Let the adventure begin! Part 1: Sydney

Hello all back home!

Phew, finally arrived! The flight here was absolutely smooth. No endless waiting at the check-in or security checks. Boarding went smoothly as well, I only had one layover in Hong Kong and there were no issues with entering Australia. Even the onboard food was quite delicious, and the in-flight entertainment left nothing to be desired. But 20 hours of pure flight time and 27 hours from door to hotel room is just long.

So today I slept in, took care of a few things for the next few days, and then took a leisurely bus ride into Sydney since my hotel is near the airport. The Hyde Park was the starting point of my exploration, one of the many parks in Sydney.

Then I mostly walked along the waterfront, passing by many beautiful viewpoints from where you can admire either the city or the harbor bays. And you can also get run over by joggers. Oh my goodness, I think half of Sydney goes for a run during lunch break! But always keep left, even pedestrians - that's how it is here. Since my first destination was the ferry terminal at Circular Bay, I also admired the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

But then I took the ferry to the district of Manly. In 30 minutes, you cross a large part of the amazing harbor bay. I don't know if there's a more beautiful one anywhere in the world! And all for the price of a bus ticket!

And Manly is definitely worth a visit. You can take a nice stroll, there are many bars and restaurants, and beautiful beaches. Honestly, today the water was too cold for me (definitely due to jetlag😉), but sitting on the beach, listening to the Pacific Ocean waves, and watching the surfers and swimmers (without jetlag!!) is extremely relaxing and was just right for today.

There is also a nice walking path around Manly's headland. Of course, I couldn't miss that. After many views and photos, I ended the day with a pizza at the harbor. How cool was that! Delicious food right by the water. And at the same time, I discovered a new sport. Have you heard of SUP Ball? It's a game played by two teams of 5 stand-up paddlers. The equipment is a kind of water volleyball that can be moved either with the paddle or with the hand. Each team has a large water ball as a 'goal' and tries to throw it at the other team. It's very amusing to watch because throwing while standing on a surfboard is not so easy!

After this amusing spectacle, I took the ferry back to Sydney City. And precisely at sunset!!

Tomorrow I'll be off again with the next flight to Airlie Beach. I wonder what I'll experience there...?

You'll find out!