Sydney

After our additional program in Australia with many cute native animals, it was time for us to visit a big city again. This led us back to Sydney, a city we had heard only positive things about and were really looking forward to.

At the beginning, we had to return the rental car at the airport and wait for the free airport shuttle offered by our booked hostel in the Kings Cross district. After some phone calls and a few frayed nerves, the transfer finally worked out perfectly and there was nothing standing in the way of exploring the city.

We started our Sydney adventure with a free walking tour, which starts daily at 10:30 at the Town Hall in the city center. The 3-hour tour is highly recommended as it takes you through the entire city center, Hyde Park, Financial District, Shopping Street, the top attractions Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and touches on the Rocks district. If you have never participated in a free walking tour (completely free and everyone pays at the end of the tour only as much as they think is appropriate), this is the perfect opportunity to get a quick overview of the city and learn interesting things about its history. For example, the oldest church in the country is upside down and the first hospital in Australia was completely financed by an alcohol tax introduced for this purpose ;-)

=D Find at the harbor

Fountain in Kings Cross (near our hostel) - famous as the fountain in Sydney with the highest urine content =D

At the same time, you also have the opportunity to ask the guide questions, so we found out, for example, that the best way to get around the city is with the Opal Card. This is a card for public transportation that is valid for buses, trains, and ferries. With this card, which is distributed for free at the kiosks in Circular Quay, the fares are significantly cheaper and no matter how much you travel, you only pay a maximum of 15 AUD per day, on Sundays even only 2.50 AUD. So you can also take the train to the Blue Mountains for a ridiculously small amount of money.

On our first day, we made the most of the 15 AUD limit and took a ferry to Darling Harbour, as it is a short one-hour ride (including the return journey) and you get a nice view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Afterwards, we took a bus to Bondi Beach and visited the most famous beach in Australia, including the famous ocean swimming pool, Icebergs. Unfortunately, there was no time for the Bondi to Coogee Beachwalk, which is said to be beautiful.

Then we took the next bus and headed to Coogee, the next neighborhood of Sydney. Here we visited Michi, a friend of Lisa, and her boyfriend Niki, who are currently in Australia for a year. Many thanks for the hospitality and the nice evening =)

The next day, we explored the Rocks district more closely, as this is where the history of Sydney is said to have begun. Today, it is a really nice neighborhood with many bars and restaurants right next to the Harbour Bridge. Of course, a short shopping trip to Pitt Street couldn't be missed either. We ended the evening in the Botanic Garden with the best view of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and the entire skyline of Sydney. A tip at this point: The sunset at the viewpoint Mrs Macquarie's Chair is breathtaking and offers a great view of all the landmarks of the city.

The next morning, it was already time to go to the airport and head to Brisbane. Tip: If you are leaving Sydney by plane heading north, be sure to choose a window seat on the left side, as the view of the city (weather permitting, of course) surpasses any viewpoint by far =D