Tuesday, March 8, 2011
After a few months of work, a cyclone and more rain in the month of February than most other Australian capital cities had all of last year it was time to strap on the backpack and head off on another adventure. So far in Australia I have visited The Northern Territory and Queensland. On this trip I hope to visit every other Australian state…….and The ACT (Australian Capital Territory).
It seems obvious that my first stop on this trip would be in Sydney….so here I am in Sydney. My trip here……well let’s just say its start was not surprising. It was pouring rain in Darwin and my flight was delayed by almost an hour for several reasons. First, apparently the plane was not allowed to pull up to the gate we were supposed to load from, so we had to walk out to the plane. Lucky for us it was only a short 3 minute walk and the rain had mostly stopped (the people in front of me were not very happy and made an official complaint that actually required the Captain to come back and speak with them). And then when we thought "hey, we can leave", they had to unload some bags because there was a discrepancy in the bag count (someone put an extra bag on the plane and they had to find it and remove it before we could leave). But eventually we made it off the ground. I am going to say straight out that I am not a fan of Jetstar but they are one of the only discount airlines that fly out of Darwin (and many places around Australia) so I have no choice but to fly with them or spend a lot more money. Anyway, one plus on the flight was that there was only about one empty seat on the plane and it happened to be next to me so I did get some extra space.
Eventually I made it to Sydney, found my bag, found the train to the city and found that I really have picked a good hotel location. I came out of the train station as expected right at Hyde Park. It was a quick walk across the park to my hotel. Hyde Park is like Central Park in NYC but smaller. The area is also home to museums and shopping and Starbucks and well everything you could need. I chose to stay in the CBD, at a higher cost, for its close proximity to everything and so far, it is proving to be perfect.
Around the neighbourhood. Very nice and quiet.......for the most part. There is a lot of traffic but after living in Manhattan, I hardly notice it anymore.
My first day here was spent wandering around and taking care of a few things. I went and bought myself a mobile Internet stick because it turns out it was cheaper than getting Internet at the hotel and now I can use it everywhere I go. I also entered an Apple Store (as in IPods not fruit) for the first time……and hopefully the last time in my life. What a horrible place. That will teach me to step on my IPod dock in the future but I found the cord I need and hopefully will never need to replace it again. And then I wandered through a whole bunch of other stores. You will be happy to know that I haven’t really bought much.......yet. I got distracted by all the super old architecture in the area.
This is the Queen Victoria Building. First opened in 1898 it's purpose really hasn't changed. It was the original Sydney Market. Now it is home to many small boutique and high end stores, along with a few cafes and coffee shops.
The view from the 3rd floor. It is home to several large clocks.
Not sure where this staircase goes but I am super glad I don't have to climb it. They look so good with the building. So glad they haven't taken them down.
One of the many stain glass windows you will find in the building. It really is a nice place to shop.....just bring your credit card because nothing in here is cheap.
The statue of Queen Victoria outside the Queen Victoria Building. In the background you can see the clock tower of Town Hall.
I also found Darling Harbour. I feel like I will be back there a few more times before my 10 days in Sydney are done. There you will find all kinds of bars and restaurants and museums and hotels and the IMAX and well those kinds of things.
The city skyline from Darling Harbour. Loving the Sunshine without the NT humidity.
This is outside the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.......one of the many free museums in the city.
After wandering around I made my way back to my hotel to plan the rest of my week. It will be a busy week but I will try to find some relaxation time during all my sight seeing.
Julie
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