Sydney at Last

I am now in Sydney! I arrived on Wednesday night, the 23rd. The 14 hour bus ride from Melbourne to Sydney was interesting, to say the least. I sat next to Adam and Adam from England, Jay from a small town in Australia, and Annik from Quebec. We had some great chats along the way. The memorable part of the bus ride would have to be when the bus broke down near a town called Yass. We were pretty much in the middle of nowhere and it was about 32 degrees! We sat, just shaking our heads, for about an hour until the bus driver fixed the belt on the engine. I had called a family friend, Deidre, to ask if I could store my huge suitcase at her house while I traveled up the coast and she insisted that I stay with her.

So... I have been in Australia for 2 1\2 weeks and still I have managed to stay out of hostels. The only good thing about hostels is that it is really easy to meet people. But never fear, every day in Sydney I have met at least two people. Last night, I even ran into Adam and Adam (the 2 English blokes from the bus) at an Irish pub. There are 'heaps' of pubs in Sydney. The nightlife in Vancouver is an embarrassment compared to Sydney. Sydney is just as great as I imagined! Melbournites warned me that Sydneysiders were a little snobby, but I have found just the opposite. In fact, the first night I arrived in Sydney I was walking down the street with my backpack and big suitcase, and I must have looked like I needed help because one man offered to help me carry my suitcase on to the local bus and another guy offered to help me with it when I got on the ferry. Then, I sat next to a 70-year-old lady on the ferry and she offered to drive me to Deidre's house. It was only a 2-minute drive, but it would have taken me forever with all my bags. The men are MUCH friendlier here too. I can't believe how easy it is to meet them. I have been in Sydney 3 days and 4 men have given me their numbers! If only Vancouver men were like that, I would be married by now! Oh, and there are plenty of buff, bronze surfers here to keep any single woman occupied!


Sydney harbour is just breathtaking! Every day I take the ferry from where I am staying in Manly to downtown, and I pass the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge each time. There is such an energy about the city! Sydney is a contradiction in many ways: people dressing in trendy suits walking next to people in 'sunnies', flipflops and boarder shorts. Since it is autumn here the stores are selling ski jackets and touques, but next to them will always be bikinis and flipflops.

I am going to get a hostel on Sunday in Coogee or Bondi Beach, the young,trendy area of town. I am hoping to meet some cool people to travel with up the coast. I have been looking into some package deals on what to do up north. My tentative plan for the next 2 months is to take a 4-day surfing trip to Byron Bay and Surfers Paradise, then a few days wandering around Brisbane. I'll stop in the town of 1770 and Coffs Harbour where I know some people and do some suntanning. Then a 3-day camping trip on Fraser Island, sleeping under the stars, avoiding the wild dingos, and then doing some 4-wheeling in the sand. Next, up to the Whitsundays for a sailing trip and scuba diving. These islands apparently have some of the best beaches in the world! Magnetic Island is next, but I can't remember why I was told to go there. Up to Cairns and Cape Tribulation for some partying and for the best scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Then up to Darwin for a glimpse of amazing wildlife, including crocodiles. I will probably fly to Ayers Rock next to really experience the Australian Outback, and then back to Sydney. This schedule is subject to change, as I may have so much fun is some places that I won't want to leave, or perhaps meet the guy of my dreams. Who knows, but I will keep you posted.