We were both excited for part two of our Adventures in Australia. We knew that several of the sites to see in Sydney were located in the Central Business District (CBD). Originally we had planned on getting a rental car for the first few days of our Sydney trip because I had visions of us driving along the coast line like you would on Highway 1 in California.
We pretty much learned after about 30 minutes of driving that doesn’t really work here ~ you can walk along the coast like I mentioned in Coogee Beach, but, driving is a bit more challenging as you go through several towns and residential areas.
After getting lost a few times (including unintentionally driving over the Sydney Bridge to drop the car off ~ oops), we decided to turn the car in and rely on public transportation as there are so many ways to get around downtown Sydney.
We stopped at a local café to split a Bacon, Egg & Cheese Brekky Sandwich. The homemade Turkish bread they serve these sandwiches on is amazing ~ it’s like a soft focaccia.
We were able to book our time share Wyndham Asia Pacific in Sydney for our stay in the city.
We both had a pretty good laugh after calling down to the front desk to say our room did not have any power. You actually insert your room key into the slot and tadah, there is power.
Our super cute mini kitchen complete with a French Press 
The dining room, living room and our balcony.
From our room you can see the Sydney Brew house and Griffiths Teas.
The Bed and bath….
We snacked on this BBQ Outdoor Trek Mix before heading out to stock up on a fruit, water and snacks. This is the only mix I am glad there are more peanuts than other nuts because they coat them with a crunchy shell that makes them like BBQ chips.
Fun Fact we learned on our plane ride over ~ You cannot bring any nuts, seeds or beef jerky into Australia, yet, they let you toss it out on the plane.
I couldn’t resist when I saw Pie Face~ I had a mini Thai Chicken Pie, my absolute favorite one.
Being in downtown Sydney completely feels like being in San Francisco. There are so many people walking the streets and all of the buildings are sky scrapers.
We actually took more pictures of the buildings than what I am showing you all.
I love all the brick, castle like buildings while The Husband loves the crazy looking buildings like the one below that looks like it’s falling over.
The options to get around are endless ~ you can walk, take a taxi, bus (including the free green 555 bus), take a train, ride light rail or take the Monorail.
The Monorail takes you above all the traffic and circles the city centre.
But, sadly, they are closing it at of June 30, 2013.
The Metro Rail and Trains take you along the streets and under ground.
The one place I knew I wanted to check out was Darling Harbor. A short 5 minute ride on the Monorail and we were there.
The Harbour is absolutely beautiful as you can see rows and rows of restaurants, exhibits and boats all with the back drop of the city in the background.
We walked the entire harbour on both sides, including crossing the bridge, but, they do have this cute little train you can take as well if you do not want to walk.
We both grabbed iced coffees, walked to the end and sat on a bench walking the ships and people walk by.
The view straight out in front of us……
With the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the left.
I am pretty sure I could’ve spent hours just sitting here…pictures do not even capture the beauty.
For dinner, we stopped at Curve located right near the hotel.
I started with a Lemon Squash (fresh squeezed lemons, sweetened with fizzy water) ~ I am totally making this when I get back.
Every restaurant you go to serves you Tap water if you do not order sparkling or mineral water. I am pretty sure they filter it before they put it in the bottles, but, I love the eco-friendly concept of Tap.
I started with a Mixed Field Salad topped with balsamic.
The Husband had the Grilled Pork Loin with spring vegetables and mashed potatoes.
I had the Garlic Lime Shrimp Linguine which wasn’t too bad.
The fruit here is completely amazing whether you buy it already cut up or cut it up yourself. I had a super juicy, sweet, Mango for dessert that we picked up at the market earlier in the day.
Stay tuned tomorrow for another fun Australian Wordless Wednesday. I am hoping to have time to post about the Sydney Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium, Opera House, The Rocks and Paddys Market before we head back. If not, I will catch up with you all on Friday or this weekend.
Catching up on our trip to Australia ~ here are my recaps to date:
- Pie Face ~ Our Trek to Australia
- Mount Lofty and Hahndorf, Australia
- Wordless Wednesday ~ Crazy building’s we saw in Australia
- The Aussie Beach Board Walk
- Coogee Beach, Australia
Night all!
Thank you for the downtown tour. Sad to hear the monorail is closing down but glad you got to ride it before it does!
That is so interesting that the room key turns on the electricity! Who would have thought…
Do you know why they are closing down the monorail?
HI Robin,
You know we asked several people why they were closing the Monorail and nobody really had a good answer. From what we understand, it is privately owned and the investors are selling it out to the government. The Light Rail and City train do cover the same areas in some cases so maybe they will expand it to include the section the monorail does. It’s too bad because it is a fantastic option for getting around and they even let you buy a monorail/light rail pass to get to all areas.
Danica
Thank you for sharing your trip, it has truly reconfirmed that we must go…and now i’ll know some things in advance like put the card key in for power! 🙂 What an amazing trip!!
I don’t know about you guys…but I am completely exhausted!! Ha ha…. but, I am having a wonderful time!
Thank you for sharing the trip with us!!!!
I was in Sydney 15 months ago, and all of your pictures bring back wonderful memories. If you get a chance, walk to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge “Pylons” for a great view ($10 USD), which will save you hundreds of dollars vs. walking to the top of the Bridge! If you have extra time, take a ferry over to Manly Beach. Thanks for sharing your pictures!
Hope it doesn’t scare you, but most places don’t actually filter their tap water here. There’s no need to – Aussies are blessed with some of the best drinking water in the world (depending on which region you’re in). While you’re in Sydney, I’d recommend that you try some of our more multicultural food – we have some of the best Middle Eastern and Asian food going round, thanks to recent immigration. Hope your trip continues to be lots of fun! 🙂
I remember the first time I drank a lemon squash 🙂 Lovin your pics!! Looks like you are enjoying the other side of the world!