Manly Beach and the Sydney Opera House

4 January 2014

Today I decided to take the ferry out of Sydney over to Manly, a beach resort on the other side of Sydney.  It's allegedly one of the nicest beaches around these parts so my expectations were pretty high.  The ferry ride over was $14, not bad considering its a 20min journey each way.  We arrived into Manly and I followed the crowd down the main high street.  The town itself isnt very big and reminded me of Llandudno a little, with its hotel seafront and side streets of tourist shops.  The beach itself wasn't particularly fabulous.  It's possibly because I've grown up by the beach that it takes a lot to impress me and this place sadly didn't do that.

Upon return into Circular Quay, I had a great view of the CBD, the opera house and the harbour bridge.  This definitely made the trip worthwhile.  Once we'd docked, I headed for the Opera House.  An iconic, cleaverly designed building which no trip to Aus would be complete without.  The building itself is impressive but what surprised me were the colour of the tiles.  I'd always imagined them to be a glistening white but coupled with the brown bricks, the building can look pretty underwhelming on a grey day.  Thankfully I have been a few more times and the building has considerably grown on me.  I hovered around until sunset in the hope that the Opera House would be lit up but sadly not. The activity I've still yet to decide upon is the Sydney Bridge Walk.  At 300$ (peak time) it is not cheap but as I've said all along, this is a once in a lifetime trip so normal rules, do not apply...

Exploring beautiful Sydney

2 January 2014

One of the first things I do when I arrive in a new city is buy a map and explore the streets often going round in circles or heading the wrong way.  This was until I found 'I'm free tours'.  A walking tour which is run by a guy and his girlfriend and you only pay what it's worth.  For travellers this is a dream come true as often tours can be between 30-60$.  Rachel and Amelia (friends via Charlotte from home) highly recommended it so that I thought I'd give it a go.  The instructions were simple...turn up outside the Town Hall and look for someone in a bright green tshirts.  It truly was as simple as that!  At first there were only about 10 of us.  By the end, there were 2 groups each containing 30 or so people ranging from kids to backpackers to over 60's.

What I enjoyed about the tour was how much of the city I saw and from a local's perspective too.  My tour guide (Justine) was fabulous, answering any questions which came her way.  

We covered:

1. Town Hall

2. Queen Victoria Building (beautiful architecture now containing expensive shops)

3. Pitt Street underground Shopping mall (hidden gem for shopaholics like me)

4. Westfield Tower

5. Hyde Park

6. St Mary's Cathedral

7. Hyde Park barracks

8. Martin Place (where Superman and Spider-Man were filmed)

9. Australia Square

10. Macquarie Place

11. Golden hand of friendship

12. Customs House

13. Circular Quay

15. Cadman's Cottage (oldest house in Sydney)

16. The Rocks

17. Dawes Point

The tour lasted 3.5 hours and as you can see we covered a lot of ground.  The map they give you is also really useful as it lists bus routes, trains, cheap places to eat, cheap museums and lots of free activities to do.  

I cannot recommend this tour highly enough and I can't wait to do it all over again in Melbourne!

3 January

Even after all that walking yesterday, I couldn't wait to explore more of of this amazing city.  There's just something about it that makes you want to go again and again!

I spent the morning wandering around the Queen Victoria Building looking at the Swarovski Christmas Tree which is decorated in thousands of crystals and heading to the top floor to see the famous clock which at the top of every hour reinacts the beheading of Charles I.  

In the afternoon, I finally found an Internet cafe where I could upload my photos.  3.5 hours later and it was all done, well, up to Sydney that is!  I've even had to begrudgingly pay for more space on my Dropbox account!  Having spent the day inside, I opted to head for a beer garden and watch The Ashes.  Wish I hadn't bothered (if you know the score then you'll soon work out why!) I'm not usually an England supporter on any grounds but The Ashes are special.

My highlights of 2013

1 January 2014

As I'm sure you can imagine, 2013 was a pretty eventful year, I left my job, my friends, my family and everything I knew and booked a one way ticket.  Some people called me crazy, some even called me stupid but I know it is the best life decision that I have ever made.  I have experienced things, met some great friends and made memories that will last a lifetime.  I have now been away 6 months and boy has it flown by and so to whittle it down to a few simple highlights will be no easy task, but here goes (not in any particular order...):

1. Sri Lanka - Retracing my Grans's footprints was an emotional roller coaster for me.  Just from seeing her via FaceTime, I know how much it meant to her.  The country has touched my heart and I can't wait to go back!!

2. F1 in Singapore- The most amazing weekend of my life - enough said!

3. Vietnam - A country that I have always wanted to visit and thankfully I got the chance to do it with Raj.  I loved how crazy it was and even though I hated the motorbike rides (Raj will hold me to that) I actually got used to them after a while.  Having just re-watched Top Gear's Vietnam Special, I would compare myself somewhat to Jezza Clarkson.  Obviously not his brash personality or grey locks but his hatred which transcended into love for motorbikes.

4. Spending time with the family :). It may have been 3 months but it went by so quickly.  Thank you Marcus and Bri, I will never forget what you did for me.

5. Angkor Wat- what a stunning piece of architecture.  I will never forget that sunrise.

6. Koh Phi Phi and 'THE Beach'

7. Margaret River- wine, cheese, camping and beautiful sandy beaches

8. Thai Cookery Course in Chiang Mai

9. Meeting Katie in KL and exploring it with a local!

10. Fireworks in Sydney

Here's to an even better 2014 as I continue my journey around the globe

Much love x

Welcoming 2014 in style!

31 December

For a little while, I hesitated about where to spend New Year.  Not just due to the expense (trust me! the flight over was NOT cheap nor was accommodation) but also due to the fact that I may be spending it alone.  I have got quite used to my own company but spending New Years Eve on my own just didn't seem right!  Thankfully, the latter didn't happen as I met up with Rach (friend from London via Charl) and her boyfriend Elliot.  

The morning was spent food shopping (yes that delightful task still has to be done even when you are a traveller); followed by exploring my new area.  I am staying just south of Sury Hills which is a great location.  It does involve a 30 min bus ride into the city, but actually I don't mind that!  

As soon as I arrived in the city centre, I just knew the night was going to be unforgettable.  There were street artists everywhere and people just wandering around Circular Quay, soaking up the sun.  Rach and Elliot had managed to secure a spot on Observatory Hill, which is on the south side of the bridge, just up the hill from The Rocks.  As previously advised, they had been sat there for hours securing the spot and it was perfect!  Right in front of the bridge, sadly no view of the opera house, but at least I had great company!

The evening went pretty quickly as it was broken up with small tasters of fireworks and absailing displays over the bridge.  Funnily enough, the longest part was waiting for food/drinks.  Although we experience a little downpour, thankfully it was nothing more than a mere shower.

As the countdown commenced, I didn't know what to expect.  Were the fireworks going to be a good as everyone makes out?  The simpler answer to that is...YES!  Our spot allowed us to look up and down the river watching the same display 4 times over - in the harbour, at the bridge and as far out as the north eastern suburbs.  Spectacular! It felt like they went on for hours with varying colours and shapes, even including a smiley face!

I have been lucky enough to welcome New Years in many places in the UK, including the home of Hogmanay, Scotland but the Aussie's truly know how to throw a good party.  Just walking down George Street makes you realise the magnitude of this event.  I will never ever forget the sea of people singing and chanting as they headed for home.  Instead of waking up with a hangover, I woke up with a huge smile on my face and memories that will last a lifetime and not many people can say that...

How was your New Years?  I hope it was as special as mine was?

Happy New Year everyone!

Video of fireworks from my iPhone:  http://instagram.com/p/imraezpoCt/