Sydney Australia,

December 2017

For Christmas this year we decided to head to the opposite side of the earth, literally!  Leaving winter (such as it is in Sunny Florida) in the US for summer in Australia.  After 30 hours of travel, with the longest leg being a 15 hour flight from LA to Sydney, we arrived at 9am down under.  Having rested a few hours on the flight we hit the ground running.  After checking in to our hotel, conveniently located in a district called “the rocks” near Sydney Harbour, we set out to explore.  First stop was a Harbour boat ride.  Touring the area from the water we were amazed at the amount of boat traffic coming and going around the city.  Hundreds of sailboats and tour boats were cruising up and down the shores, with a variety of super yachts and pleasure boats mixed in as well .  The shoreline is filled with scenic sights including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Fort Denison, Darling Harbour, and the Anzac Bridge, among many other parks and sights.  The weather in Sydney is similar to the weather we left behind in Florida.  Mid 80’s, sunny, and humid.  For lunch our first day we happen upon a little sandwich shop that is very busy with a long line to order and find an open table.  To our delight the sandwiches were amazing piled high with leafy greens and sprouts and fresh produce on delicious fresh made bread!  After touring around the Rocks area with local street markets and souvenir shops we had dinner a Thai restaurant nearby with amazing lamb and wagyu dishes.  From our rooftop pool we have a view of the entire Harbour.  Day 2 we set out early to catch a ferry to the Taronga Zoo, highly recommended for seeing all the local critters up close.  The zoo is set across the Harbour on a hillside, a skyrail takes you to the top and you work your way downhill through the exhibits.  A very convenient way to walk the very large zoo.  The zoo does not disappoint with everything from Tigers to Elephants as well as the local Kangaroo, Wallaby, Koala, Tasmanian Devil and many other animals we considered exotic.  The seal show was great as well with an outdoor amphitheater and poolside show.  A great way to spend the day.  The next day we took a trip out of town to the Blue Mountains by train, along the way we stopped at the Featherdale Wildlife Park to get up close to some Koalas and feed some Kangaroos and Wallaby’s.  The Blue Mountains were absolutely stunning, we hiked at least 10 miles in and out of multiple trails leading to scenic views, waterfalls, and rock monuments.  Day 4 in Sydney we took in the Aquarium and the Darling Harbour shopping district.  After another full day we relaxed and enjoy our rooftop pool before heading to a fancy steakhouse for some Kangaroo steaks and wine before a show at the Opera House.  The Kangaroo steak was surprisingly good, and very well prepared.  A must try for tourists.  At the Opera house we saw The Unbelievables, a mix of Cirque Du Soleil, a Circus and a Magic show.  It was a great performance and the Opera House is a beautiful building that tops our must see attraction list for Sydney.   After 4 amazing days in Sydney we felt like we saw most of the major tourist attractions and headed out on our next adventure to Papua New Guinea!!!

Photo 1 – 3 sisters peaks in the background at the Blue Mountains

Photo 2 – Koala Archibald photo

Photo 3 – Opera House