Australia part one
Arrival in Sydney and an afternoon visit to Manley Beach.
Thanks to Nick I arrive in Sydney in the early evening.
It’s been a long day, from completing a street art walking tour of Dunedin to visiting the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch to making my way to my hotel in Sydney. I can’t believe that just this morning I was on the boat that brought me to Antarctica and back.
It’s past 21h, and I want to walk to the Sydney Opera House to have a look. But while the spirit is willing the body is weak and I end up heading to bed.
I wake up disoriented in the middle of the night. Thinking I’m still on the ship I can’t understand how there are skyscrapers just out the port window, how I’m so high up off the wharf. It takes me a minute for my brain to process the boulevard below, the office building across from me. I head back to sleep, remembering where I am.
I forgot once again in the morning as I wake up, still feeling the rock of the ship. Once again I head to the window without understanding how the ship has grown so tall in the night, how we’ve traveled to this city overnight from Dunedin.
When I am finally awake, I check the map on my phone to get my bearings. The hotel is in the Central Business District, steps from Hyde Park and, by extension, the Royal Botanic Garden. And so I decide to get up, shower and change, and walk in that direction, through the gardens and towards the Opera House and the Circular Quay Wharf beyond.
Sydney reminds me of Auckland on steroids, the Sydney Tower Eye rising over the city like the Auckland Sky Tower, my hotel by a beautifully manicured park, a plethora of delicious-looking Asian restaurants.
I walk past the Archibald Memorial Fountain and then down Macquarie Street, entering the Royal Botanic Garden from its southwest corner near the Governor Phillip Fountain. It’s a warm sunny day and I have to take my coat off and carry it on my arm to keep from overheating.
Looking to my right I see a white structure. Signs point to The Calyx. Curiosity gets the better of me and I head up the hill to see what’s inside.
Inside there’s a small floral exhibit. A wall of greenery comprises the back of the building, and a cafe sits in front. I’m tempted to stop for a flat white, but want to save my coffee for later, and exit to continue walking through the gardens toward the Opera House.
The gardens runs alongside the water, wrapping around a small bay. I watch a ferry pass a small lighthouse that’s set in the middle of the channel.
I approach the Opera House from above, a seashell and sand-colored building set against the sea. I walk down the hill to the plaza before the building and walk around it to see it from as many angles as I can.
A large cruise ship is tied up across the harbor and ferries run back and forth to Circular Quay. I decide to take the ferry to Manley Beach and make my way alongside a pavillion of cafes and restaurants to the wharf.
The ferry is just about to leave when I arrive and I pay my fare and take a seat on an outdoor deck. The ferry pulls away from the quay and rounds the Opera House. It feels like half the passengers are angling for a shot.
It’s less than thirty minutes to the Manly terminal. We leave the city behind and I admire the coastline and the parks I can see from the boat.
Leaving the ferry terminal at Manly I walk through a pedestrian mall to the beach. I take my shoes off and dip my toes. I had a vague plan for the day and didn’t pack a swimsuit. The water is cold, but there are people swimming in it, and I wish I could join them, if only for a moment.
I head back through the pedestrian mall and find a highly-rated Thai restaurant (Phuket Charm Thai Restaurant) for lunch after which I take ice cream from Anita Gelato back on the pedstrian mall.
The ferry ride back is calm, with a steady wind. A sailboat cruises by, listing hard to port in the wind.
Back at Circular Quay I disembark and head south into the city in search of a flat white. There are cafes on the wharf, but a Google search points me to Skittle Lane, a small shop that’s only about as big as its counter. I order a flat white and drink it standing in the small alley in which it sits.
On my way back to the hotel I stop to get a haircut. It’s been almost a month and my hair is long and borderline shaggy. I’m happy to have it shaved back, especially in the warmer climes of Sydney. Back on the street I walk to my hotel, nestled across from the Queen Victoria Building. and just down the block from the Sydney Town Hall. I couldn’t be any more central. 🇦🇺
27 February 2025
