- First Week in Sydney
- Byron Bay
- Back to the Beginning: Sydney
Finally arrived in Sydney after a long journey. Hats off to those who come here for just a few weeks on vacation. We’re glad we don’t have to make such a long journey back right away.
We arrived at the airport feeling very tired. With a little bit of nervousness, we walked towards customs, as everyone knows about the famous ‘Border Security’ TV show where it’s difficult to enter Australia. Our passports were scanned, and we chatted with the customs officer. He immediately reassured us. It was a bit strange because we didn’t have to show our working/holiday visa or get a stamp on our passports. Our luggage was one of the first to arrive on the conveyor belt. Thank goodness the ‘fragile’ sticker on our luggage indicates Ely’s medical equipment. At least one positive thing about it. We had previously declared that we had ‘prohibited’ items (Ely’s insulin), so we couldn’t leave immediately. We stood in line somewhat suspiciously and quickly recognized the spot where everyone is scrutinized on TV. We started to break out in a cold sweat. We feared we would have to open our backpacks and be taken aside. Okay, maybe we have too much imagination or watch too much TV?! They asked us what we had, and we had the documents ready in our hands as evidence. They didn’t inspect our luggage, nothing was opened, and we were allowed to leave immediately. Those television programs are really exaggerated, we concluded. Phew!
We were provided with transportation to our hostel. We were a little overwhelmed by this big city but mostly just exhausted. We checked in and, fortunately, were assigned our room right away. We slept for the rest of the day and woke up in the evening. Not in the mood to search for a long time because our stomachs were growling, we headed to the nearest McDonald’s.
On day two, both of us slept very poorly. We checked our phones almost every hour, and by 4 a.m., we were wide awake. Could the time difference really affect our sleep schedule that much? We tried to close our eyes again, but it didn’t make much of a difference. We were looking forward to our breakfast, which was included in our hostel’s ‘welcome package.’ What a disappointment it turned out to be. We received a plastic box with pre-packaged muffins, cereal bars, a carton of milk and juice, and pre-packaged cereal. So much sugar and waste in one package. We only had the cereal with some milk and returned the rest obediently.
After finishing our sugar-filled breakfast, we received some information about our working/holiday visa. We applied for our tax file number, got a SIM card, and received a lot of other useful information. We went to the bank to open an account and also visited the Medicare office. However, it wasn’t possible to complete the Medicare registration at that time because, apparently, we needed a European health insurance card. A bit strange since we’re not in Europe. So, we decided to wait and handle it later. Our bank cards would be sent to our hostel within a maximum of two weeks. On our way back from the Medicare office, we stumbled upon a super nice coffee bar. With our stomachs filled, we finally started exploring the city. We walked through a mini Chinatown and quickly realized we felt like we were back in Asia. Having had enough of everything, we walked to Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay, beautiful spots by the harbor. We walked back over the Pyrmont Bridge.
We decided to take a short nap. The planned 20-minute nap turned into a solid hour. It was blissful! Since we were both quite hungry and in the Thai neighborhood… you can probably guess what we had for lunch. Thai food it was. It became clear to us that we wouldn’t sleep well in our hostel. The noise at night and intoxicated people made it difficult for us to find peace and quiet. Maybe we’ve become a bit too old for this hostel experience?!
On day three, Ely had been nagging me for three days to go and admire the famous Opera House. We went through Hyde Park and then to the Royal Botanical Gardens. This route led us along the beautiful bay of Sydney. When we arrived at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, we had a better and more beautiful view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. We walked towards the Opera House and found a nice break spot. Luckily, that day we finally had some sunshine on our faces! Our initial plan was to explore The Rocks afterward, but we decided to return to our hostel since the weather had changed. We passed through Circular Quay, a place where you can take ferries to other destinations.
Ely’s thirst got the better of him, so we stopped at The Morrison Bar. After enjoying a nice glass of wine and a refreshing beer, we walked down George Street back to our hostel. It was a somewhat underestimated distance for an ordinary shopping street. At around 5 p.m., we received a comprehensive explanation about traveling in Australia at our hostel. We booked our Hop-On/Hop-Off tickets from Cairns to Sydney. We could have done it from Sydney, but as soon as our feet touched Australian soil, it became clear to us that these wintry temperatures in Sydney were not meant for us. I quickly discovered that I had become grumpy in this Australian winter. Not fun for Ely when we only have each other in a faraway land 🙂 So, we will take a domestic flight to Cairns as soon as possible, where a balmy 28°C awaits us!
Day four; We heard from the locals that the Fish Market was worth a visit. My feet couldn’t handle any more walking (I can cross the entire country in my flip-flops, but don’t make me wear closed shoes), so we took public transportation. Ely enjoyed the fresh seafood and sushi, but it was a bit too early for me on my nearly empty stomach. We saw fish and shellfish like we had never seen before, some of them reaching enormous sizes! I wasn’t particularly keen on them, especially when they seemed to be looking at me. A little further, we came across the mini Meat Market. It wasn’t much, and we couldn’t even find a fresh piece of kangaroo.
We went for drinks in the evening at the bar in our hostel. It was cozy, but the crowd didn’t immediately appeal to us. Alcohol is also significantly more expensive than back home. Being a cheapskate, I’d rather have one drink than two.
On day five, we checked out and first visited the Glebe Market. It’s a bit like the local flea market. Eveline, we missed you browsing through all the stalls. 😉
We were tired of the hostel experience and were glad that we had booked an Airbnb. We picked up our large backpacks and took the bus toward Hillsdale. Yen warmly welcomed us. There was delicious chocolate waiting for us on our freshly washed towels and nicely made bed. We walked to the Westfield Eastgardens shopping center, three times larger than the Wijnegem Shopping Center. Even in Australia, they have Aldi. I did an internal happy dance because I could finally buy some fresh vegetables and fruits at more reasonable prices than in downtown Sydney. We did grocery shopping for the next three days to cook for ourselves again.
In the evening, Yen and Elric invited us for a game night. Some friends came over, and it turned into a cozy evening. We received a lot of tips on places to visit. Local tips are worth their weight in gold here!
Day six; After a blissful uninterrupted night’s sleep, we visited the world-famous Bondi Beach. Yen told us that we could combine Bondi Beach with Maroubra and Coogee Beach. We took a bus to Maroubra Beach and were amazed by the high waves and the hundreds of surfers.
Arriving at Coogee Beach, we started our walk towards Bondi Beach. This 5-kilometer stretch is, in our opinion, the most beautiful coastal walk we’ve ever done. Gorgeous small beaches, coves, cool spots, and incredible views. We looked forward to Bondi Beach, especially the lifeguards we knew from the TV show ‘Bondi Rescue.’ We recognized one of the lifeguards and were almost satisfied. We’ll come back here in the summer to dip in the beautiful water. A rescue from these guys is definitely a must, right?! 😀
After this invigorating walk, we definitely deserved a drink. And, of course, having a drink at Bondi Beach was on our bucket list. 🙂
We took the bus back to Hillsdale and cooked a delicious meal. Tired but satisfied, we snuggled on the couch and watched some TV.
On day seven, we slept in late and took some time to update our blog and select photos. It’s windy today, but the sun peeks out occasionally. Our initial plan was to take the ferry to Taronga Zoo, but it was a standard zoo and not worth the price tag. It gets dark early here, and time is ticking, so we’ll visit the Westfield Eastgardens shopping center instead.
See you soon!
X Inez & Ely
Hey Inez,
leuk om jullie reis te kunnen volgen. Op een of andere manier lijk je dan toch dichtbij. Liefs, Astrid.
Dat horen we graag, daarvoor schrijven we het ook! En om nadien een mooie herinnering te hebben voor onszelf. Dikke zoen X