Solo Travel in Australia Part II: Sydney, New South Wales
Despite what my friend had told me, I had already enjoyed Brisbane very much, so when she told me Sydney was going to be way better, I had pretty high expectations. Due to a tight time schedule, I had about 5 days to spend there with my friend until I would continue my journey alone. Even though Sydney is the most popular of all Australian cities, it is not the capital of Australia, but still, it feels as if it were.
After arriving in Sydney at noon, I pretty soon made my way to the world-famous Bondi Beach and honestly, there was no better way to start my time in this beautiful city. As it was February, and the Southern Hemisphere obviously had summer, it seemed as if the whole city had come to Bondi Beach to enjoy the sun, the sand and the waves. Still, it felt safe, meaning that I had no worries of my stuff getting stolen. Also, if you ever have the chance, you should enjoy the sunset at Bondi Beach. There's something so calming about the sun setting on this beach, I felt as if for the first time I realized I really went to Australia.
The next morning, I went to a place I enjoy in no matter which city I travel to: Chinatown. As you might have noticed by now, I am a big fan of Asian culture, so I always love being there. I took a walk from Haymarket to Sydney CBD, which is just the short name for the central business district. Despite the name, there you can find way more than just skyscrapers, such as Sydney Town Hall, some pretty cathedrals and the beautiful Hyde Park, where the stunning Anzac Memorial is located (went I went there it was not fully completed yet).
Also, you feel the British influence in many places, such as the subway, which looks pretty much the same as in London. After this walk, it was finally my time to see the most famous monument in the city, if not the whole country: the Sydney Opera House. I had already seen it a few days before when flying to Brisbane but standing in front of it is something completely different. Also, I noticed it is not white but has some kind of beige colour. Right next to it is the equally famous Harbour Bridge. There's something special about monuments that are so famous. As everyone has seen pictures of them online, it feels as if everyone has been there, but actually seeing them with your own eyes is incomparable. I was so stunned, I had to return later that night to see them illuminated in the darkness.
The next day, I took a walk along the Royal Botanic Gardens, to see both these monuments from the other side and then I even went to yet another side, to the “Rocks”, a part of Sydney that looks a bit like a little village in Italy. The last stop for the day was Darling Harbour, where some shopping centres, restaurants, bars, cinemas and even the Hard Rock Café are located.
The next day, I made the famous Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk, but the other way around. I started in Coogee, from there I went to Clovelly, through the Waverley Cemetery, which felt weird, but that’s how the route goes, then to Bronte Beach and Tamarama before arriving at Bondi Beach once more. The whole walk lasted about one and a half hours and the views along the way were incredible. Some beaches looked just like normal beaches do, other times I saw the most amazing cliffs, a few metres later everything was wild nature as if it were in a reserve and in between there were human-made pools in the ocean, or of course the famous Icebergs Pool at Bondi. I was truly able to see how diverse Australia is, and that by simply taking a walk next to a major city. Afterwards, I relaxed at Bondi Beach again.
Then my last day in Sydney followed. As I would be departing in the afternoon, I wanted to get a great view of this city once more and went up to the Sydney Eye Tower, which is the second largest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. From there I had a 360-degree view of the city and I think it was the perfect end to my stay in Sydney.
After being in Sydney, I continued my journey alone. I was heading North to Cairns and the world-famous Great Barrier Reef next and I can’t wait to tell you everything about that in next week’s post.
