Our first days in Sydney

So on Tuesday, 20.12. we finally arrived in Sydney. THE city in Australia and for us the place where we will spend Christmas and New Year with great families. We were very excited about this time (finally a real bed and shower whenever you want!) and wondered what it would be like to live with real Aussies and speak English all the time. It was amazing!

Our first day with Sue and Steve was very nice. But first we had to drive completely through Sydney, because Palm Beach is north of the city and Cronulla, the suburb where their apartment is located, is south of the city. That was really an experience (so much traffic!) and we almost got lost despite using Google Maps, because there are just so many lanes. Unfortunately, we didn't see the city center and the Harbour, because we drove through the Harbour Tunnel, but at least there wasn't much traffic there. Overall, it took us over 2 hours for the journey from Palm Beach to Cronulla, even though it's only about 70 km.

Outside the house, Patrick, Andi's former exchange student, was already waiting for us and cleared a parking space on the street by moving the trash bins aside. The welcome was very nice and we went upstairs right away with our gift (a bag of Bundaberg Christmas Ginger Beer, Löwenbräu, Becks, and Baumkuchen). The apartment was full because Patrick's sister Jessica, her husband Will, and their daughter Amelia (2 years old) were also there. Everyone greeted us warmly, asked us about the journey, and then opened the gift right away. For us, there was beer and a cheese platter with crackers, because Andi had already told Sue on Facebook that I love cheese. We sat comfortably at the table on the balcony, which has a great view of the sea and the Royal National Park south of Sydney. Of course, everyone immediately told us how close the apartment is to the beach (about 100m) and that Steve goes swimming, paddling, or walking along the Esplanade almost every morning. We also talked about our trip, what we have already seen, and our plans. They were a bit jealous! Then Andi talked about his family, because his parents and Patrick's parents already know each other due to a short visit to Germany years ago, and I also talked a bit about my family and my studies because no one knew me yet. It was really nice! We immediately felt very comfortable and welcome. By the way, Steve and Sue are already retired, which is why they now have time to welcome us and show us around the area.

At around 7, the four of us took a little walk along the Esplanade and the family showed us the smaller beaches and the big North Cronulla Beach. From the beach, we walked through the pedestrian zone and past the train station back to the apartment. Cronulla is a pretty little town where it is sure to be good to live! Just when we got back, it started raining and lightning and thundering really heavily. We were lucky! For dinner, we had a barbecue with meat, sausages, and salad. Delicious! We sat outside for quite a while, chatting and watching the lightning on the horizon. They were really special and a great spectacle that evening. Eventually, Jess and Will left because Amelia had to go to bed, and then Patrick helped us pay the fees that we incurred when driving through the Harbour Tunnel. There were signs with "toll" everywhere, and we were afraid that we would drive through without paying, but in the end, it was no problem to pay afterwards. It's good to know locals! After that, Patrick drove home. He has his own apartment closer to the city. It was lucky that he was home for Christmas anyway because he is in the Navy and is constantly being sent somewhere else. But now he was stationed in Sydney for a few months and could spend Christmas and New Year there.

Eventually, we also went back to our room at some point because we were quite tired from the day. The room was really nice, and the bed was very comfortable! We also had our own bathroom, and the apartment was really cozy. The first night was good, and the next day we slept in a bit to catch up. We didn't get up until 10. We could help ourselves to breakfast, even though Sue and Steve didn't come back from the Sea Food Market until a little later.

After breakfast, Andi went for a run because he had missed doing sports so much, and in the meantime, I took a long shower. After Andi returned and quickly jumped in the shower as well, it was already lunchtime, and there was something very special: oysters. They were fresh from the market, and Sue loves oysters. We had bread and fresh ham off the leg, which Steve had sliced down himself. We had seen these huge hams in the supermarket before and wondered who buys them, but apparently, Australians buy the ham for Christmas and then cut slices and pieces off themselves. The oysters were raw, and you just drizzled a little lemon on them and swallowed them down. Yes, I dared! But only one, that was enough :D It wasn't as bad as I feared, but it wasn't so great that I would have wanted to eat another one. Andi, on the other hand, really enjoyed it and immediately ate 3 more shells. I switched to ham sandwich instead. It was definitely an experience!

In the afternoon, the four of us drove to Botany Bay, the last waterway before Sydney Harbour from the south. There is the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, where you can go for a nice walk, and there is also the point where Captain Cook apparently first set foot on Australian land. A historic place where a monument stands today. In the end, Cook apparently found Botany Bay not good enough to settle, which is why he sailed further into the present-day Sydney Harbour, but now Andi and I were already standing where Australia was first discovered by an explorer. Pretty cool!

After a short walk, we drove back again because Steve had an appointment at 4, and Andi, Sue, and I went to the shopping street and bought the ingredients we needed for our Christmas cookies. As a guest and Christmas gift, we wanted to bake some typical German cookies for the two of them and of course the rest of the family. Before shopping, we had to decide which cookies we wanted to bake, and that wasn't so easy because you don't necessarily get the right ingredients in Australia or some things (like nuts) are quite expensive. But then we got everything we needed and were able to start making the dough for gingerbread in the evening. We also got 2 Opal Cards at a supermarket, which can be topped up with credit and with which we can use public transport in Sydney easily and uncomplicatedly. You just have to hold the card to a sensor when you board (tap on) and hold it again when you get off (tap off). Really cool system!

After dinner, we sat outside as usual, chatted, and discussed what we want to do in the next few days. On Thursday, the next day, we wanted to drive to the city and finally see some sights of Sydney. Patrick would accompany us and show us a few things. Because we wanted to get up early, we soon went to bed. I will report on our first day in downtown Sydney in the next entry :)