We got in on Saturday morning and were surprised at how chilly it was. Our first decision was to visit Bondi Beach.
With sunshine ahead, we sat in the sand and just relaxed. Later on, we settled into our apartment, and then finished the night by walking to a local pizza place.
Despite waking up to wet and cold conditions on Sunday, we still had a packed day.
Amanda and I met our friends Kathryn, Christina and Chris for brunch by the beach. Then we took a great walk to view “Sculptures by the Sea.” While the exhibit was cool, I was more impressed with the nature sites.
Afterwards, we met up with another Singapore friend, David Isaac. I loved the coffee shop we visited - the hot chocolate was awesome.
From there, we drove to Chris & Kat’s place for a barbecue feast (the start of our love affair with beef on this trip). The night was full of great food and conversation.
Monday, we’d planned to go on a walking tour of Sydney, but as there was more wet weather, it became a museum day. We visited the Jewish Museum of Sydney and The Rocks Discovery Museum.
Both taught us about how the English made Australia a penal colony. It was cool to see how Jews have made a major impact in Sydney and throughout the country. As for The Rocks museum, it showed again how colonization destroyed native culture - really quite sad. We really enjoyed learning about that history though.
That night we met another group of Singapore friends, Elliot & Giovana. They brought their beautiful baby girl to our ribs dinner. Another great night of conversation, and yes, meat again. (Getting to dinner was adventure, full of missed turns and driving on the Sydney Harbor Bridge)
We spent Tuesday-Thursday in Hunter Valley - one of the main wine producing areas in the country. The weather and atmosphere were perfect. The sun hit on the vineyards and hill sides. We had contrasting meals - one night in a fancy schmancy restaurant, the next, going into town to get Thai food!
The two best activities were taking a tour of wineries and then visiting the zoo (although, there was an epic nap that gets consideration). The zoo was very cool as Amanda and I got to pet koalas and also see kangaroos.
We headed back into the city and spent the next couple of days with Kathryn and Chris.
With the weather being better, we took the walking tour around Sydney. This was one of the highlights of the trip for sure. The guide doesn’t charge for the tour, only working off tips. He was very funny, and the three hour tour did a great job showing off the downtown/harbor area.
At night, we visited The Great Synagogue in Sydney. It was one of the most beautiful shuls I’ve ever been in. It felt like Westminster Abbey, but Aussie Jewish style. Sadly, for as beautiful as the shul was, there weren’t many people there, and the service was not our style.
We followed that up with one last meat paradise meal - Hurricanes. This place is famous for their ribs, and it’s clear why. We had such a great meal there.
We went to brunch the next day before heading back to Singapore.
OVERALL NOTES
- Australia seems like a place Amanda and I could live in. Although, it definitely comes with a heavy price tag.
- Driving on the left side of the road wasn’t as bad as I expected. After the initial airport to apartment drive was over, it became more comfortable. Still, I kept turning on the wipers when I meant to put on the turn signal.
- The food there is wonderful. I could see a new wardrobe being needed if we stayed there too long.
- The best part of the trip to me was the people. It was so much fun to visit a new country, but getting to see friends made it truly special.
