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!

Short Geraldton Holiday

A month ago, 29 April 2017, my friend whisked me away for a quick visit to Geraldton, Western Australia. It's a coastal city located north of Perth. We started the drive early because it was an estimated 5-6 hours trip. On the way, we did a couple of breaks, saw some dead animals on the road which probably were run over by big cars and trucks and also saw this Leaning Tree.

Before this, I saw a lot of trees that are leaning. My friends said that this is because Geraldton is a very windy city. But this tree stands out of all the leaning ones. 

I stayed in the city for about 3 days. It was a small town  which I liked very much. I stayed in a friend's couch which was not that bad because I had Netflix all to myself. He also had a cat who kept me company while he was working. Most of all, there was good dinner every night at his friend's houses.

I never really went out to the foreshore nor visited other places in Geraldton. The morning when I was about to go back to Perth City, he took me to the HMAS Memorial which is located at the Summit of Mount Scott. This represents the loss of the light cruiser in November 1941 with none of its crews surviving. It was a nice place to be in the early morning where sunlight is not that harsh and you can see people and their cars beginning to start the work day. 

This is the dome of souls. It is made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls and represents the souls of the lost sailors. 

We only stayed for 15 minutes in the area as I had to catch the bus back. The bus ticket was 66 AUD which was expensive but for the 6 hour drive it was reasonable. I long to be back to Geraldton to explore more of its beauty and possibly work if there are opportunities. 

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)