Easter Sunday in Sydney

We went to Sydney last Easter weekend to catch up with friends and get a bag that I left with them back in 2017. On Easter Sunday, me and Joel decided to make full use of our day before our late night flight back to Melbourne. 

After checking out from our hotel, we headed to CBD Storage to leave our luggage. For luggage left until 5pm, the price was $11. But we decided we will get our bag after 5pm, so we paid $24. I saw a Starbucks Coffee place on the way and got my sister a Starbucks tumbler as she loves to collect these. I'm pleased that with my purchase I was given free coffee :)

image from http://gramha.com/explore-hashtag/starbucksaussie

Going around Sydney is very easy with Opal Card. Much like Melbourne's Myki card, I just have to tap on and tap off every time I ride the public transport. On Sundays, it's more cost effective because there is a travel cap of $2.70. This means one can travel all day with train, bus, ferry or light rail and pay no more than $2.70. I believe this makes Sundays a busy day for families wanting to bond and sight see around Sydney. 

With this travel cap in mind, we started our journey from Town Hall Station to Circular Quay Station to see the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Getting off the train, we immediately saw the 2 iconic landmarks from beyond. We were really lucky that the weather was really nice that day!

We got off the train platform and was greeted with throngs of people lining up to ride the ferries to neighboring bays and beaches. The lines were really long and the sun was unforgiving. We decided to walk towards the Opera House. It was lined with a lot of food joints and restaurants, there were lots to choose from and the view was amazing!

After filling our hungry stomachs, we headed to see the Opera House up close. Since it was around noon time, there were parts of the steps leading to the Opera House that did not have a crowd. The crowd was concentrated in the shaded area and we were able to get quite a good shot.

Walking back to Circular Quay, we were debating if we should take the bus or the ferry to Watson's Bay and get a bus from there to Bondi. The bus from Circular Quay to Bondi was Bus 333 and we can see it from Stand B. Although the bus is easier because there is not much of a crowd, we opted to line up for the ferry. We wanted to experience the ferry ride and lined up for almost an hour. 

waiting for the ferry. We were first in the queue :)

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The ferry ride was not so bad, it is a different way to travel and we saw the Opera House while cruising through the waters.

We arrived in Watson's Bay after about 25 minutes ferry journey. I've never been to Watson's Bay and it looked cool. Lots of restaurants, nice beach and this gorgeous view.

Our main goal was to head to Bondi beach so we headed to the bus stop and waited for bus 380 to Bondi. 

Finally arrived in Bondi Beach! Time to enjoy the sea, sun and sand :)

getting some sun before winter comes!

I can say we saw a lot of Sydney in one day and our public transport fares could have easily cost us around $20 but because it was a Sunday, we got it cheap. We chose to fly from Sydney to Melbourne on a Sunday night so that we could still rest  and recuperate on Easter Monday at home. Also, we chose to get away from the crowd that is expected to get back to Melbourne after the Easter weekend. 

My goal when I come back to Sydney in the future is to afford the Bridge Climb. Hopefully I can save up for it! Thank you for reading and 'til the next blog!

Sydney Getaway - Day 1

I had a planned Sydney trip with a friend who, at the last minute, cancelled on me. I was hesitant to have my ticket refunded because it was a good deal that I got from Qantas (I booked via a third party). It was supposed to be a reward for myself after the 9 week course I took. I wasn't so much excited about it but I had to suck it up and be a solo traveler.

My cousin had vouchers for a backpacker hotel in Sydney so she booked me at 790 on George Street which is located near Sydney Central. Perth to Sydney is a 4 hour flight but with Qantas, it didn't feel terrible. There was entertainment and food which was exactly the service I paid for. 

Upon arrival at Sydney, I bought an Opal Card and had it topped up. This was what I used to ride the train to Central and the cost was around 13.80 AUD. I arrived in the city at around 9 in the evening and got quite lost on where my backpacker hotel was. After dragging my luggage and calling the hotel, I finally found it and was asked for a 10 AUD deposit. 

The dorm room I was in is good for 6 girls. It was full and I was assigned to the top bunk which was kind of hard to climb. But with the exhaustion of travel and a bit of diarrhea (must be from all the food I ate lol), I slept good.

The next day, a friend of my sister (who later on became my friend) Yan and her husband: Jun, and I met. Despite of their busy schedule for their upcoming church wedding, they took me around to the farther Sydney sites which means the beaches. 

Our first stop was the famous Bondi Beach. 

It was a Friday morning and the beach wasn't as busy as expected yet. Though there are a few tourists and sunbathers around, it is amazing to see how wide the shoreline is with a little less crowd.

Had to have my photo taken where the lifeguards are stationed. Every year, lifeguards here rescue an average of 2,500 people. 

Our next stop was on the other side of the Sydney Harbor where views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge can be seen. 

We were so happy that the weather was fine on that day. It was not too cold and just a bit cloudy. It was the first time I have caught a glimpse of the Opera House. 

Luna Park is one of the free things to do in Sydney. Yes, coming in was free but the rides were not. It was most entertaining for the kids so we just looked around and see what it can offer.

This is the amazing Sydney Harbor Bridge or the Coathanger (it's nicknamed as the coathanger because of how it is designed). This bridge together with the Opera House are the the iconic images of Sydney and of Australia. It is made of steel and connects the Sydney CBD to the Northshore. I have read about the Harbor Bridge Climb and was greatly recommended. I'm making sure to have this on my bucketlist when I come back to Sydney in the future. 

Our next stop was at Manly Beach. The photo is actually from the other side of the beach but it was fun to stop by, sit down, people watch while altogether taking in the view of Manly. 

The last and not the least stop was at another beach which I think was called Balmoral. It was a beach very close to a park and was perfect for chill afternoon for family and friends. 

We had different appointments for dinner so we had to separate ways afterwards. I really enjoyed my first day in Sydney with them, in addition to having new Filipino friends in a different country. I was worried to be on my own for the next few days but I guess I survived. Coming up soon, is day 2!

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!