Australia - Arrival in Sydney

When I initially arrived in Sydney at the start of the week, I spent a few days sleeping and relaxing after a couple of incredible months round South East Asia. Also, the weather was not favourable, and I wanted to wait for a good day to explore. On the first Thursday the rain departed and allowed me to check out my new city. Above is my first glimpse of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney is really pretty in the sunshine!

I decided to have a closer look at the Sydney Opera House, where I had stood with my family back in 2005. I hadn't remembered how it looked up close, and was fascinated by the sails. The next few photos are close up of the scales.

The Opera House is right next to the Royal Botanical Gardens, with views of the CBD in the background. The Park is massive, and has lots of different gardens concentrating on different plant species. You could spend an entire day in here and still not see everything it has to offer.

I then headed up towards Mrs Macquarie's Chair, and was met with the following views.

I really need to find friends who have a boat here. I miss sailing!

Back to the Botanical Gardens.

Earlier in the day, when it was too hot, I visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Inside I was met by a flash mob chanting 'This is so contemporary' and dancing around me. I laughed it off, as I thought I was being filmed. When I went to the front desk to ask about the exhibitions, the guy explained I had already seen one of the main exhibits... how contemporary.

I loved this building and the collections inside. I think I will make time to visit here often.

A rare occasion below, seeing the arrival of a cruise ship coming into Circular Quay. It was pretty special, although I need to practice taking photos at night...

I went on a free walking tour of the Rocks, which is where they placed the convicts in the beginning as it was inhospitable. The tour went quite fast, so not a lot of time for photos, but managed to grab a few.

Susannah Place was built by an Irish family, and the sturdy block is the only building left from that time. It has been preserved into a museum and the family shop still runs.

We made our way up to the Observatory and were met with this fantastic view looking back at the Rocks and the Harbour Bridge.

Over the first few weeks I tried to get out and see as much of Sydney as I could. One day I had a trip to Manly, but the weather was pretty changeable. The ferry was crowded with tourists, and wasn't the most pleasant experience. Below are some paddleboarders. I want to learn how to do this while I live here.

I met with Julia, whom I had met on my Cambodia/Vietnam trip. We had met up with each other in five countries on our trip, but this was to be the last for a while.

We had intended to do the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, but the weather had other plans. So instead we went on another free walking tour around the city. Below is St Andrew's Cathedral.

Town Hall, supporting Mardi Gras and Equality.

The Queen Victoria Building is quite a site. Shortened to QVB by locals, it houses some luxury brands and fine dining.

Sydney even has its own version of Greyfriars Bobby... this dog talks when you donate...

Inside QVB.

I can't remember the story about this pig, but only that certain parts of its anatomy are rubbed for good luck.

The Commonwealth Bank and crest of Australia. They decided to chose the two animals who cannot walk backwards to represent Aussies, showing they are constantly moving forward.

The bird cages and sounds represent the many extinct bird species in New South Wales. It is scary how many there are.

Next post will be about Mardi Gras!