Sydney to Honolulu

Another day of travel. Our flight left Sydney around 6 pm on Friday, so thankfully we didn't have to get up super early. In fact, we had most of the day to enjoy Sydney still. We started our day off by video chatting with my extended family since it was Thanksgiving evening in Michigan. In Australia we live in the future. It was chaotic, but nice to catch up with everyone. Brandon was also able to give Thanksgiving wishes to his parents. 

Since we'd be sitting in an airplane for awhile, we decided to get outside and go for a hike. We had heard of a coastal walk from Bondi Beach south to Bronte Beach, so we walked from our place over to Bondi to start. It was a beautiful, cooler day since the wind had changed from coming from the North to the South. 

Rose Bay to Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach walk

The coastal walk began at the South corner of Bondi Beach. There was also an impressive swimming pool there at the ocean edge. The wind and waves were high, so seawater was crashing into the pool which was fun to watch. 

Bondi Beach

Seawater pounding the swimming pool

We continued our walk taking in views of Bondi Beach. We walked through a few public parks and around Mackenzies Bay. We ended up being more tired than we thought, so when we made to Tamarama Beach we turned back. We could easily see Bronte Beach from there, so we decided that counted. 

Coastline walk

Bondi Beach beyond us

More cool coastline rock

Sculpture in a park

Senior picture pose

Mackenzies Bay

Panorama of Tamarama Beach with Bronte Beach beyond

On our way back we picked up some tiramisu gelato from Gelatissimo, a popular Sydney franchise. It was a good pre-lunch treat. Upon returning to our guesthouse we made lunch, packed, and then headed out for the airport. 

Tiramisu gelato

We didn't want to top up our Opal card and pay the airport access fee of $10 each to enter the airport via train. So, we had found a few blogs with instructions on how to get off the train one station earlier and walk to the international airport. We set off determined to find our way. We caught a bus from Rose Bay to Edgecliffe and then a train from Edgecliffe to Wolli Creek. The fares worked out perfectly and we only had 50 cents left on our Opal cards. Success! 

Following the instructions from this blog we exited the Wolli Creek station and made our way to the international airport. The path was paved the entire way and part of it went through a nice city park. It was also flat terrain, which was a relief with our bags; Sydney has surprised us with how hilly it is compared to Melbourne. On the way we saw a few airport workers who weren't keen on paying the airport station access fee either. At one point there was even a sign clearly directing backpackers to the airport! Sydney must have decided that if people were going to take the trouble to walk and avoid the fee they might as well direct them. In all, the walk was about 30 minutes from station to Jetstar's check in desk. Not bad since it was cool and breezy. We wouldn't recommend the walk if it was scorching hot or raining. 

Signs to help backpackers like us walk into the airport

As we flew out of Sydney we were able to get some awesome aerial views of the city below. 

Skyscrapers of the Sydney city center

Sydney Harbor. A white speck of the Sydney Opera House can be seen in the upper right.  

Brandon snapped an artsy profile of me

Everything went smoothly with our flight and we arrived in Honolulu around 6:30 am on Friday. We crossed the international dateline, so we get to re-live Friday! We're no longer in the future. In fact, we're now living in the past compared to our family in the Midwest. We're trying not too sleep too much so that our bodies adjust as quickly as possible to the new time. 

Arrival into Honolulu 

We're looking forward to returning to Michigan and Midwest friends and family and a more Christmas-like feel. But, for now we'll enjoy our 10 days back on American soil in tropical Oahu! 

Bondi Beach

After our extensive adventures around Sydney yesterday, and having both been not feeling the best the past couple days, we decided we needed a much more restful day. So we let ourselves sleep-in, relax, and enjoy a slower-paced morning. It was quite nice and just what Katie and I needed. We both feel a ton better. So this afternoon we sun screened up, put on our swimsuits, and took a stroll to check out the famous Bondi Beach, which is only a 25 or so minute walk from where we're staying in Rose Bay. 

A cool looking Physical Therapy clinic we came across on our walk to the beach. We actually came across several. Apparently the Bondi lifestyle is prone to injury.

It started out a little rough because as soon as we finally stepped outside we were greeted with a blast of heat. As it turns out it was over 100F! But we trekked on knowing that our hike wasn't that long and was mostly shaded. And eventually we got there, found a spot to set our stuff down on the massive Bondi Beach near the designated swimming area, and then jumped in the water. Yes, even Katie got in the water despite recently developing a slight "fear" or concern of sharks due to some beaches here having nets to prevent shark attacks. This beach did not have shark nets, but there were enough people in the water that she thought her chances of survival were good enough to test the waters. The water was quite frigid. Colder than what we experienced in Melbourne even. But on the plus side this made the extreme heat much more bearable. 

Left side of Bondi Beach

Right side of Bondi Beach

After playing in the water a bit, we decided to lay out like all the cool kids were doing. This was quite the challenge after awhile since the wind started to pick up significantly and we were getting pelted with sand. We knew that a cold front was supposed to eventually come through since tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70's F. Well as it turns out, the cold front was coming sooner than we thought. That was okay though. We got in a good hour of really hot beach time before it became overcast and cooled down. We jumped backed in the water to try to get the sand off and then took a little beach walk. 

Taking a walk along Bondi Beach

The weather system moving in brought lots of cloud cover.

By the end of our walk on the beach we actually started to feel cold. There were bursts of cold air coming from the south now. We decided to turn our walk up towards the city to find some food. 

A cool looking skate park we came across on our walk to find food. It made me wish I had a skateboard with me. But then again that pool/bowl section is way past my skill level. I probably would have just chickened out.

This is where we wanted to eat. We had heard they had really interesting and unique tacos. And they had the whole facial hair theme going. Maybe I could get a discount? Sounds perfect! Well sadly they were temporarily closed due to some mishap with their license. 

But we didn't let that stop us from our mission of finding tacos. We wandered around Bondi and eventually found another quality taco place: Beach Burrito Company!

It was a very cool setup. They had an interesting mix of surfer/skater and Mexican themes.

3 of the 6 kinds of tacos we tried. All were tasty in their own way, but our favorite was the pork taco. 

We then debated whether to try to find dessert in Bondi or to head back to our place. Katie had really been wanting some gelato and Bondi had a few places to choose from. But given that the weather was still turning colder and windier, plus some sprinkles of rain, we decided getting home sounded best. So we did just that, got showered, and rested a bit more. But before the night was done we walked down the street and checked out what the nearby grocery stores had to offer. That's right, we have 2 small grocery stores within 2 blocks of where we are living again. These Airbnb places have been awesome. Anyway, back to my story. We eventually found some ice cream that would fulfill Katie's sweet-tooth craving, took it home, and partook in the deliciousness as we wrapped up our night with a few games of Hanabi. 

The temperature drop that happened while we were out today. Australian weather be crazy.

Triple Chocolate Brownie. We both agreed that this was the best grocery-store-bought ice cream we've had here in Australia! 

And that's all. Overall it was a great way to spend our last full day in Australia.
Cheers Mate! 

A Full Day of Postcard Perfect Sydney

We only have two full days in Sydney, so we hit the ground running today. Well kind of. My last night in Melbourne was feverish followed by a stomach bug/headache for at least a day. So, we ventured off at a slower pace. 

We saw a seaplane land as we walked through Rose Bay

We started by taking the ferry from Rose Bay to Circular Quay in downtown Sydney. The ferry ride was fun and refreshing. We enjoyed the sun and wind and views of Sydney from the harbor. Sydney looks as amazing as the postcards. Really. Postcard perfect. We decided we definitely wanted to take a ferry again.  

The ferry approaching the Rose Bay dock

Ferry ride towards Sydney skyline with several huge cruise ships

Wiping my glasses from the salty spray

The fancy life of Rose Bay and Double Bay residents

Sailboats everywhere on a Wednesday. Are people paid just to sail and make Sydney look like a postcard?

The Sydney Opera House and The Harbor Bridge

A harbor-side view of The Sydney Opera House

After disembarking the ferry we walked over to the Sydney Opera House. I think it deserves its iconic status. The architecture was even more impressive up close and in-person. We checked at the ticket box and were surprised to see the symphony was playing that evening. We had looked online a few weeks ago and not seen this. The only tickets remaining were $69 apiece and right behind the conductor. The ticket seller kindly informed us these seats did not have good sound, which confirmed even more to us (besides the steep price) that tickets were just not in our future. 

The first building we saw outside of Circular Quay had a big Christmas tree in front

Proof we were at the Sydney Opera House

Proof we were at the Harbor Bridge

Here is the spot where all the measurements for the angles of the Opera House were made. So we took our pictures at the steps from this spot. 

Me atop the Opera House steps

I had no idea there was a geometric design on the arches

Between the Opera House arches

Interesting mathematics behind the Opera House design 

Bustling Opera House area

From the Sydney Opera House we ventured into the Royal Botanic Gardens. We wandered around a bit, but my energy was low so we did not get too far. Eventually we found a nice shady spot to sit and eat lunch. 

View of Royal Botanic Gardens from the Opera House steps

Brandon insisted we put this photo in. He was trying to make me pose like I was 200 years old. I refused. But as I was running away he snapped this awkward picture. It makes him very happy.

"A Folly for Mrs. Macquarie": A gazebo-like architectural piece depicting the follies of white settlement. It includes a dagger, an ax over the door, a ceiling animal bones, and barbed wire

Though the folly was a bit morbid, I did appreciate the bone depictions

Interesting sculptures

Rawr!

Royal Botanic Garden pond

Flowers of subtropic Sydney

Drinking from a water fountain from a fountain

Fancy Botanic Garden gate

Next we ambled through the city center taking in any sights we happened upon. St. Mary's Cathedral, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Hyde Park, Sydney Tower, and Queen Victoria Building were the major sights before reaching Darling Harbor. We had heard of Darling Harbor, but did not know what to expect. It looked very touristy and carnival-like, complete with an IMAX and Hard Rock Cafe, so we moved on. 

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Sphinx across from the art gallery

St Mary's Cathedral

View of the cathedral through a fountain in Hyde Park

We liked the spitting turtle in the fountain. I named him Leon.

Sydney Tower

Tree-lined path through Hyde Park

Ritzy Queen Victoria Building

Swarovski Crystal Christmas tree

We're mirrored under the opulent tree

We were amused by an intersection downtown Sydney where all pedestrian signals are green at once. Everyone walks right, left, or diagonal thru the intersection in a free for all. Probably actually quite efficient. 

Touristy Darling Harbor

Since we had enjoyed our ferry ride so much and our Opal cards (for public transit) had a $15 per day cap we decided to go to Manly. We took a train back to Circular Quay, but found that the ferry to Manly was going to be another 28 minutes. We had just missed the previous ferry. This was a theme for the day; we "just missed" most of our public transportation all day. Alas. 

I was feeling good, so we decided to head toward the Harbor Bridge. I had heard there was an Olympic swimming pool under a portion of the bridge. It seemed like a worthwhile thing to see. As it turned out, the pool was on the other side of the bridge. But, we appreciated the immensity of the bridge and enjoyed resting in the shade of the bridge pylons. As we rested we saw trains crossing the bridge and determined we should catch one of those at some point to check out the view. We also noted once again how Sydney looks like a postcard. 

Postcard view of the Opera House from The Rocks

Luna Park can be seen under the bridge from here. 

Windblown and resting next to the artillery under the bridge. 

We walked through The Rocks, a historic area of Sydney, on the way back to catch the Manly ferry. We did not find it very exciting or interesting, but there is a market there Friday thru Sunday which probably significantly adds to the allure. 

The Manly ferry ride was all we had hoped. We were able to see more of the harbor as well as the exit from the harbor to the Tasman Sea. We had gone to Manly on a whim, so we stopped in the visitor information center upon arrival. On the free map was an advertisement for Four Pines Brewery which we were familiar with from the beer festival we went to in Melbourne. We found the brewery, but decided we did not need a drink right then. Instead we went to Manly Beach. 

View from the Manly ferry

Sailboat and city skyline

More sailboats and Shark Beach (where we hiked yesterday) in the distance

The harbor opening to the Tasman Sea

Manly Beach is on the ocean side rather than the harbor side. This makes the wind and waves more fierce. Thus, Manly Beach is known for surfing. We found a shady bench and did some people watching. We watched people in a surf school try to surf. We were also amused by watching people try to eat on the beach, because the seagulls were vicious. Two men eating fish and chips were harassed by seagulls multiple times. As one of the men put a bite of food on his form, a seagull stole it from the fork. No joke. It was crazy. 

Manly Beach

After getting our fill of people watching we decided returning to Four Pines and splitting a beer would be a good splurge (Aussie craft beer prices are so high!). The brewery produces mostly light beers, but they had had some one-barrel releases on tap so we were able to try a Breakfast Porter. It was not Founders Breakfast Stout, but it was pretty good. We realized it had been over a month since we had had a quality craft brew. 

Four Pines Breakfast Porter

We hopped on the ferry back to Circular Quay and then a train to Lentil as Anything for dinner. We had been really excited for Lentil as Anything after our delicious experience in Melbourne. Unfortunately Brandon started to get a severe headache and then nausea on the journey. As I was feeling better, he was feeling worse. It seemed he had caught the bug I had. 

Lentil as Anything was super busy and hectic. Brandon was not in the mood to eat, understandably. Thankfully we were quickly seated by a window for some air. I ordered and ate quickly so we could leave. I had a Sri Lankan dish with pumpkin dahl, creamy potatoes, savory chickpeas, salad, and rice. All the different flavors meshed together well. It could not compete with the lentil burger we had last time, though. And, it was a bummer that Brandon was not feeling well. 

Despite feeling ill and wanting to return home to lie down, Brandon said he was okay to ride the train across the Harbor Bridge. This was the last thing we had wanted to do for the day, and it was difficult to skip it because we were not planning on returning to the city again (tomorrow will hopefully be a beach day). We found the correct train headed in the direction of North Sydney and looked forward to the bridge. To have the best vantage point we made sure to sit on the side of the train closest to the water and on the top deck of train. Yes, top deck. All the trains in Sydney are all double-decker! 

Double-decker train

You can choose to sit down below or up top 

I had fun crossing the water and taking in the views as the sun was setting. The pictures from a speeding train cannot do it justice. As we crossed to the north side of the bridge, Luna park was close and we could see the Olympic pool under the bridge we had been searching for earlier! 

Train speed views of the harbor

The sun was setting over the harbor 

At the North Sydney station we exited and waited for a train to return. On the return trip we could see Sydney Opera House, but admittedly the view had been better on the other side. We reached the ferry to Rose Bay just in time (the one time we did not "just miss" something) and settled in for the journey to our house. The sun had set and I was able to capture some pictures of Sydney. There was a full looking moon. Once again, postcard perfect. Way to go Sydney! 

Sydney Opera House beyond the Harbor Bridge 

Leaving Circular Quay after sunset 

Sydney Opera House with a full moon

Harbor Bridge with Luna Park all lit up underneath

We made it safely home and hoped a good night sleep would return us both to good health.