∙ I set out on this journey, among other reasons, to see the world from a different perspective. I saw Sydney today from every imaginable perspective: by ferry boat, then by hop on, hop off bus, then by helicopter, and then by sky tower!! I’m in sensory overload at this point, but could never say I failed to sap every ounce out of my time here. This is a city well worth the effort. On this day, we took more photos than on any other. It was a sight-seeing extravaganza!
∙ Cruising Sydney Harbor
∙ We toured the historic landmarks, white beaches and business district on a luxury day-cruiser
∙ We saw the mansions that line the shore, several parks and beaches, Watson’s Bay and the city. In short, we took in the sights and feel of Sydney from the water
∙ Did you know there are three nudists’ beaches in Sydney?!
∙ Hop On, Hop Off Bus
∙ Our boat ride ended just after noon. We had a couple hours to kill, so why not tour the city by Hop On, Hop Off bus? It was this cute, 2-story bus with an open-air upper deck (like in London).
∙ On board, I met a cute app. 7-year-old girl named Ginger. She took quite a liking to me, perhaps because I’m blonde and was wearing pink (a color she seemed to like a lot), or maybe it was because I was carrying on like a giddy school girl in a candy shop! Whatever her motivation, she sat with me in the first row and was determined to mimic everything I did. If I stood, she stood. If I sat, she sat back down. She even announced that she would do everything I did and started moving her arms and legs to match my own. It was hilarious! What a cutee!
∙ Helicopter Ride
∙ In the mid-afternoon, we took a 30-minute helicopter ride over Sydney Harbor, the beaches and the surrounding areas. It was in-credible! Seriously – we were late, but they were gracious and polite nonetheless. Our Pilot, Mark of Blue Sky Helicopters, was funny, professional, knowledgeable and extremely accommodating (see my previous post about the extraordinary steps he took to assure that we could view and capture extremely valuable photographs of our ship as it sailed out of Sydney Harbor; I omit those here, since they’re already the subject of a separate post). I wanted to see Bondi Beach, and he took us there. He was super kind to the other couple, too, who were celebrating the young man’s birthday. I strongly recommend Blue Sky Helicopters at 462 Ross Smith Ave. (located at the Heliport at Sydney Airport). For what you spend to climb Sydney Harbor Bridge, you can take a 30-minute helicopter ride over the city, beaches and other incredible sites of this most unique city! (Not to diminish the Bridge Climb, which is fabulous in its own right. But some people may shy away from a helicopter flight because they don’t realize it’s affordable, safe and convenient. DO it!)
∙ Dinner at Sydney Tower
∙ To top off this day of satiating stimulation, we dined at Sydney Tower's "360 Bar" -- its own version of the restaurant topping the Stratosphere in Vegas. I’d heard the buffet wasn’t very good, but we opted for the fine dining version and loved it! The twilight to evening views of the city were breathtaking, and the food excellent!
∙ Our Hotel: As if we hadn’t already had the most perfect day already, we found this 5-star hotel in the heart of Sydney’s downtown, Establishment Hotel, which offers large suites unlike any I’ve seen before. Oh, and unlike most hotels, they have a smoking floor! It’s hard to find, but you’ll be glad once you do!
∙ FURTHER INSTALLMENT OF AUSSIE TO AMERICAN
∙ Everyone has seen Crocodile Dundee and knows “mates” means friends. Here are some others: to be “buggered” means to be tired or worn out; “course language” means foul language; a “chemist” is the same as a pharmacist; “blokes” are folks; “good on him” means good for him; the “social pages” are the classifieds; to “ring” someone is to call; “accommodation” is lodging; to “switch off” is to turn off. Oh, and here’s the big one: don’t say “fanny pack” or compliment a girl for her “nice fanny” – unless you want to get slapped – because, here, “fanny” means vagina! They call a fanny pack a “bum bag” (o-kay)! "Knackered" means worn out or tired.
∙ Well, I’m totally “knackered” (I added a little "Valley Girl" to it) and must, therefore, sleep!
Again glad you enjoyed Sydney. It was very interesting to see our language translated to American. (If someone tells you to look out for the "joe blake", look for a snake).
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed your time in Sydney. It is a great city to visit and to have fun. I hope the weather in Cairns is behaving itself for you as we are all having a wet summer down here especially on the East Coast. Another Aussie expression is "knackered" which means worn out or exhausted.
ReplyDeleteJennie