Weekend in Sydney

For my first overnight trip in Australia I went to Sydney for the weekend. I can get on the train about 3 blocks from my dorm and in an hour or so it goes straight into the heart of the city. We did not realize until half way into the trek that our hostel was a good 30-45 minute walk from the train station. It would have been nice to have stayed closer to all the sights, but it was actually cool to see a quite, neighborhood side of Sydney. We stayed in a YHA hostel in the area called Glebe. The neighborhood was really interesting, with European-looking architecture and tons of little restaurants. The main point of this trip was to hit all the touristy sites in Sydney. My friends and I purchased a "See Sydney Card" for $135 which allowed free entry into over 40 different attractions in the city. Because Sydney is so expensive, after just 2 attractions the card paid for itself, so that was a good find!

The first night we ate at a local pizza joint in Glebe that was BYO (bring your own drinks). So, the boys went down the street to buy beer from a bottleshop and then brought it to the restaurant to have with their pizza. What we call "normal" pizza at home is hard to find here! Many places only offer toppings like Hawaiian or Veggie, or some other weird combinations... and for a picky eater like me, finding a pizza place that offered pepperoni was amazing! The portion sizes are also so different. A large here is only a little bigger than an adult's personal pizza at some US restaurants! Afterwards, we met some friends at their hostel which was bigger and much more modern than our own. We hung out at the bar located right under their hostel.

Our hostel was small, with not the nicest amenities, but the people there were so cool to talk to. One of my "roommates" was an elderly woman that has traveled all over the world. She has been to Oktoberfest and the running of the bulls! She called the hostel her "base" in Australia because she doesn't actually own a home, but is from Australia.

The first day was full of sight-seeing. First, we went to Sydney Tower to check out the views from the 2nd tallest building in the southern hemisphere. We decided to add a little more adventure to the day by signing up for the Skywalk. This is where they put you in a special suit, harness, and shoes, and you go walk on the glass roof of Sydney Tower! Our guide surprised us by pushing a button that made the already see-through roof we were standing on extend out farther over the streets below us. I was definitely more awake after that. Next, we went over to Darling Harbour to visit "Wildlife World". I watched a man extract venom from the most poisonous spider in the world (who just so happens to reside in our area of Australia), and an even crazier man stand beside the water to demonstrate how Rex the huge salt water croc would try to eat him. We moved on to the more fuzzy animals where I got to go into koala habitat and pet them. One named Charlie actually woke up and came down the tree to greet me. After the wildlife park, we took a cruise around the harbour with amazing views! We got to learn the history of Sydney's harbours (Darling and Sydney Harbour are not the same) and get some great photos! Next it was time to meet my friend, who is studying at USyd, at the aquarium! They had so many underwater tunnels that you got to see all the fish, and sharks, from every angle! Fun Fact: I learned that sea turtles will wedge themselves upside down to keep from moving while trying to sleep. That night we went out to Kings Cross which is the big club scene/red light district equivalent. It was quite a sight. Most of the clubs have a cover charge of at least $20, so we just walked around and watched the insanity. I don't think I'll be going back there.

Day 2- We went for a ride on a jet boat around Sydney Harbour. Again, it was a great way to wake yourself up in the morning! This was not your ordinary tour. It was more like a thrill ride where they gave you ponchos because the driver would make hair-pin turns of 270 degrees creating a wave that would then drench you. After drying for a bit in the sun, we went on the official tour of the Sydney Opera house. Fun Fact: It took 12 years to build and the design you see now was originally thrown out of the group of designs considered! Also, the winning design was inspired by the modern architecture of the JFK airport. On the inside they have many little theatres for productions, and some larger ones. The main concert hall, however, was smaller than I expected it to be. I think it only holds 2,700 people. After that, we took a bus to see beautiful, but crowded, Bondi Beach. The water was gorgeous! And it just so happens that a pro surfing competition was taking place that weekend, which was so cool to watch! We got there just in time for the finals! We also got to meet the family of one of the pros who is only 15 years old competing against world champions! He actually got 2nd place! After a fun day at the beach, and sun-burnt noses, we took a train back to Wollongong and went to bed. It was a great weekend!

Jumping on the glass roof way above Sydney