So far, all our travel has gone very smoothly, and we are headed to Katoomba and the Blue Mountains tonight, after dinner with a friend in Darlinghurst.
Upon arrival, Gia's friend, Nicole, met us at the airport and gave us the most amazing locals tour of North Sydney. We had breakfast at an amazing little beach-side restaurant called The Beach, and then went for a little known hike to the highest coastal point in N. Sydney, Bangalley Head.
After our hike, we headed down the coast for a tour of all the beaches north of Sydney, stopping in Manly to board a ferry and head to our hotel. The ferry ride wasn't much to talk about, until the last ten minutes of the ride where we had magnificent views of downtown Sydney, the iconic Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In Sydney, we stayed at the Westin, in a historical room that was once part of the Sydney Post Office. The room was very nice, but we had so much to see in town that we spent very little time there. We had dinner in the hip area under the harbour bridge, called The Rocks, which is considered Old Sydney. Luck was not on our side, however, as we were told of hour long waits for seating at the places we really wanted to try. We settled for a couple pints and some pub fair, which turned out to be smoked salmon and a delicious burger, at the recommended hotel turned pub, The Orient. j
Afterward we took a stroll along the harbour and were rewarded with amazing views of a lit-up downtown skyline.
Day Two
Australians LOVE their coffee, which works out well for a coffee snob like me! A quick walk down almost any street produces multiple options to pick up a cup of joe and a bite to eat. The coffee is amazing, and the food is nothing short of a gourmet meal, even at breakfast and lunch. They sure do love their bacon here. This is no store bought, pre-packaged slices either. It's thick cut slabs of ham cooked just enough to produce a little brown sugar crust on the edges, but not to a crisp like we do in the U.S. Ok, enough on the bacon.
We decided to hit the beach and test out the crystalline ocean waters, with a possible surf lesson to suit. Upon arrival at Bondi Beach, the most famous in Sydney, I decided that the surf was too rough for a first time surf lesson. Seriously, the waves were well over 6 feet high. Instead, we played in the waves for a while and then took a beautiful coastal walk south to burn a few hours and a few hundred calories.
The walk took us from Bondi to the southernmost Sydney beach, Coogee, where we had a nice pizza lunch and a couple schooners of local brew while overlooking the clear blue waters.
The walk about took everything out of us and we crashed early once we reached the hotel.
Day Three
Early to bed and early to rise! It was nice to get out a bit earlier to see the city waking up. We found a good lead on a restaurant for breaky (breakfast) and headed out to explore the city. The place in question eluded us, and by the time we walked up and down the street a few times, we decided to check out another spot that had such a great smell coming from it, we commented on it the first time we passed it over.
The City Edge did not disappoint. Bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and egg on freshly baked Turkish bread was exactly what the doctor ordered, and a long black (cup of black coffee) pepped me right up. The sign outside did not give off the impression of a restaurant, but the aroma coming out of the front door could not be ignored.
We topped the morning off with a bit of shopping and are now headed out for some savory pies (think pot-pies) and maybe an afternoon sail around the harbour.
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Cheers for now!
-Shannon
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