price of the meal - it's times like this that I'm glad I'm from euroland! After dinner, we went for a walk around Circular Quay and were totally awed by the sight of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House basking in the floodlights. 

Harbour Bridge by night

  This is my sixth time in Sydney and I just can't get over how stunning this harbour and these iconic structures are. Just spectacular. 

The next day, we went for a walk around the malls along George Street. We walked through the magnificently restored Queen Victoria Building and bought some clothes there. We then continued to Circular Quay where we met our friends, Lyn and Johnnie, at the steps of the Opera House. We first met Lyn and Johnnie on a trip to New Zealand several years back and we've been in touch ever since. Anyway, they took us out for lunch at the Oyster Bar near the Opera House - another great meal with a priceless view! 

Fab lunch at the Oyster Bar

  The oysters were just beautiful and the swordfish was exquisite while the Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied our meal went down smoothly. We had a wonderful time just catching up and enjoying the stunning view of Sydney Harbour. We had so much to talk about and the hours just flew by. Superb food and wines; wonderful company; non-stop, lively conversation; and a breathtaking view. What more can one ask for! 

The exquisite swordfish

 

This morning, Frits and I got up early and caught the train from the Central Station up to the Blue Mountains (about two hours away) where Lyn and Johnnie live. It's when you travel by train (or looking at the city from the air) that you realise how spread-out this city is. I mean, the first hour was spent just travelling through Sydney's massive suburbs. The scenery improved after we cleared the city and started our ascent into the mountains. Johnnie was there to meet us at the station. We hopped into his car and drove a short distance to his home. What a house! It's Tudor meets medieval castle, with a moat around the front complete with drawbridges! 

Lyn and Johnnie's house

  The gardens surrounding the house were in full bloom and looked just gorgeous. Turns out, Johnnie is a collector of medieval artifacts and the house was just bursting at its seams with, among others, beautiful suits of armour. Johnnie and Lyn then took us on a drive around the Blue Mountains. We visited Echo Point where we could view the magnificent Three Sisters and the huge forest-covered canyon. 

Three Sisters

  We also drove through the lovely community of Leura with its cherry-blossom-lined main street. They then brought us back to their place where we were treated to a super-delicious lunch. 

The superb lunch at LnJ's

  Later in the afternoon, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Sydney. We had an absolutely marvelous day in the Blue Mountains with its sprawling forests, spectacular canyon and beautifully-fresh mountain air.


We're all packed up now. Thank you Lyn for pointing out to us that the clock will go forward by an hour later tonight. I'm sure we would've missed our flight if no one had told us!! :-) That would be a great story I guess but I'm not planning to miss that flight. Would you if that flight was taking you to Tahiti?!! Yes, that's where we're heading next and I'm really excited. We'll be spending a night in Papeete (Tahiti), then a few nights on Bora Bora which has been a dream destination of mine ever since I saw a picture of that lagoon in a National Geographic magazine when I was a kid. Anyway, before I sign off, I would like to say a massive thank you to Jonno, Matilda and Leighton, Balan and Mae Yin, Renate, Glenn, and Lyn and Johnnie. My stay in Australia was truly special all thanks to you!




Take care and till my next blog.




Cheers,
Keith