Australia...Reflections

Vanessa climbs Sydney Harbour Bridge

Some seventeen years ago we were fortunate enough to visit Australia so this time around it was no more than a quick three day stopover, primarily so that Vanessa could achieve her ambition to climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge which you weren’t able to do back then.

Continuous sunshine and 28 degrees centigrade made it perfect conditions for her midday climb. With no pre-match nerves, sporting a cheeky little boiler suit , cap and headphones, she was off and  managed it with ease. A fantastic achievement in such a stunning location.
 

We’ve always had magical memories of Sydney but this time it seemed to be even better. Everything is spotless, modern, easy to get around and then of course there’s the harbour with the ‘bridge’ and the iconic Opera House. We walked for miles and miles with nothing but admiration at everything we saw. Darling Harbour,  a wonderful place to stroll around in the evening, Manly Beach which is just a short ferry ride across the harbour giving fantastic views, and then there’s the world famous Bondi Beach which just had to be sat on for a while. From there we walked a beautiful coastal route passing more glorious beaches, Matamara, Bronte and finally Coogee Beach.

It truly is one the world’s greatest cities and must be an incredible place to live. Our only drawback was that we had no spare money to enjoy any of the vast number of bars, cafes and restaurants as everything is so expensive, but we barely noticed.

DAYS SPENT:   4

TRANSPORT:  1 plane, 1 train, 3 buses, 1 ferry,

NUMBER OF PLACES WE STAYED:  1 hostel

ITEMS LOST/BROKEN:  none

FAVOURITE EATERY:  Coles supermarket and their own brand stuff

WILDLIFE SPOTTED: no koalas, no kangaroos, 2 water dragons

TOURS TAKEN:  Vanessa’s climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY:  Coles supermarket