When we left New Zealand towards Australia, we had a lot of ideas in our minds: Kangaroos, Tasmanian Devils, Koalas, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, Uluru… you name it! Unfortunately we only had ten days in this wildly vast place, so we had to adjust our expectations.

In this post I will tell you about the elegant and sophisticated Sydney, and in the next Verne will take you on a dive to the colorful waters of the Great Barrier Reef. I know we always say that we want to come back to all the places we’ve been, but Australia is undoubtedly a place that needs much more time to be discovered…

In 1788 the first European boat arrived to Sydney, packed with prisoners for a new British penal colony. Since then Sydney has radically reshaped its history, and nowadays ships arrive at the largest natural harbor in the world packed instead with tourists, looking forward to get to know this fascinating city. With one third of its inhabitants being borne elsewhere, Sydney is a melting pot of cultures that contributes greatly for the cosmopolitan and sophisticated vibes in the air.

It is undoubtedly a blessed city. From the natural beauty of the Bondi and Manly beaches to the manmade Opera House and Harbor Bridge, there’s something there for everyone. On top of this, its economy has been steadily growing for years, further explaining why so many people choose to make this city their home.

At this point we’ve developed a pretty sturdy routine to scope out a new place: Tripadvisor for the top attractions, Google for some off the beaten path alternatives and, most importantly, advice from local friends. After we’d done this for Sydney, it became pretty obvious that the two days we had planned for the city would not suffice, so we ended up staying a bit longer.

Clock tower in Sydney central train station

Saint Mary’s cathedral

The Sydney Opera house viewed from the Harbor Bridge

Fancy restaurant inside the Opera House. The view from the inside must be pretty cool!

Sydney’s skyscrapers sometimes feel a bit claustrophobic

Until landing in New South Wales, ‘NSW’ meant ‘not safe for work’ 🙂

Sydney skyscraper against one of the few clear blue skies that we got during our stay

The steel structure of the Harbor bridge (or ‘Coathanger’, as the locals call it)

Sydney Harbor at nightfall

A group of unexpected cockatoos in a city park (no, the front one didn’t eat the pigeon)

Another angle from the Opera House (we warned you… We have plenty of these!)

French traditions getting to Sydney!

Fort Denison, located in a small island, one kilometer east of the Opera House

Bondi is the aboriginal word for ‘water breaking over rocks’

Jules posing next to a graffito in Bondi beach

Bondi beach is a surfer’s paradise (minus the occasional shark that breaks through the nets)

Verne in the middle of the blue sky and the blue sea in Bondi beach

The weather was much warmer than in New Zealand, but still we had to cope with a lot of rain!

A very hungry and grumpy angry lion in the Taronga Zoo

An impossibly cute sleeping Koala at the Taronga Zoo

Parakeets are quite usual in Sydney. This one is so used to human contact that couldn’t be bothered to fly away, and posed for the photo

Say Jules & Verne, you’re looking mighty tasty there!

When we arrived, the tigers were desperate for food. This one is relaxing after having his portion of steak

Look girls, it’s Sydney!

Where’s Wally? This chameleon’s shade of green is so similar to the leaves around that it’s easy to miss

Shadowed by the dark, this beautiful owl poses for the photo (the Exorcist way they turn their head freaks me out though)

An Ema pulling a flamingo

So an ema, a kangaroo and a weird looking bird walk into a bar…

Life’s hard if you are a kangaroo…

“I like to move it, move it, I like to…”

This wombat is a bundle of cuteness (they do tend to bite the more daring visitors though)

Watching primates in a zoo is always a punch in the stomach: their attitudes and gestures remind so much of our own! Here we can see a mother with a little one on her back

At least I can say that I’m taller than a bear! No need to specify species 🙂

Verne and the other kids volunteer to interact with the sea lions

Underwater picture of one of the sea lions, about to start its show

Are you looking at me?

Jules captures Verne snapping a picture of the Sydney skyline

On our way to see the humpback whales! The rain was annoying, but treated us with to a nice rainbow

Look to the horizon in the centre of the picture. Then half a centimeter Below you’ll see a dark spot: it was our best shot of a humpback whale!

And yet another view of the Opera House

Latte art is taken very seriously here

Wood sculpture in the Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook’s ship

The Onslow, a retired submarine docked in Sydney’s Maritime Museum, in Darling Harbor

Verne commanding the submarine… Not really a problem, as sinking is already a given!

Jules entering the Onslow submarine at Darling Harbor

The Vampire, one of the fastest destroyers in the Australian fleet

View of the Endeavour, the replica of Captain James Cook’s ship at Darling Harbor

Not sure if we had already posted a picture of the Sydney Opera House?

For one, that gave us the opportunity to take pictures of the Opera House from all possible angles. In one of our ferry rides, the captain told us that to fully appreciate the Opera House architecture one should take LSD and listen to Jimi Hendrix, because that was the context and spirit in which it had been designed. Well, even without chemically induced buzzes, the Opera House is indeed a magnificent building. Designed by Jorn Utzon, a Danish architect, the building is covered in Swedish tiles and reflects the Mayan, Islamic, Japanese and Chinese influences that inspired him throughout his career. Despite the early endorsement by Eero Saarinen, many years and many dollars were needed to build it (the initial design was physically impossible and had to be adapted), and only in 1973 was it inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II.

Right next to the Opera House is another of Sydney’s icons: the Harbor Bridge (or the Coathanger, as it’s affectionately called by the Sydneysiders), which has been carrying trains, cars, bicycles and pedestrians since 1932. Together, these two landmarks set the stage for the famous Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Talking about amazing views, if you cross the river to go to the Taronga Zoo, on top of all the Australian fauna and flora you are also contemplated with a beautiful skyline of the city (check out the giraffes place, that’s Sydney prime real estate right there). We are always ambivalent towards zoos though: independently of how good the installations are, they’re still animals in captivity. This hit us specially when we were watching the sea lions: after competing for a spot in the beach with them in the Galápagos, it was odd to see them here making tricks for the audience… Still, this is a world class Zoo, and all the animals seemed to be very well taken care of. It’s a debate that we will carry with us further along.

No visit to Sydney would be complete without a trip to a surf spot (Aussies are crazy about surf, so it’s a common sight to see someone with a board in the middle of the street). Bondi beach is particularly nice: beautifully sunbathed, with never ending sand and pristine waters. Apart from the occasional shark attack, it’s a beach made in heaven!

Our last days in Sydney were spent trying to spot humpback whales (they were unfortunately very shy that day and only showed us their fins) and in a very interesting visit to the ships and submarines in the Maritime Museum. Neither of us had ever been inside a submarine, and we still have some bumps in our heads from the experience! I’m only 1,6m tall and still struggled to walk on those corridors (the bunk beds are even more cramped, I can’t imagine anyone sleeping in one of those). The only place where I found it harder to keep straight was in the galleys of the Endeavour, the replica ship from Captain Cook’s boat. You literally need to crawl down there to go from one place to the other.

Lastly, but certainly not least, we want to give out a big hug to Tania and John, a couple of Aussie friends that saved us from Sydney’s murderous lodging prices. I can’t tell you guys how good it was to enjoy a home cooked meal after three months on the road… We’re waiting for you in Lisbon!

Keeping up the maritime theme, we are heading now to Cairns, for an amazing snorkel in the Great Barrier. See you soon!

Jules *