Cross That Bridge: The marvelous Sydney

We arrived to Sydney really late, so we went straight to our hostel and tried to get some rest although to be honest, sleeping in a dorm room is getting more and more annoying for us. It must be the age or something but putting up with a strange snoring guy in the bed next to you is just not as easy as it used to be.

The following morning we could explore more the surroundings of the hostel, really right next to the city center and the Central station. And as it was D's birthday and we didn't have to spend it like mine on an endless journey, we decided to take it easy but still do something special. And taking the ferry to Manly was just that! The ferry crosses the entire Sydney Harbour, passing by the Harbour Bridge and of course the Opera that is way smaller than you'd think! And the views are spectacular.

The Opera and the Harbour Bridge

Manly is a northern Sydney suburb, about 11 km from the City. It is home to one of many Sydney beaches and that's where we were headed. We have been in Australia for almost three weeks now and still haven't come even close to a surf board, so it was about time to set things right. D didn't really feel like getting into the chilly water but in the end he was glad that I convinced him, because who (apart from thousands of Sydneysiders) can say that he caught a perfect wave in Sydney on his birthday?! Well, D can, I can't. I forgot how much I suck at surfing and how much it can hurt, but we both had fun and that's what counts.

The birthday boy in his birthday Gangnam style T-shirt overlooking Manly beach

I was still smiling then

Hard but fun

After lunch we headed back into the center for some sightseeing and for taking more and more pictures of the omnipresent Opera.

We have dozens of Opera pictures!

Harbour Bridge

You can climb all the way to the top

The Rocks with the downtown office buildings in the background

Tuna-tomato sandwich or heated up beef can didn't seem too proper as a birthday gift, so following the recommendations of a fellow traveler, we went to fill our bellies with a giant steak - for just $ 11, beer included! That definitely was an upgrade from our sad diet of the past two weeks...

Dinner of champions

And following yet another recommendation, we decided to spend the next couple of days outside the city, in the Blue Mountains National Park. The weather forecast wasn't very promising but we wanted to risk it anyway. And we ended up having clear skies and a lot of sunshine most of our time! Unlike in Tasmania, national parks in New South Wales are free of charge so we could walk around as we pleased, without our wallet bleeding to death. At first we were reluctant as all the walks seemed short and easy, again, but all the climbing up and down the valley turned out to be a great exercise. And once again, the views were breathtaking.

The Three Sisters, Katoomba

Jamison Valley. It was a long way down, and even longer way up...

The National Pass

Wentworth Falls

We changed hostel on our return to Sydney, staying in the slightly dodgy neighborhood of King's Cross, and once we found out we had strong free wifi and computers for free use, we were unstoppable. We could at last update the blog, book the car and the first nights of accommodation in New Zealand, revise our bank statements... Happiness!

Our last day in Sydney arrived and it made us sad, as we grew very fond of the city. It might be one of the most expensive places on the planet, but it is also completely awesome! Should we look for a job here? Who knows... We said our goodbyes walking the streets of just about any neighborhood in a reasonable distance from the center (yes, the transport is also expensive here), so now, on our last night, we can hardly move any more. But it's time to pack our bags, good bye Australia, hello New Zealand!