Friday, August 18, 2023
We arrived at Sydney Airport at 6:35am. We took the train from the airport to Circular Quay and checked into our hotel early, the Sydney Harbour Marriott. They did not have our Harbour Bridge room ready, but they offered us an Opera House room that was ready for an extra $50 per night. It was worth it after the long flight, and the view wasn't bad either. After cleaning up, we took the ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point. From there, we took some pictures and then walked back across the Harbour Bridge. After getting back, we took the next ferry from Circular Quay to Manly. We walked the Corso, stopping at Manly Ocean Foods for some takeaway fish and chips, and then sat down at Manly Beach and ate our lunch. After enjoying a few more sights in Manly, we took the ferry back. To end the day, we walked through the Royal Botanic Garden and around the Opera House.
View the photo slideshow from Day 1
Saturday, August 19
We ate breakfast at City Extra on the Circular Quay Wharf. Then we took the ferry to Watsons Bay. From there, we made the Coastal Cliff Walk until we got to the Dudley Page Reserve. Then we took the bus the rest of the way to Bondi Beach. After enjoying the beach, we took the bus to the train station and then a couple trains back to Circular Quay. In the evening, we took the light rail to Chinatown and walked to Tumbalong Park. Right next to the park we ate at Harajuka Gyoza. After dinner, we checked out the FIFA Fan Festival at Tumbalong Park before taking the light rail back to the hotel and watching the third place game on TV.
View the photo slideshow from Day 2
Sunday, August 20
We made a 9am reservation for breakfast at Zimzala in Cronulla, which meant we needed to wake up early for the one hour train ride to Cronulla. You might think we were being extra for taking a one hour train ride to get breakfast, but even if it were two hours away we would have made the journey and then praised God for our faith because we were rewarded with the greatest breakfast of my life. Cronulla is a vibe, and if you don't go while you are in Sydney, you have missed out. After we got back, we still had plenty of time before the Final, so we caught the ferry to Manly and laid on the beach. Be warned if you are taking the ferry to Manly on the weekend that there is going to be a queue. As with breakfast, it was well worth the wait. On our way back from Manly, we stopped at the McDonald's in Circular Quay for a quick dinner before going to the game. We took the train to Stadium Australia and watched the World Cup Final between England and Spain. The crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of England (as were we), but the outnumbered Spanish fans were able to get the "Ole, Ole, Ole" chant going every time Spain had possession anywhere near the final third. As I said, I was rooting for England, but I could not help but enjoy seeing Olga Carmona score the game winner in the Final. Olga Carmona is one of my favorite European footballers in the same way Louisa Necib was one of my favorite European footballers over a decade ago.
View the photo slideshow from Day 3
Monday, August 21
We took the train to Katoomba to see the Blue Mountains. It is a two hour trip. Once we arrived in Katoomba, we caught a bus to the Echo Point lookout. From here, you get an excellent view of the Three Sisters and the rest of the Blue Mountains. We hopped back on the bus and headed toward Scenic World. Scenic World offers a rail and cable car to descend to the bottom of the rainforest. If you plan to hike over and climb the Giant Stairway, it probably makes sense. If not, I think you can skip this tourist trap. Echo Point was the highlight of the Blue Mountains for us, however. We caught the train back to Sydney, and then we took the ferry to Manly to have dinner at the beachside Manly Grill.
View the photo slideshow from Day 4
Tuesday, August 22
I took a morning walk along the harbor to Barangaroo Reserve. It was the nicest day of our entire trip, so of course we hopped on the bus and headed back to Bondi Beach. I swam in the ocean for 20 minutes, and then we laid on the beach the rest of the afternoon. It should be noted that every day of our trip we either visited Bondi Beach or Manly Beach. Which is the best beach in Sydney? It is hard to say. Manly has a lot to offer. The ride is iconic as you hop on the ferry and it takes you directly to Manly. You walk off the ferry and you have a bustling outdoor mall with any number of options for food or ice cream. And directly on the other side of the mall is the longest stretch of pristine beach that you could imagine. But then there is Bondi. It is a little more rugged to get there as the only way there is by bus, but honestly, I think it adds to the charm. You hop on the bus, and it lets you off right at the beach. The beach is not as long as Manly, but it is much wider. Honestly, it feels like a coin toss if you had to pick the best beach, but I think I am kind of partial to Bondi. After soaking in the sun, we walked along the coast before taking the bus back to Circular Quay. We had dinner at Rossini on the Circular Quay Wharf, and then we went to the Opera House to watch Miss Saigon.
View the photo slideshow from Day 5
Wednesday, August 23
On our last day in Sydney, I made a reservation for a walking tour through the historic neighborhood the Rocks for my mother. As you can expect, the tour guide was a personable older man and we enjoyed the tour. The main idea of the tour, however, can be summarized with these three main ideas. Number One: convicts and sailors and anyone else who ended up in Australia had a very tough go of it, often times due to unscrupulous profiteers. Number Two: large expenses by the government supported the engineering and architectural achievements in Australia. And Number Three: for the most part, Australia has done a good job of preserving the historic parts of Sydney. After the tour, the weather for the rest of the day was not the greatest. We took the ferry to Manly and walked along the northern coast, and then we returned to Circular Quay and ate at Searock Grill between the wharf and the Opera House.
Thursday, August 24
We departed Sydney Airport at 9:25am and finally landed back in Omaha at 9:10pm.
Acknowledgements
As you probably knew, it had been 20 years since our last international trip. Obviously, I would like to thank my mother for traveling half way around the world with me. When I had asked her if she wanted to come, she was not thinking about Vince Carter and the 2000 Summer Olympics. She did not know who Rose Lavelle was despite me constantly wearing her jersey. She just said, "Let's go." To everyone else who was unable to join us on the trip, I am happy to share...
We will return to Australia, Winter 2025/26.