Australia - the great southern land, as known to the indigenous people long before the arrival of European settlers. It is the largest island-country in the world; and rightfully a continent on it's own. Australia is the smallest of the 7 traditional continents. Almost 80% of this continent is known as the Outback. Its' large tracts of desert land is home to the indigenous Australians, also known as the Aborigines. Much of the land is arid and semi-arid, and it is highly utilized as pastoral grazing land. The late great British pop singer David Bowie (who declined knighthood) even wrote a song, called Let's Dance, that reflected on the ill-treatment handed down to the local indigenous people by the new settlers. Read all about it here.
Sydney is the largest city in Australia and the capital of New South Wales. It has a population of slightly over 5 million; with a high percentage of them (40%) having ancestry from England, Scotland and Ireland. However, what stands out even more is the high percentage of ancestry from China (8%) , Italy (4.2%) and Germany (2.6%). Another interesting factoid is the high count of Malaysian immigrants living in Australia. The Malaysian diaspora in Australia is around 101,522 in 2010. In 2021 the number is as high as 172,000 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That is a huge brain drain for Malaysia. As the proverbial saying goes "One man's lost is another man's gain".
As a rich and diversified cosmopolitan city, there are many areas throughout the city that have been declared as World Heritage Sites. This includes the Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park Barracks, and Cockatoo Island, just to name a few.
Day 1 - Arrival At Sydney
Our 11-hour long flight from Honolulu to Sydney on on a Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 plane was made more bearable with their specially catered menu for the business class, and with unlimited beverages, it certainly helped past the time quicker. The business class seat is a full lie flat bed, but due to the time difference, we tried to stay awake to adjust to Sydney's local time. But for some of us, it was an opportunity hard to pass up!
Upon arrival, we got our rented vehicle and made a beeline for some delicious Malaysian food in downtown Sydney. Chinatown was packed with people, with many restaurants filled to the brim. At past 10.00 pm, the place was hopping. There were literally people everywhere, with blocked off streets filled with roadside stalls.
Making our way to Haymarket, we came across a local favorite Malaysian restaurant called Ho Jiak; which literally means Good Eats in the Hokkien dialect. The interior was decorated like an outdoor hawker street - called Lebuh Ah Quee. We were promptly seated, and soon we were enjoying a "teh tarik ais" awaiting our Hainan Chicken Rice and Beef Rendang with Roti Canai. It certainly did not disappoint!
After our heavy meal we decided to take a stroll off Milsons Point under the Harbour Bridge. There were several folks fishing off the pier, but Luna Park was closed - so it wasn't that busy.
Here there were perfect views of the Sydney skyline, framed by the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. A perfect place for a night stroll and for some night shots!
Day 2 - Malaysian Food Part Deux
We started our day lazily. Just perfect for being on vacation! At 7am in the morning, it was foggy here in Berowra. But as the morning drew on, the sun came out and it was super sunny! This time we decided to take the off beaten path through Berowra National park up to Arcadia and then down through Galston and Dural, past Pennant Hills and on to Parramatta. This route on the north side of Sydney went past mostly large rural farms and horse stables. It was a nice variation from the standards suburb views. Before heading into this area, we took the free ferry across Berowra Creek. It was a short ride with many riverside homes looking down on the creek.
From Parramatta, we then headed east back into Sydney and drove around Macquarie Street down to the Opera House. We tried to find parking but we lucked out. It was super busy, again with people everywhere. Perhaps the weekend is not a good time to visit as there were a lot of locals as well as tourists!
So we headed back north after driving around the Harbor Bridge. Traffic was heavy but at least moving.
By this time we amped up the momentum for our hunt for Malaysian food in this great city in an area called Chatswood. This suburb, looks like a newly gentrified neighborhood with chic modern luxurious condominiums and offices; all interconnected by both train and motorways.
At the Chatswood train station, we found a couple of Malaysian eateries serving Malaysian food. We could only try one of the two called Ahma, as the other, called Ya-Malaysia, closes between 2:30pm and 5pm. Both were located in the hip collection of restaurants in the Chatswood Interchange Shopping Mall.
We didn't stay to dine in but instead order several dishes to-go. The food was OK, though the Prawn Noodle Soup was somewhat bland and did not taste at all like the real thing. The three dishes and one Teh Tarik came up to about AUS$94/USD$60.
The food stalls in the mall and the mall itself was pretty trendy. It certainly was well located right on the rail line.
The day was not yet over as we headed back to Berowra to enjoy our Malaysian food of the day. To top it off we also took a dip in the pool to work off some of those heavy Malaysian calories!
Day 3 - Blue Mountains Revisited
The first time I experienced the iconic Blue Mountains of Australia was in 1998. We didn't spend much time in the park except for some customary photo opportunities on the viewing deck at Katoomba with the classic Three Sisters in the background. It wasn't as busy nor as commercialized.
[Insert old picture of the visit in 1998 Blue Mountains]
Today, we decided to go earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds and to go further west to the town called Blackheath instead. There we hiked from the Grovett's Leap to just past Boyd's Lookout on the Pulpit Rock Track.
It was a hot and dry day with the temperature hovering above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A perfect day for a hike, except for the pestering flies swarming all over. The hike was superficially easy as the trail is dry, and the steep parts were carved into steps. Many of the trails in within the Blue Mountains National Park were closed for repairs due to landslides and fallen trees, or just regular spring time maintenance. This particular trail that we were on was partially closed as well, but we managed to savor some of its best parts and completed a loop back to the starting point. Albeit we did have to traverse through Allview Escape to Hat Hill Road to get back through the fire roads to Boyds Beach and onto Popes Glen Track which led us back to where we started. This turned out to be a pretty good loop off Pulpit Rock Track. In all it was a 3.5 mile hike with about 1,148 feet elevation gain.
After the hike we decided to roam Blackheath and Katoomba. The quaint streets were bustling with life as it was now lunch time. There were street markets and just the usual crowd of church goers and visitors alike looking for brunch or lunch on high street.
Here we lucked out and found that Katoomba actually has a Malaysian restaurant too! This one was called Bamboo Box. We tried their Roti Canai with curry, Chicken Satay and Char Kuay Teow. The roti was the ready made frozen version and the chicken satay sauce was a watery peanut butter like version, but their Char Kuay Teow was spot on.
Next, we headed off to look for the Red Hand rock art made by the aboriginal people. There are several caves in the area. This one is normally accessed via a hiking track called the Red Hands Cave Track. However, this track was also closed due to a fallen tree. So we decided to access the cave via an unpaved road with a parking lot that is just about 10 minutes walk to the historic site. The national park site indicated that the unsealed road was graded for 2WD vehicles. The drive was past a weir and through the Australian bush of Eucalyptus and Gum trees along a ridge. The road was indeed well graded and pretty smooth that even a regular sedan would have no issues traversing. We past several mountain bikers along the way as well.
The cave was not big at all. In fact, it looked more like a rock out cropping rather than an actual cave. Unfortunately, the national park has protected the historical art with a fortified metal grilling. Necessary to keep the humans from defacing it, but clearly unsightly from a natural perspective!
For a short video of these hikes, click here.
On our way back from the Blue Mountains, we stopped at Parramatta, but the shops were all closed... Many eateries don't stay open between 2pm and 5pm. So we lucked out and did not find our Malaysian dinner take out from here. Instead we headed back up north and found a small place tucked away in a street store called Kuali. This store is run by a Malaysian couple who moved to Australia some 36 years ago! We ordered their Hainan Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, Curry Puffs, and Kuih Lapis. We certainly had a feast that evening and even some for breakfast the next day!
Day 4- Exploring Woolloomooloo and The Quay
Today started out a bit chilly in the morning with temperatures around the low sixties. The forecast for the day was cloudy and without the sun, the temperature for the day was not as high. So we stayed in for a bit before heading out for lunch.
This time our great Malaysian food hunt, took us to Castle Hill, where we found a Malaysian restaurant in the Castle Hill Shopping Center. The food was simple and easy to order. The foodcourt was relatively busy with many asian customers. We tried the Har Mee and Roti with Chicken Curry.
To walk the food off, we drove into Sydney town center and parked at the Wharf Terraces in Woolloomooloo. It was a fantastic day for a walkabout around The Wharf and the Royal Botanical Garden all the way to The Rocks. The Wharf side was not as busy, with the occasional resident taking in a run along the water's edge.
Once we passed Mrs. MacQuarie's Chair, there were a lot more tourists, as the views opened up towards the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. We made our way along the water side of the Botanical Gardens passing through the Yurong and Queen Elizabeth Gates.
Soon we were on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Here, it was quite busy, as usual, with mostly tourists. The Opera House makes for a pretty interesting photography subject.
We then continued along Circular Quay, passing many restaurants, and the ferry stop to Manly and other locations along the waterway. Its hard to imagine that all this was from the Parramatta River heading out to sea.
We rounded the quay, we had a close up view of the cruise ship Ovation which was docked right in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art. We pushed on to the Rocks and made our turning point in front of the Park Hyatt Hotel where the Sydney Tall Ship - Søren Larsen - was docked. It is a brigantine built in 1949 in Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, and it is currently used to take tourists out on the waters around the harbour.
Our walk returned us back to the botanical garden via George and Albert Streets - where the street rail cars run.
The return through the park had great view of the many incredible plants in the botanical collection. These gardens were a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the docks and tourists. A great contrast between the modern buildings and the garden's greenery.
Here is the short video of the walk.
Having burned off our lunch, it was time again to look for yet another great place to eat. This time we want to try some Vietnamese fare from the Vietnamese enclave in Marrickville. So we found a chic spot called Nguyen's Garden. We both tried their crispy chicken - one with rice and one with noodles. It certainly did not disappoint!
To end the day, we had to try one last stop for dessert. So we looked for the famous Malaysian Ais Batu Kacang. We found a place in Chatswood called Mamak. We were both cold inside and out after enjoying this fare!
Day 5 - A Scenic Drive to Palm Beach
Today started slow with a lazy morning just lounging around looking for something to do. I guess this the the best way to be on vacation! Without an itinerary... without a care for time. So when we finally got hungry enough for lunch we paid a return visit to Kuali to sample their Har Mee, and get a "hana hou" of their Nasi Lemak. What a great start to the day!
We then decided to visit the north east side of Sydney starting from the Northshore at Manly and along the east coast to Palm Beach. Here the homes dotted the hillsides, overlooking the waters below. One can truly tell that Australians love the beach, sun and surf. Though I have to say that surf was somewhat lacking today as we went from beach to beach. Although there were a decent amount of beach goers, it wasn't as busy as we had seen it back in the 90's. I remember then that every corner of the beach was occupied with those tanning on beach towels or under beach umbrellas. I guess its still spring and the waters are still pretty cold. For the few that dared to enter the water to surf, they were in full wet suits!
Our drive to Palm Beach took us through some very scenic and holiday like "shires". Each with their main drags with rows of restaurants and stores. When we arrived at Palm Beach it was relatively not busy, and it made for a good short hike up to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse. We did an anti-clockwise loop, going up the Smuggler's Trail and coming down the Barrenjoey Trail. The lighthouse was not open so we could not visit inside, but the views of the spit was worth the exercise and climb.
Having had our fill of the park, we made our slow way back through the north suburbs back to Hornsby. There were some really nice neighborhoods in Waroonga - with huge house on large manicured lawns and large trees. At Hornsby, we found an authentic Vietnamese restaurant called Oh My Pho. It had a very extensive menu, and we were very happy to try their Bun Bo Hue, and their crab Cha Gio. It turned out to be really good. We'd probably return for more.
At the end of the day, our impression of these northeastern suburbs is that there are beautiful home with great views, but the roads are narrow and without a lot of options to get in or out of the spit. This made for very heavy traffic along the way. Not as bad as that of Long Island in New York, as we did not experience any grid-lock, but it was certainly pretty close. Just goes to show how dense the population is here, and why there is not much room left to build. We saw many old home pulled down to make way for small apartment buildings. Hence, it is understandable why there is a housing shortage in Sydney.
Day 6 - A Drive to South Sydney
Our day started with us driving to Marrickville, an old quaint town just to the northwest of Sydney International Airport. Many of the older homes and shop-lots are in the process of being torn down and rebuilt. These pre-war homes are very unique and some quite charming as each home is uniquely designed. Its unfortunate that many are being demolished for modern homes.
Somewhere along the high street, we found what we were looking for -- another authentic Malaysian restaurant which serves Nasi Kandar. Nasi means rice in Malay and Kandar means to balance a pole across the shoulders. Bridging these two words means rice served in baskets balanced across the shoulders by vendors during colonial days. Off course they don't do that anymore in the present day. Basically, Nasi Kandar consists of many dishes cooked in curries and served over a bed of rice. They might also include side orders like papadam, a thinly fried Indian dough.
After a hearty meal, we drove down east to Bondi Beach. It wasn't as crowded as we expected it to be, but nonetheless, there were people taking advantage of the sunny day to bask in the sun. It was however, pretty windy. The waves were churning rough so not many folks braved into the waters.
After a short brisk walk along the shoreline, we headed south again to Botany Bay and explored the surroundings. We visited La Perouse and took a few pictures of Barren Island and the surrounding beaches of Congwong Bay.
We then drove further south along Botany Bay to the Kamay Botany Bay National Park. Here we found an obelisk that commemorated the spot where Captain James Cook first landed in Australia. We have one that looks very similiar, albeit smaller, on Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island.
We could only drive as far as Cape Solander. From here we can see whales and dolphins, but today was especially windy, so it was hard to discern if there were any in the bay.
Day 7 - Exploring Downtown Sydney
We started out late today, as we had some catching up to do with emails and several time sensitive items for the end of year. So we headed out at about lunch time, back to Authentic KL Flavors in Marrickville. We had to come back for seconds... This time we tried their Nasi Kerabu Ayam and the Nasi Kandar with Lamb and Chicken. Both were scrumptious! Though the Nasi Kerabu was a bit dry...
In any case, off we were on our next adventure in Sydney. This time it would be to do an urban hike in the CBD; in fact right in the middle or the heart of the city. We were lucky this time as we found a street parking spot right next to St. Mary's Church. This gave us a full two hours to venture around Hyde Park and the surrounding areas.
We started our walk from the back of St. Mary's to the main entrance to Hyde Park. This afforded us the grand view of the J.F. Archibald Memorial Fountain, so named after its benefactor who gifted the funds to build the fountain to commemorate the relations between France and Australia in World War I. The fountain was designed by the French artist, Francois-Leon Sicard - who adorned it with the main character of Apollo at the center, with Diana, Pan and Theseus making up the three points of the fountain. Its a nice center piece to the park, with its large ficus trees and towering buildings on the edges.
We walked through the park and onto the Anzac Memorial. By the reflecting pools, there were many Australian White Ibis birds or as the locals call them "Bin Chickens". These were very used to humans and we aggressively pecking the ground for food.
Heading up the steps of the memorial, one cannot ignore its architecture, built with sandstone displaying the full glory of the Art Deco style. This main hall houses the Hall of Memory above the Hall of Silence below. This original main hall was designed by Bruce Dellit and built in 1932-34. Anzac is short for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp which was coined in World War I.
The new exhibition and extension area, collectively called the Centenary Extension was opened in 2018. It costs about $40 million, and it now houses additional space for the Library, Exhibition Hall, and the Hall of Service. In the Hall of Service there is on display the soil from 1,701 New South Wales' towns, cities, suburbs and homesteads given as a home address by First World War enlistees. Many participated in the gathering of the soil, which is now made to rest in this special place.
Beyond the Anzac Memorial, we made our way into the busy streets of Sydney's core. Going down Liverpool to George Street, we made our way past City Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Building. Then found our way back via Market Street, passing under the Sydney Tower Eye onto Pitt Street. There were many interesting buildings along the way, with the old and the new blending in together. With the very rich and the down and out on the same street.
Our final turn was to head towards the Australian Museum and back to St. Mary's Church.
In all, it was a good 3.2 miles around the heart of the city.
Here is a short video of the walk.
Our final stop within the CBD was to pay a short visit to Barangaroo which is located to the east of the southside of the Harbour Bridge. This place sports some band new towers and office buildings. The now defunct We Work offices are also located here. Next to it is the new spire building called The Crown.
There is a nice small park at the waters edge where folks can also go for a dip! And one can pleasantly watch the many yachts go by under the Harbour Bridge.
To end our day we had to stop and try yet another Malaysian restaurant. This one was in the northwest suburb of Epping, called Penang Cuisine. The traffic was bad today as we managed to time our exit exactly at rush hour. But we braved the traffic and finally got our meal. The store was in a shopping mall, so there were many people there on their way home and picking up groceries. The food this time was very "chinese" - still good, but not as authentic.
Day 8 - Sydney Harbour National Park & Darling Harbour
We drove to Ashton Park located within the Sydney Harbour National Park to do a trail called Bradley's Head To Chowder Head. The trail is well graded, and meanders above the water's edge. The scenery is beautiful; with many boats and yachts sailing up and down the harbour. There's plenty of wildlife too! See video for the hike.
After enjoying the sights and sounds along the bay, we drove up to the Headlands. Here we could see several historical building converted into restaurants and meeting places for the community. It was nice to see how these historical buildings now become cabins that can be rented. It was also nice to see so many trails, and the preservation of the trees and gardens along the waters.
Our final stop was at Darling Harbour. Here we paid a visit to Ikhwan's Cafe - which apparently is a franchised Malay Food restaurant with many branches throughout Asia and Australasia. We ordered their Ikan Assam Pedas and the Beef Rendang with Rice. The Ikan Assam Pedas was very authentic and surprisingly not so spicy. The Beef Rendang was a bit on the sweet side and not as soft. We then also tried their Ondeh-ondeh and Kuih Seri Muka / Talam. Regardless, it was a good meal and the location is pretty good too.
Unfortunately, it started to rain, so we could not do the full walk along Darling Harbour. Definitely will be returning!
Day 9 - Gardens of Stone, Wollemi National Park
Today we decided to head back out to the Blue Mountains to visit the Gardens of Stone in the Wollemi National Park. This is one of the most recent additions to the national park system in Australia, connecting up three regional parks to Wollemi with intents of making Lithgow a new eco-adventure town. The rock formations are not to far from the town entrance and it is very easy to spot as the outcroppings start to show up right along the State Mine Gully Road. We parked on the side and hiked the short way to Dobbs Drift Lookout.
This place reminded us a bit of the Hoodoos in Utah; though these are not as incredible.
The one thing we have learnt from this trip is that although it is great to visit the parks in the spring because there aren't as many people, it is also the time in which the parks go through repairs and clean up. This means that many of the main tracks are actually closed for maintenance. Hence, we could not visit the Glow Worm Tunnels. Regardless, we took the drive across the Newnes plateau to the end of the road at the Old Coach Road.
The drive was in total about 20 miles one way, driving through eucalyptus, pine, and gum trees. Some sections showed signs of fire, while others were thriving older growth. We also managed to see several groups of red and blue parakeets, ducks, and a couple of kangaroos as well.
The southern end of the national park is dotted with many 4WD roads. It would seem that many locals bring their trucks out here to camp and drive across the several moon-like landscapes. Probably not good for the wildlife. It will be interesting to see how the national park plans to manage this. Here is the link to more information about this area.
Day 10 - Going Easy on the Malaysian Food... NOT
So we think we have over done it with a daily dose of Malaysian Food! Our tummys were definitely complaining... So we decided to give it a break... or so we thought(!) We decided to still have Malaysian food but just not of the curry variety. So it was off to Amah to have some Char Haw Funn and Gon Loh Wanton Mee. It certainly was satisfiying. We also had to pick up some Roti Pisang with Ice Cream for dessert at Mamak.
We then had to find a nice spot to walk it off while taking in the iconic views of Sydney's Harbour. So we picked a spot called Berrys Bay Lookout. We found it at the end of a quiet residential street, only to find that there were a bunch of people already there taking in the views.
So we looked for the next view point closer to the bridge and found Blue Point with its famed Blue Point Tower on the right. This apartment building was built in 1962 and it certainly shows.
Many criticize it because it does not match any of the surrounding buildings. It certainly has a great view of the Harbour Bridge and city skyline. Its also ideally situated near McMahons Point where it is easy to just catch a ferry into downtown Sydney across the water.
The views from here must be stunning during the Sydney New Year's fireworks. It would also be really crowded as folks across the city converged on this north and south shore waterfronts. We've got to come here over new years one day. Or at least take a ride on the "party boat"!
Day 11 - Berowra National Park, and the Great North Walk
We finally decided to do a hike in Berowra National Park. There are many trails in the area, skirting the cliffs above Berowra Waters. So we took a short drive to Alston Drive where we started our hike at the back of the road. The trail immediately climbs up the rocks and we can immediately see that we are on the top of Alston Ridge.
Here on we traversed the ridge till the first lookout point from which we could see Berowra Waters Ferry. There were several boats on the water and the houses along the water's edge looked incredibly quaint with their purple Jacarandas and red Bottlebrush trees.
The trail then led down to a creek and once we crossed the creek, it was upwards with lots of rock scrambling to get back up the cliffs.
There were also many interesting plants and flowers along the way. It looked like the trees had been through a brush fire, but most have grown back. Its amazing to see the fire hollowed out the trunks, yet the tree lives on...
It took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete this ~ 2.8 mile loop. Although it felt much steeper, it was just about 666 feet elevation gain. We would definitely recommend this loop!
After our good walk, we of course had to find yet another great Malaysian restaurant. This time there was one in Pennant Hills called Istana Restaurant. We tried their Ayam Kapitan and Mixed Vegetables with Tofu. It was all really good and a great way to end the day!
Day 12 - Drive the Central Coast to Norah Head
Today we decided to take a drive up North to Norah Head. This is an interesting location with a large lake called Tuggerah Lake, that has a small opening out to the ocean via a narrow spit called The Entrance.
We took a slow scenic drive up the cost to what is called the Central Coast. This led us past Woy Woy to the town of Gosford which is situtated on a large body of water called the Brisbane Water. Here we made a stop at Pioneer Park - which is said to be the first cemetary in the area. The park was very peaceful with its old grave stones from the 18th century and a nice look out onto Brisbane Water.
From here we travelled on to The Entrance. Along the way there were many suburbs with beautiful houses. It was interesting to see the old mixed in with the new. I have to say that the refurbished old homes were very nice and its a pity that it seems less desired as the old homes are torn down to create these new modern homes.
At The Entrance, there were nice apartments facing the views. We could see the The Entrance Bridge connecting over to the spit on the north side. In the middle of The Entrance is a small sand island called Yallawa. Here the birds roost. There were many Australian Pelicans, Magpie-Larks, and a host of others that we did not know the names of. There were a few folks on the water, but most kept to the beach or on top of their boards. The water is still cold at this time of year!
We then drove further north through the beaches and wetlands to Norah Head. Here we stopped to visit the Lighthouse and its surrounding area. The head itself was a massive rock shelf where many a ships have wrecked. The buildings at the head have since been renovated and can now be rented for events or to stay. There were many surfing and fishing in the area.
To complete the circuit, we drove back via the Old Pacific Highway - which apparently is now a well know cyclist route. The roads were winding along the hills with peek-a-boo views of the creeks and waters below. There is also a large reptile park and curiously a garden called Penang!
By this time we were hungry but wanted something different. So instead of the usual Malaysian food fare, we opted to try a Korean Restaurant called Biwon in Hornsby. This turned out to be a steamy affair! There were many little dishes of various types of Kim Chee, and a boatload of different cuts Wagyu. It also included fresh vegetables and a very steamy egg "fu-yong". In all it was a great meal and we were stuffed!
Best way to end the day, but we had to walk it off. So we took a drive back into the city into Darling Harbour and the Rocks. We visited a small hill in the area called Observatory Hill. There were some nice views of the Crown and the Harbour Bridge. It was interesting to see why one would put an observatory here - especially since there is so much light all around. Back in the day, it must have been much darker without the tall buildings of today.
We then drove to the Pylon, where there were again stunning views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. We did not do the 200 steps up the Pylon, though we'd imagine that it would be a good workout!
Day 13 - Rose Bay and the Cliff Top Walk
We had to start our day with a visit to our favourite Nasi Kandar restaurant called Authentic KL. Here we had a hearty lunch of Nasi Kandar and Nasi Kakwok. Yum!
From Marrickville, our adventure took us across the city to some of the most expensive neighborhoods in Sydney. These are located along the south eastern shores towards Bondi Beach. This included Darling Point, Bellevue Hill, Vaucluse, and Tamarama. We could see multi-million dollar homes, and the streets had more luxury cars like Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis. We drove along New and Old South Head roads, stopped at Catalina on Rose Bay to visit the Sydney Seaplanes, and to walk along the west side of the bay.
Here there were many luxury yachts docked, along with many sailboats. There were also the customary folks fishing along the promenade. It made for a nice walk with a view.
We then drove to the Gap Park and walked down to Clark Reserve. This took us past Macquarie Lighthouse as well as Signal Hill. We could see what looked like another obelisk-like structure way off further down the cliffs towards Bondi, but we did not venture further.
Instead we returned to the Gap Park and walked along the cliffs to Dunbar's anchor and for a view of the Gap. The Gap itself had a bicycle on its cliffs(!) The geology was very interesting with the almost perfect rectangles along the waters edge.
Along the cliff walk we did notice a few art pieces and commemorative plaques... Makes for some interesting reading and views.
Here is a video of our walk.
In all it was just about 2.5 miles in about an hour with just 594 feet elevation gain.
Day 14 - L-39 Albatros Jet Ride
We drove about 2 hours from Berowra to Shellharbour for a jet ride on an L-39 Albatros. We arrived at about 9:30am only to find that it was raining(!) So we hung around the HARS Aviation Museum as the weather forecast predicted an opening at about 2pm.
We also did the "mission" briefing, as Mark Hall the owner of the jet, walked us through what the experience would be. Of course the customary caution and waiver signing included, amongst the reassurances that the L-39 is very reliable, even though there are no ejection seats!
Now the type of maneuvers go from a light amount of Gs building up to about 3-4Gs with the Cuban and Derry rolls. Here is the link to the video recording.
Day 15 - A Very Rainy Day
We spent most of today enjoying our accomodations and completing the video edits for the Day 14 jet flight. As it turned out, it was also w very rainy day in and around Sydney. In fact it poured quite a bit here in Berowra. Once the rain settled into a drizzle, we then went to look for more Malaysian food. This time we drove through Parramata to a suburb called Guildford. Just by the Guildford train station, there are 3 Malaysian Restaurants. Two are literally hawker style stores, and one an actual restaurant. So, this time we tried Raina.
The chicken satay was pretty authentic; with the right grit and spices in the satay sauce, and the right accompaniment of ketupat, cucumbers, and red onions. The rest was just ok. Though the beef in the mee goreng was a bit off. They also had run out of roti.. so no luck in trying that.
We then drove to yet another view point on the water across from the Sydney Opera House. Since it was raining there was no one about the light house and pier. We could still see the many party boats all lighted up on the water.
And the view from Robertsons Point Lighthouse was as usual magnificent!
Day 16 - More Rain & Plane Spotting
The storm system over southern Australia was indeed bringing quite a bit of rain to the area. If only it would be over the parts that really needed it as the fires in Victoria burned on. Its a good thing that we already did all the hiking that we wanted to do.
So today was another relaxed day of good Malaysian food and cross city driving. We had to make a stop at Authentic KL Flavors for more Nasi Kandar - its what we can't quite get in the USA. So we have to have our fill! After a quick lunch, we then drove to Foreshore Road where we visited the Mill Stream Lookout where we could watch the planes take off using the two water runways.
We then drove to Shep's Mound located just under the airport's control tower. This mound is called Shep's Mound as it is named after a man who loved plane spotting from this area.
We then slowly made our way back north but drove through Sydney's town center. Sydney's houses in the town center were very distinguishable, let alone colonial. Makes for some interesting driving scenery.
Day 17 - Around Sydney
We had a pretty long day ahead of us as we checked out by 10:30am and our flight back to Hawaii left at about 9:15pm. So we decided to spend our remaining hours roaming around Sydney without much of a plan. It took us a good hour to get into Sydney as the traffic on the weekends is actually worse than on the weekdays! Our first stop was at Kiribilli to see if the Jacaranda trees in the area were still in bloom or not. Unfortunately, most of the flowers have fallen, so we did not get to see the full purple effect. Still McDougal Street is quite pretty with its quaint houses.
We then of course had to get some lunch. So we made our way to an area in downtown Sydney called Ultimo. This area is on the western edge of Chinatown and has the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Notre Dame and TAFE New South Wales (vocational college), on its south side. Here there is a non-descript Malaysian Restaurant called Kopitiam. When we arived they had just opened at noon and already a line of folks were developing.
This place crammed in at least 8 tables - of which two were 8 tops. Since most of the customers were in pairs, a few of us had to share tables. This is not the place to bring your date or for a dinner conversation. It was pretty much an eat and go location. The food was pretty good - though all we ate was the Char Kuay Teow and Ais Batu Kacang. The folks with who we shared a table had Fish Head Curry, Hainan Chicken Rice and Cendol. It all smelled pretty good!
To work off the food, we went to Hyde Park and the Australian Museum. At Hyde Park there was a pretty big crowd of protestors supporting the Palestinians in Gaza. It made for an interesting view of the marchers, led by a woman on the back of a truck with loud speakers. The police were also out in force, with mounties as well. The march was peaceful.
We then made our way to the Australian Museum, which incidentally is a free museum. That is except for the visiting exhibit on Ramses. The museum is a natural history museum, and therefore, there were many diorama of animals, and of aborigines. It is interesting how different they are from the polynesians.
On our way out we walked past the Cook and Phillip Aquatic Center. It was pretty big with multiple indoor pools. It probably makes for good swiming when the weather gets cold. Next to the Aquatic Center is a park of the same name. Here the Australian Flame Tree was showing off its bright red flowers!
We then decided to visit Sydney's Centennial Park, which encompasses 189 hectors of green space. It sits between the City of Randwick and the City of Sydney, and is a green heaven for many in the area. Here there are facilities for equestrian activities, sports, BBQ, or even just a lay out on the grass or under the trees.
By this now it was time to find another Malaysian restaurant. This one is called Albee's Kitchen in Kingsford, just off Anzac Parade. This is a small suburb on the southside of Sydney. There were many Asian eateries, and it was pretty centrally located just off the light rail stop. We only tried some snacks - Cendol, Curry Puff, and Kuih Lapis/Talam. The Cendol was really good. Though the rest was just OK.
By now we were really tired and so made our way to the airport. I have to say that the road around the airport was like a maze. Had to go around a few times as we had a hard time finding the right road to the hotel, by which our car rental return was located (not with the rest of the other car rental returns). The way through the airport was pretty straight forward as we got through check in and customs. As we settled into the airport lounge, we could see our Hawaiian Airlines airplane arriving at the gate. The lounge was comfortable.
Once on the plane we had our customary meals, and were soon dead asleep, till it was breakfast time about 1.5 hours before landing.
The 9 hours and 50 minute flight truly went by quickly and before you know it we were back in Hawaii!
Impressions of Down Under
In reflecting on our experience Sydney, here are ten things that we have learned about this city on the edge of the world:
This isn't really a western city, and certainly not a western country, if Sydney were to represent all of Australia. It has more current Asian roots today than yesterday. More than 50% of everywhere you look you will see Asian/middle eastern influences.
This certainly has the remaining imprint of a British Colony. The ornate three story buildings, and its crazy narrow winding roads and roundabouts. So much here feels familiar having grown up in a British Colony too.
The Malaysian food here is in abundance. So there are both the really good and the not so good stores. The pretty cheap to the very expensive.
The people crossing roads are all confused when cars stop for them outside of a crosswalk. I was even yelled at by the pedestrian for stopping for him(!) In the states, it is just the opposite!
Although folks are generally friendly when a conversation is started for a purpose (like ordering food or asking questions at the museum or on a trail), people generally do not smile off the street and are taken aback when greeted randomly. I don't remember Australia being like this, but there is such an influx of diversity now that the bad driving and not so friendliness on the street may be a result of migration.
The middle class here is BIG. And they should work hard to keep it that way. We drove for miles around the city and we were hard pressed to find any area really slummy. There certainly was some graffiti, and the occasional homeless or peddler, but nothing like what we have in the USA.
Its all about the water. Sydney is built around water. So take a ferry, a water taxi, and take a walk along the many parks along the waterways. I think everyone has a boat!
Hiking here is just OK. Nothing spectacular, but everything is very civilized. Even their toughest hikes are well defined - tough only because of length or steepness/scrambles.
Jacarandas and Australian Flame trees are magnificent. They should plant more!
There is no such thing as Australian food in Sydney. We learnt that you have to be outside Australia to see and experience Australian food (e.g., Outback Steakhouse or Fish & Chips)! They do love the Bar-B-Q though.. so a BBQ 'roo' may well be the only true Australia food!