It
was almost 10AM of 1st of August 2013 when we touched down Sydney’s Kingsford
Smith Airport. First thing first, clear immigration checkpoint and claim
luggage. Second, grab some maps and brochures. Third, call for shuttle pickup
(free call -> 1800 882 922).
The
shuttle service normally costs 13 AUD to Elephant Backpacker Hostel,
but it was free since we stayed there for more than 3 days. We arrived at the
hostel early for check-in; luckily we can leave our luggage behind and go for
lunch. Initially we were looking for convenience store or supermarket, but we
found none. At William Street, about 400 meters southwest of the hostel, Harry’s Coffee & Gelato
caught our attention. We dined in and ate Angus Beef Burger meal and Tuna
sandwich.
After
having our full, we went back to the hostel and checked-in. The hostel lacks
maintenance (toilets could be dirty, mattress is not that good, kitchen and
dining area is messy and crowded), no WIFI, no heater in room. The room that
was given to us has no automatic lock; therefore we weren’t really at
peace with our belongings, though there were lockers in room. Things could get
lost; anyone could be the suspect as anyone could enter the room. The only
reason to stay here is the cheap price and great location!!!
After
securing our beds and things, we start our Sydney exploration. We have decided
to take the free Sydney CBD shuttle bus (Bus 555). On the way to the bus stop,
we passed by two beautiful landmarks - St.
Mary's Cathedral and Hyde Park. We shall discuss more of
them in Day 2. But for now, here is the picture
The
bus stop is near St. James Station. We rode bus and reached Circular Quay
around 2pm. Circular
Quay in Sydney is a busy transport hub, offering regular ferries to various
locations across Sydney Harbour. Actually Circular Quay is hardly circular,
despite its name, and is more like an angled horseshoe that opens out to the
harbour where the ferries ply.
For
the first-time visitor to Sydney, Circular Quay is a convenient starting point
for a discovery tour of the city. Meander down the main promenade, you’ll come
across all range of individuals – from tourists to street performers and
Aboriginal buskers while playing the didgeridoo.
From
here, you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge
from a distance, the harbour and Sydney Opera House nearby. The view is just
stunning!!! And look who is happily jumping! Here is top 5 fun facts from the
brochure: a.) The bridge may rise or fall up to 7 inches as the steel expands
or contracts in the weather, b.) The total cost of construction was 2x the
original quote, c.) Despite opening in 1932, the bridge wasn’t fully paid off
until 1988, d.) Approx 80000 litres of paint are required for each coat of the
bridge and e.) It was painted grey because no other colour of paint was
available in such large quantities.
Now
let’s make our first stop at Sydney Opera House. What is Sydney
without visiting this iconic sail-shaped building at Bennelong Point, right on
Sydney Harbour? It is one of the world’s most creative and busiest
performing arts centres and greatest triumphs of modern architecture. It also
is home to performances including ballet, opera, theatre, dance, music, comedy,
kid shows, talks and more. Here is another top 5 house secrets: a.) There
are 5 theatres in the house, 6 if you include the Utzon Room and 7 with the
Forecourt, b.)There are 1,056,006 tiles on the roof of the house, c.) It is
supposed to cost $7M to build, but ended up costing $102M, d.) Funds for
construction were raised by starting the Sydney Opera House Lottery, and e.)
The net over the Opera Theatre orchestra pit is there because a chicken once
fell from stage on top of a cellist.
After
admiring its beauty for about an hour, we are now ready to move to our next
destination - Royal
Botanic Gardens. The beautiful garden is at the heart of the city, it is
located right near the Opera House steps and forecourt. It is overlooking the
glistening harbour. Download the map
of the garden. Step through the Queen Elizabeth II Gate awaits the 30
hectares of flora and fauna. The Garden is easily one of the most beautiful
spots in Sydney.
Located
within the Royal Botanic Gardens are: Government House and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair which we failed
to visit. L It is unfortunately that we didn’t visit Mrs Macquarie’s Chair as
it is renowned for being the best vantage points in Sydney that offers stunning
view of both Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Next time we shall not miss
this!
Exiting
at Woolloomooloo gate, at the right you’ll spot Art Gallery of New South Wales. It
was established in 1880 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and
the fourth largest in Australia. Admission is free to the general exhibition
space, which displays Australian (from settlement to contemporary), European
and Asian art.
Continuing
along Art Gallery Road toward St Mary’s Road, we will pass by The Domain and
eventually St. Mary’s Cathedral. But it is still too early to call it a
day!!! Let’s make Sydney Tower Eye our last stop, is
that cool for you? From where you stand right now, the Sydney Tower is just too
visible. You just need to go to the direction on where it is. Sydney Tower is
Sydney's tallest free-standing structure, and the second tallest in Australia (next to Gold Coast). It
is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere (after Auckland's Sky Tower, though
Sydney Tower Eye's main observation deck is almost 50 meters higher than that
of Auckland's Sky Tower). The tower stands 309 meters above the
Sydney central business district (CBD), located on Market Street, between Pitt
and Castlereagh Streets. It is accessible from the Pitt Street Mall, and sits
upon the newly refurbished Westfield Sydney.
The
tower is open to the public, and is one of the most prominent tourist
attractions in the city, being visible from a number of vantage points
throughout town and from adjoining suburbs. We booked a combo pass ticket
through their website which allowed us visit 5 attractions for just $63. And
this is also why this must be visited first so that we can claim the admission
tickets. Here are some pictures from the observation deck, we reached there
around 5:30 PM and to our surprise the sun has already set.
Before
going home we drop by Coles Supermarket at 388 George St. around 450 meters
from Sydney Tower. We bought bread, vegemite, peanut butter, plastic
utensils, and noodles for dinner and breakfast. This is all for day1. Hope
you guys enjoyed the half day city tour :)
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