BDU: Sydney Activities

BDU: Birthday Down Under - Trip Planning
BDU: Flying to Sydney
BDU: Park Hyatt Sydney
BDU: Sydney Activities
BDU: Sydney Opera House
BDU: Flying to Uluru and Back
BDU: Uluru and Kata Tjuta
BDU: Park Hyatt Melbourne
BDU: Melbourne Activities
BDU: Flying to Fiji
BDU: Hilton Fiji
BDU: Snorkeling Trip
BDU: Flying to Los Angeles
BDU: Hyatt Regency DFW

D and I had arrived at the hotel quite early.  Since C's flight routed via Brisbane, we knew she'd be a couple of hours behind us.  After getting settled in at the Park Hyatt, D and I did a little walking around The Rocks, as the area around the hotel is known, and found a place to have breakfast.  We noticed there were lots of little restaurants in the area and we ended up trying several places out for breakfast during our stay.  We'd have loved to have eaten at the Park Hyatt but since we only had Platinum status (and not Diamond status) our breakfast was not included and we didn't feel like shelling out the big bucks the hotel breakfast would cost.

By the time we were done with breakfast C had arrived and gotten settled into our room.  Though we were all tired from the flight, we were determined to do our best to adjust to our new time zone as quickly as possible.  We decided walking would do a good job of that so we set out for Darling Harbour, where I knew there were plenty of activities.

Without realizing it, we took a bit of a longer way than perhaps was necessary - but we also managed to avoid the steep hills in the area.  We walked along Hickson Road more or less along the waterfront.  The map says it's about 2.5 miles each way - our feet begged to differ by the end of the day.  Our feet think we walked AT LEAST 10 miles each way. :)

On the way we passed the Barangaroo Reserve. Isn't that just a great name?  Probably very normal for the area but it sounds foreign and fun to say at the same time.  This would be a great place to bring lunch and just sit outside and enjoy the weather.  It was totally empty on our visit.  Perhaps that was due to the nearby construction which prevented us from being able to follow the path along the water straight to Darling Harbour.  So we had to backtrack a bit to walk along the road again until we reached the Harbour.

Construction Fence Around the Area

Barangaroo Reserve

As with many places in Australia, there are lots of al fresco restaurants near the water.  Since this is a touristy area, it was no exception.  I recalled that on my previous trip to Australia, there had been a boat show, or more accurately a yacht show, in the harbour.  It was relatively empty on this visit but it provided a better overview of the area.  Eventually we settled on a restaurant and enjoyed lunch under an umbrella.

Darling Harbour

Afterwards we just wandered the area, eventually winding up at the Chinese Garden of Friendship.  It's set in a quiet, shaded area and is quite peaceful despite its busy surroundings.  We decided not to go in but to just enjoy the peace outside its entry where this dragon stood guard.

Chinese Dragon

Pagoda in the Chinese Garden of Friendship

To fortify ourselves for the walk back and to check another vacation requirement off the list, we made sure to get some gelato before we attempted the journey back.  Hard to beat ice cream on a warm spring day!

Once returning to the hotel we checked in with the concierge staff for dinner recommendations.  We ended up walking up Observatory Hill into the Miller's Point area for a nice dinner.

The next morning was Saturday and now with a good night's sleep we were feeling a bit adventurous.  We took the city bus over to the famous Bondi Beach to see what there was to see.  Bondi was the site of the beach volleyball venue during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  The stadium is long gone but the beach was just fantastic.  So clean and, this early in the season, not too crowded.  I bet it gets quite busy as the summer wears on, however.  We took our shoes off and walked at the water's edge from one end to the other. Then we had lunch and did a little shopping at the stores behind the beach area.  We braved public transport once more back to the hotel where we did a bit of relaxing before our evening activity.

World-famous Bondi Beach

We had signed up for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb before we left the States.  At the time I was a bit disappointed that only twilight/evening climbs were available.  By the time our climb arrived, I was so glad we were waiting until evening.  While the day was pleasantly warm, it was still somewhat humid and with no protection from the sun it would have been extremely hot climbing during the day.

We made our way to the staging area which is under one side of the bridge in an old chocolate factory and got into our lovely jumpsuits.  Not only must you wear these jumpsuits, which completely cover your clothing, you must empty all your pockets and go through a metal detector before beginning the climb.  They don't want to take a chance that ANYTHING will fall down on to the cars and people passing below.  Glasses must be secured with a lanyard and if you choose to wear the hat or bandanna they provide, it has a clip that can be attached to rings on the back of your jumpsuit.

This was my second time to do this climb and it was just as much fun as the first time, which was a daylight climb in late July or early August (aka very early spring) of 2009.  That climb was cool enough that we wore the stocking caps provided by the company.  Sure didn't need those for this trip up and over!

After getting suited up, our leader took us through a series of obstacles similar to what we'd find on the bridge itself. We learned the etiquette of not getting on one of the ladders until the previous person was off and how to make sure our belt was always tethered to the bridge itself.  And then we were off!

The walkway leading from Bridge Climb HQ to the arched portion took us right beside the Park Hyatt.  We could look down on the rooftop pool and see the rooms that did not have a view of the Harbour or of the Opera House.  Before too long we started climbing ladders and then we were at the base of the arch.

We walked along the bridgework under the roadway until we reached the pylons.
The we climbed to the top of the bridge.

The actual bridge climb up the arch is not really all that steep as you walk it.  While I've had some folks tell me it seems too scary you're actually not all that close to the edge of the bridge.  There's a waist-high railing and the metalwork extends several feet past that point.  Plus you would have to disconnect the safety belt from your waist to even try to go over the edge.

Those tiny little dots on top just to the left of center - they're bridge climbers!

It was still fairly humid, which is why my hair looks so lovely in these photos - because I was sweating!  But what fantastic views are offered at night!

What a view of the Opera House!

Sweaty and tired but worth it!

Once we reached the apex of the bridge we crossed over the middle and came down the far side and ended up right back where we started.  From the time on your ticket until you complete your journey is about 3 hours but it's well worth the time and expense.

The next morning we picked another small restaurant in the area for breakfast and then got in line for the Opera House tour.  We had lucked out and this was the one weekend of the year that it's free to tour this Sydney icon.  On my previous trip here I'd taken the paid tour but though this tour wasn't guided, we got to see far more of the facility than on my prior visit.  More on this in the next installment.

After the obligatory Opera House souvenir stop, we took the ferry over to Manly.  On the ride we were able to get some photos of the Opera House from the water - an angle we did not get to see the rest of our trip.

Not our usual view of the Opera House

The ferry docked at Manly Wharf and just across the street from that was a very pedestrian-friendly area filled with shops and restaurants.  We stopped for lunch before walking down to Manly Beach.  It was a bit more overcast than the day before so there weren't as many people out but we still enjoyed sitting out in the warm weather and people-watching.

Why yes, it's Manly Wharf. What gave it away?

People-watching at Manly Beach

On our final day in Sydney we visited the Royal Botanic Garden. It celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2014 and didn't want anyone to forget it!

Now, how old is the Botanic Garden?

We saw lots of pretty flowers and some interesting art installations.

This is called Wurrungwuri which means "This side - this side of the water"

Of course we saw an ibis or two as well!

Hello Mr. (Ms?) Ibis!

Before we knew it the day was winding down.  We celebrated a successful time in Sydney with a stop at the local chocolate café for gelato.  Then it was time to get packed up for our trip to the Outback. (And I don't mean the steak house!)