Our Walkabout

Planet View: S34°00.007’ E151°04.417’

Street View: S34°00.007’ E151°04.417’

We dropped off the Goose Shack by the airport on our way into Sydney city and took advantage of more sunshine for a swim at Australia’s most famous stretch of sand: Bondi Beach.  There were some big swells coming in on the day we were swimming, Jarrid and I both took some pummeling as we bodysurfed in the waves.  Great to take a walk along the cliff tops from Bondi to Bronte Beach, multi-million dollar properties on one side with the beautiful blue waters of Sydney’s metro beaches on the other.  We all agreed that Tamarama Beach, located between Bondi and Bronte, was the best spot for a swim along the way and would be a good spot to avoid the crowds of Bondi next time we’re in Sydney with beach weather.

On Friday night we ventured into Paddington to explore some of the pubs along Oxford Street.  A few beers at the Paddington Inn and then dinner at Arthurs Pizza was a good start to the night, unfortunately we didn’t realize that state regulations mandate all drinking establishments close at 10:00PM on Good Friday so our night exploring Paddington was cut a little short.  We spent Saturday touring the Bordessas around some of the more noteworthy sights of Sydney city, beginning our day with a train and tram ride to the famous Sydney Fish Market.  Established in 1966 the Sydney Fish Market is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and only second in the world in the number of species auctioned next to Japan.  It was an eye-opening spot, we explored some of the larger seafood processors, amazed at the number of different types of fresh fish on offer.  It was interesting to peruse so many of the species we’d seen spearfishing during the prior week.  Unfortunately the auction floor was closed due to the public holiday, but the market was still overflowing with people in for a day of fresh seafood.  The harbour edge at the market is lined with picnic tables, we secured a spot next to the water and with a bottle of sparkling shiraz enjoyed sashimi, soft-shell crab, Blue Swimmer Crab, Sydney Rock Oysters and some salt and pepper squid.  A really awesome spot!

From the market we ventured to Circular Quay for a tour of Sydney’s most famous landmarks: the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.  An afternoon beer at ECQ overlooking Circular Quay was a great way to watch the world go by with a brilliant view of the Harbour Bridge in the distance, after which we took a stroll through the Botanic Gardens before having to escape the intermittent rain.  The Blu Bar at the top of the towering Shangri-La Hotel was an impressive spot from which to watch the sun set through the clouds with unparalleled views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, a bit of an eye-opener to see a cocktail on the menu for $10000 (served with an accompanying diamond in the glass!).  We spent the night touring through The Rocks, hopping from pub to pub between the rain and sampling some great local brews at a few of the bars.  We all had a hankering for Thai food but due to the Easter long weekend the only Thai restaurant in the rocks was closed.  Always a steadfast backup we instead ventured to a Saint Marks old collegians favourite: BBQ King on Goulburn Street.  “The best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten” according to Jarrid, BBQ King didn’t disappoint our late night hankering for a meal.

Another big thanks to the Newbys for donating the use of their house in Oyster Bay for our time in Sydney, as well as ET for his prompt text messages and suggestions over email all the way from Scotland as we tried to show the Bordessas the best Sydney has to offer (no thanks to Tariq for trying to send us to one of his favourite gay bars in Darlinghurst!).