Sydney. This city has long been my favorite visited place ever. From its perfectly weird weather to its laid back crowd, countless beaches, active lifestyle loving people forcing one to be healthy, and most of all their coffee culture is like no other - a coffee lover's dream destination.
It's been exactly 15 years to the day since my last visit, I was a naive innocent fresh graduate seeing the world with wonder and amazement, first time to be let lose and excited for the possibilities. And here I am now, in my mid 30s juggling duties and responsibilities with a lot of adulting badges in my sleeve but still Sydney kept me in awe and my appreciation for this wonderful place is the same as when I first laid my eyes on it.
Just like my initial arrival, first order of business was to roam the CBD area and walk all the way to Australia's most famous landmark -
The Sydney Opera House. The cool crisp breeze was perfect weather for a walk and sightseeing. Along the way, I had a quick coffee stop in QVB or
Queen Victoria's Building, one of the most beautiful mall architectures I've seen. Checked the
Contemporary Museum of Modern Arts and
Museum of Sydney, passed by some interesting bars and cool cafes that I added in my 'must-try' list, set my sights in
The Rocks and reached
Circular Quay with its ferry boats to and fro and the cruise ship of the day docked on its port.
Throughout my walk, I was delighted to see and hear a myriad of talented street performers up until Circular Quay and there greeted by the backdrop of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge behind me. Arriving in my final destination, The Sydney Opera House still didn't disappoint. Despite the multitude of tourists and people everywhere, It's still a magical, beautiful, one of a kind piece of art. A sight for a traveller's sore eyes.
Walking back, I took a different route which made me pass by The Botanical Gardens. Quick tip, this is a great place for that perfect sunset shot. I got lost in the beautiful art work in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, walked to The Mint, passed by an old school hospital that came straight out of a horror movie classic, rubbed the belly of the famous pig in their financial district to bring you luck and money and ended up resting my weary feet in the picturisque Hyde Park until finally saying my thank you in St Mary's Cathedral and contemplating the blessings of seeing this country again.
Since my first day was in the city, my second day was dedicated solely on exploring the beauty of Sydney's beaches. I woke up early and headed to Coogee for the coastal walk to Bondi Beach. After a quick pick-me-upper cuppa in Coogee Pavilion, off I went. The 6 km coastal walk usually takes and hour or two, but if your a slow walker like me and one prone to get side tracked, it will take you 3 to 4 hours to reach the other side.
What's great about it is you can take pics and I mean loooots of pics, take a quick dip in its 4 to 5 beach stops, and get your daily dose of vitamin D and cardio all in one scenic overview. One of the more interesting parts is the hauntingly beautiful cemetery in between coasts. Its like straight out of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, headstones, stone sculptures and all. Let's just say I would never dare walk there at night.
The last beach stop (Bronte) and a quick heavy downpour later cut short my goal of reaching Bondi Beach. It was the perfect so near yet so far moment, this was the 2nd to the last beach in the coastal walk. I can nearly see Bondi Beach's shoreline but due to the rain, I had to take the bus home and scheduled to finish my walk another time.
I came back to a more sunnier day and made sure to check the weather app that no surprises will deter me reaching the last stop. Bondi is a huge beach with a long shoreline, full of tourist, surfers, sun bakers and people watchers. After trying to swim (it was too cold for me), I took a spot in a lesser crowded area of the beach, read a book and enjoyed the sun. When I got my fill of sand, I took a stroll in the streets and checked on Gertrude and Alice, a small quaint bookstore slash coffee shop. My friend introduced me to this place and I really like the place. Its like going inside someone's personal home library and you can have a pick of books you want to read and enjoy it with a good cup of coffee.
In the next few weeks, I got to know this city a bit more each day. I explored and made my own adventure by taking a walk and seeing places I wouldn't have encountered if I took the train or bus, I've had my fill of coffee excursion, and boy did my lovely caffeine heart fall in love, I discovered an appreciation for secret pubs and apple ciders (yeah, I'm weak and not a beer drinker), I see the love they put in their parks and how each street has an area of foliage, no matter how small. I visited the touristy spots as well as those frequented by locals, lucky enough to have my cousin and friends to share their favorite spots that I surely would have never discovered on my own.
I stayed in Sydney for a few months last August 2018 and visited back again in 2019. That says a lot about how much I love this city. It is a wonderful place which I would highly recommend you visit at least once in your life. Its architecture, weather, food, and best of all, the people - Aussies are truly friendly, super chill and has the sunniest disposition. Most, although not all like everywhere else, but most always has a ready 'how you goin?' greeting accompanied with a smile and crossing the street is a culture shock in itself with cars giving pedestrians the right of way, ALWAYS. I left my heart in Sydney and will always want to go back there. Its a special place and I'm damn glad is quite near if the urge to see its wonderful beaches and cityscapes call on me yet again.
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