New Years Eve - Sydney

On Thursday, December 29th, I was deeply unhappy. At 5 o'clock in the morning, my airport transfer picked me up to take me to my flight to Sydney. The Gold Coast has become a second home in a short time, so it really hurt to leave. When I got off the train that took me from Sydney Airport to the main station, the first thing I saw or heard were drunk homeless people trying to get money through off-key singing. I actually considered giving them money just so they would stop "singing." This alone, along with the hustle and bustle of the people, drove me crazy and made me even more upset. I actually like big cities, and I don't mind city life at all, but after living the relaxed lifestyle on the Gold Coast, I got used to it. So Sydney is the complete opposite now.

Just to mention, it was a scorching 38 degrees in Sydney on the day I arrived. I tried to do a small sightseeing tour, but I mostly stayed in air-conditioned shops because it was unbearable outside for too long. Since I'm usually always feeling cold and I can practically never be warm enough, it's rare for me to say, "I'm hot" ;-).

The next day, I made my way to Bondi Beach. The next disappointment. It took about 45 minutes from the city center just to reach the beach. The public transportation network in Sydney is an absolute disaster. There are only trains and buses. No trams, no subway, nothing! And that in a metropolis of millions.

When I arrived at Bondi Beach, I really wondered why there is such a hype about this beach. It's a simple, ordinary beach where sometimes there are huge crowds of people. I have to admit, though, that the sea is a beautiful turquoise color, but elsewhere there is equally beautiful water with fewer bathers. In short, Bondi is nice, but nothing extraordinary.  However, what's cool about Bondi Beach are the rock pools (which can also be found at several beaches in Sydney and throughout Australia). The rock pools are outdoor pools located on the coast, surrounded by rocks. They are built in such a way that the sea can fill the pools with water.

I took the Coastal Walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee (about 4 km), so I walked along the coast from Bondi and discovered beautiful and smaller beach coves. The walk was really nice, it's very rocky and offers great views. It's really recommended to walk along this route. However, only from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach. This walk only takes about 20 - 25 minutes. The Coastal Walk continues for a long way, but after Bronte Beach you walk through a huge cemetery for a long time. The original path was destroyed in a storm in the autumn, so there is now a "detour" through this huge cemetery.

The next day was New Year's Eve. And a few friends came from the Gold Coast. But no one had a proper plan for New Year's Eve. Everyone wanted to go to a park, but no one wanted to secure spots early in the morning, as is usual in Sydney on New Year's Eve. I did a lot of research on the internet and found a smaller park that only opens at 3:30 pm and supposedly only gets crowded later in the evening. Some didn't want to go to this park, so I went to the park alone with my friends Helen and Nico. Our friend Lejla was supposed to join us later. When we arrived at the park by ferry around 4:30 / 5 pm, the best spot on the pier in front of the water with an unobstructed view of the Harbour Bridge was still available. We then sent a photo of the great spot to the other friends and suddenly everyone came ;-). It's actually forbidden to drink alcohol in public in Australia. So we didn't bring anything. But since all the park visitors were drinking alcohol and the police walking around didn't say anything about it, we asked our friends to bring alcohol. The New Year's Eve was saved ;-).

At 9 o'clock there was the "small" family fireworks. In Australia, there are actually two fireworks displays in all major cities. Once at 9 o'clock for the children so they don't have to stay up so late, and of course at midnight. We would call this "small" fireworks display a regular midnight fireworks display. The fireworks at midnight were simply amazing. We couldn't stop marveling at it. Everything was simply beautiful. The great backdrop with the illuminated skyline of Sydney, the Harbour Bridge, and the breathtaking fireworks.

After the fireworks, we took the ferry to Darling Harbour to meet Wilson there. Some of the friends had already gone home. So the five of us waited for Wilson. In the meantime, three friends Helen, Lejla, and Nico fell asleep on the sidewalk while waiting for Wilson. With his Brazilian temperament, Wilson then woke all three of them up with a kiss, and we moved on to a club. But at 3:30 in the morning, we were not allowed in the club anymore because it was already closing at 4 o'clock. So we continued to party on the street.

It was a very nice and above all relaxed New Year's Eve. It is reminiscent of a festival atmosphere when everyone sits on the ground, listening to music, drinking, and simply having fun. The time from late afternoon to midnight flew by. Sydney on New Year's Eve is definitely worth a visit. I have vowed that it won't be my last New Year's Eve in Sydney. However, the Brazilians told me that Rio has an even more beautiful fireworks display. Apparently, one should also see Rio on New Year's Eve :-).