Today is the last day of our Sydney tour and we feel we haven't had enough of the city. Our itinerary for Day 6 is another popular beach here in Sydney, Bondi beach. After our bad experience in taking bus from Spit Bridge going back to city in Day 5, we now have fear of taking another bus ride. However the only way to travel from CBD to Bondi beach is via bus so despite our new fear, we still push through with our plan.

Before leaving the hostel, we first asked the hostel receptionist where to take the bus and how to buy tickets. Most of the bus stops in CBD area are prepaid so we need to purchase tickets before boarding the bus. We now proceed to look for a convenient store near the bus stop to buy tickets. After we bought our round trip tickets, we looked for the bus stop and waited for the bus that will take us to Bondi beach. If from CBD, the bus to take is 380 or 333. This will pass by Bondi Junction which has a mall nearby.

It took us approximately 30 minutes to reach Bondi Beach. Upon arriving, we went directly to the beach to take lots of photos. Bondi Pavilion is where you can hangout for free WiFi.
 


Comparing to Manly, Bondi beach is smaller from end to end. Just beside the beach is the Bondi Park where we see people jogging, eating their lunch, reading books and sunbathing. We also saw alot of birds, that we think are seagulls. They were just walking around looking for food. When one girl offered them food, they flocked to her like a piranhas eating their prey.


Time check it's 12 noon. We decided to try Australia's local fastfood chain Hungry Jack's. Wikipedia says,  Hungry Jack's Pt Ltd is the exclusive Australian master fast food franchisee of Burger King Corporation, a privately held company owned by Jack Cowin. No wonder it tastes similar to Burger King and seems like Jack is always hungry huh! Since it was a Tuesday, they were offering a buy one get one burger deal! We had really been wondering why alot of restarants and fast food chains in Australia are offering this kind of deals during Tuesdays. If you guys have any idea, please share by commenting below.


 After a very tiring trek yesterday, we decided today is going to be a relaxed one. We took a stroll on nearby areas along the beach. Then, we saw the Bondi Icebergs. This was actually a swimming club which origin dates back to 1929 and owes its origins to the desire of a band of dedicated local lifesavers who wished to maintain their fitness during the winter months. It has a swimming pool, restaurants and bar facilities. Full club membership can only be attained by swimming 3 Sundays out of 4 from May to September (winter) for 5 years! (O_o)



Just ahead of Bondi Icebergs we sighted beautiful rock formations and on the edge of the land mass is Mackenzies Point. The view of the South Pacific Ocean is amazing. We also viewed Bondi Beach from a different view. 


Just above is a small hill, and on top we found Hunter Park. It's a very peaceful and tranquil place, very good for relaxing and meditating. We just sat in the grassy fields under the tree. After sometime, people started arriving with their dogs, and one dog even tried to tackle us.
 


It's now 4pm, time for us to go back down to the beach. Before going home, we tried to look for the Bondi Market. After looking around for 10-20 minutes, we weren't able to find the place. We decided to ask for directions and we were told that it's only open on weekends. With no place else to go we took the next bus back to the city and started to pack our things for the flight to Melbourne the next day. We also arranged shuttle bus pickup with the hostel receptionist.

Alarm sounded at 6:00 AM, time to get ready for Blue Mountains Tour. At 7 AM, we ate breakfast quickly and grabbed our hot choco drink and walked to St. James Station. It was very cold that day, and I wondered how much colder could it be up at Blue Mountains.

When we reached St. James Station around 7:30 AM, there was no ticket booth opened by that time. We began feeling anxious as we needed to catch early train else we won't make it. Then someone approached and assisted us on buying return ticket thru the machine, he even gave us instructions on where to change train. If I recall correctly, the return ticket costs around 11.6 AUD.

And here we are at St. James Railway Station waiting for train to Central Station. Being here just reminds me of Harry Potter. I was amazed, the train is double-decked and wow, the seats are so comfy!!! The train traveled few stations then we got out of Central station and waited for another train to Katoomba.The total journey is 2.5 hours.

We reached Katoomba Station at around 10:30 AM. Then we bought the 1 Day Discovery Package (all day trolley tours ride plus unlimited rides at Scenic World) worth 60 AUD. This was because we didn't know that we can ride the trolley by paying the minimum. Anyway, at least we got to listen to the recorded audio as the trolley toured us around Katoomba. 

From Katoomba station, we took trolley to the bus stop after Echo Point. From there we took Scenic Skyway to reach Scenic World. This Skyway took us to a 720 meter cold thrilling ride offering view of Katoomba Falls, The Three Sisters and Jamison Valley. I will explain more on them later...

When we reached Scenic World, we decided to have brunch at Eats270. The name Eats270 actually is 270 metres above the Jamison Valley! We shared 1 pizza with avocado toppings while enjoying the picturesque view of Blue Mountains. That's the Skyway at the background!

Is the mountain actually blue? Well..they say... The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour.

Then we took photos of The Three Sisters. The Three Sisters are a rock formation in the Blue Mountains. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains' best known sites, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m). 

Legend says that three sisters (Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo') lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. They fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe (the Nepean tribe), but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters. A major tribal battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by a witchdoctor to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back.

Now is time to ride Scenic Cableway compared to Scenic Skyway, the Cableway is fully enclosed cabin provides a unique vantage point for viewing the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, Mt Solitary and Katoomba Falls.

Then we continued to the Scenic Walkway. There is a boardwalk that immerses visitors into Jurassic rainforest on the Jamison Valley floor. We just enjoyed the tranquility of the forest - the fauna, silence, nature, etc... and do some bush walking. Then we take Cableway back to Scenic World.

Then now is time to ride the Scenic Railway . The Scenic Railway is 52 degrees inclined and is considered the steepest railway in the world. We disembarked at the bottom to the rainforest. Along the way, we explored elements of the site’s coal mining history including the mine entrance, a replica miners’ hut and scale bronze sculpture of a miner and his pit pony. Then we take Cableway back to Scenic World.

From here, we ride the Scenic Skyway and bus to Echo Point Lookout. Echo Point lookout provides panoramic views of the southern Blue Mountains, the Wilderness and the iconic Three Sisters rock formation from a variety of lookouts. And here is our photo after after take 3, finally Three Sisters is not covered anymore. 

Then we decided to take one round of trolley tour to listen to the audio and learn more about the Katoomba town. At around 5:30 PM, we take train from Katoomba to St James Station. Here is a view of sunset by the train's window...


It's 8:00 PM now, let us have some rest. See ya the following day...

It was almost 10AM of 1^st 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 :)