Australia: Day 1 (15 Dec) Sydney

We arrived in Sydney on time after what seemed like forever flying from Korea, but it was 07.15, so we had the whole day, and thankfully no jetlag. We had booked in at a small hotel called Macquarie Boutique hotel. It definitely had its own character, with a pub on the ground floor, the reception on the second floor, and the breakfast area at a small place next door. The room was small, but Carla and I liked the place.

We met my Mother who had flown in from Noosa the night before, and was also staying at the hotel. It was good to see her, as it had been 16 months since I had seen her last, and befoe that was quite a number of years.

After catching up and having a bit of breakfast, we headed for a walk to Hyde Park / the Botanical Gardens, and thought we would see where that led us. Hyde Park was great, with all the grass and greenery around, which we have really missed in Seoul.

Walking through the park was a good start to the holiday. We had heard that there were these large bats called Flying Foxes that lived in the Botanical Gardens, and were really surpised by how large they were. They really did remind of Dracula and could really see how this was made into an ominous creature.


We carried on through the Botanical Gardens until we reached Sydney harbour. It was really bustling on the harbour, with all different yachts and boats all over the place.


Sydney Opera house was right there, and it does really give you that realisation that you are now in Sydney. It is an amaizing design. We walked around the Opera House for a while, acting like real tourists and taking pictures at all different angles.

From the Opera House the view to Sydnet Harbour Bridge is really great, so of course we took all of those pictures as well.

It has been 18 years since I have been in Sydney, but one thing that has not changed is the group of Aboringines that play the didgeridoo at the Circular Quay in Sudney harbour. I could swear it is the same group as 18 years ago.


After some drinks over looking the harbour, we took a ferry to Darling Harbour to look around. We didn't stay long as the lack of sleep from the night before was starting to catch up.

We went back to Darling Harbour for dinner at a great Italian restaurant, where I learnt something new, Sangria is not Italian, but Spanish...


By the end of Dinner, Carla and I were finished, so we walked ack to the hotel through China Town and crashed for the evening.