It's also the city in which I find myself at present and where I'm likely to be for some time, even seeing in Christmas and New Years - to which effect my preliminary plans include a bbq on the beach and THE fireworks. Jealous yet? Well if I'm going to be here I may as well do the expected, and besides who knows if I'll ever be here at this time of year again.
So, I've been here for two weeks and in that time I feel like I've done a lot of sitting and wandering around doing very little, yet I also realise that I've seen and done quite a few things. A peculiar situation indeed. I also feel like I've neglected this blog for a while, it started filled with great intentions and expected loyalty, not too dissimilar to how I started most diaries when I was younger, yet like those childhood diaries I find the entries become sporadic and I have a 'I'll do it later' approach. Well 'later' must be now, otherwise I fear more things will happen and any entries will become more of a list than a personal account.
Enough preamble.
My first full day I decided to go for a walk, the route from Kings Cross, where my hostel is, to the Opera House and Bridge would take me through the Royal Botanic Garden - so three big sights in one day. I definitely recommend a leisurely stroll through the gardens if you get a chance, it's peaceful and full of different little sections to explore and I've never found it to be overly crowded, a patch of shade under a tree or a nice bench can always be found in which to sit and read in peace. Basically all my requirements for a good park were met.
As I continued round the gardens I came to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a seat cut into the rock by convicts in 1810 for Mrs M to sit and watch the ships arrive from Great Britain. I figured I'd take a seat and check out the view, the trees that seem to have sprouted in the interim blocked the view a little but it wasn't bad as far as 200 year old sandstone seats go. Whilst I was perched, a group of Asian businessmen arrived and began taking pictures, this somewhat disturbed my musing and I politely went to move out the way. As I clambered down the gentlemen started gesturing and telling me to stay, at which point one man, whom I assume was the boss, came and stood next to me, put his arm around me in a friendly sort of way and I smiled nervously as the other 10 or so started taking a photo. I got one of them to take a pic with my camera too. Needless to say it was a weird moment.
I then continued with my wandering and meandered around the Opera House, it was smaller than I expected and surrounded by building works. I was reminded of my visit to the Acropolis and the scaffolding and construction I was privy to there...maybe that can be a mission of mine, to see the famous landmarks of the world encompassed in scaffolding. It would be different at any rate.
So that was my first day, I also wandered around the Rocks and then went onto have a fun night out. Perhaps more of that in a different post.
My time in Sydney has also featured a walk across the Harbour Bridge, a ferry ride to Manly, beach time at Bondi and a few other miscellaneous trips and journeys, not to mention fun times in the hostel and out with new friends. But more of that in subsequent posts, which I shall try to feature more of...though this is an intention of mine whenever I write a post, so we shall see!
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