Still Sydney...
Tuesday 1/1: Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tour + The Rocks Walking Tour
Despite the late night, I still woke up relatively early and went for a run back towards the Opera House, amazed yet again at how quickly the city cleans up after all of the NYE festivities. We had though about going out to Bondi Beach to walk some of the coastal trail, but given the warm, humid, and sunny conditions, we instead opted for a hop on/hop off bus tour that gave us access to a Bondi Beach route and a city sights route.
We started with the Bondi option so that we could get a glimpse of this famous Aussie beach.
After about an hour of strolling the beach and shops, including a stop for some amazing watermelon & fresh mint sorbetto, we hopped back on the bus to return to Central Station, winding through some very pricey areas (Dover Heights, Vaucluse, Rose Bay) along the way. Lunch at the little cafe just across the street for yummy salads, and then back onto the other bus route to see some sights as we returned to the hotel. We disembarked near the Chinese Friendship Garden, which is just a few blocks from the Meriton.
Earlier in the week, we had spotted a walking tour group near Martin Place and learned about the I'm Free walking tours, which include an evening route in The Rocks area. So we decided to try out that 6pm tour, which begins at Cadman's Cottage near Circular Quay. We had a fabulous journey with guide Adrian, who led our group around laneways and streets for about 90 minutes, including stops on Observatory Hill for a bridge view, at the Big Dig, and ending at Dawes Point directly underneath the bridge and with a panorama of the Opera House.
Our plans for dinner were foiled by a lack of open options due to the public holiday, so we made due with our back-up plans at the Vietnamese Pho spot near the hotel, procuring shrimp summer rolls for me and a vermicelli dish for Mr. E. And I got to speak French with the lady in front of me in line as we waited for our takeaway!
Despite the late night, I still woke up relatively early and went for a run back towards the Opera House, amazed yet again at how quickly the city cleans up after all of the NYE festivities. We had though about going out to Bondi Beach to walk some of the coastal trail, but given the warm, humid, and sunny conditions, we instead opted for a hop on/hop off bus tour that gave us access to a Bondi Beach route and a city sights route.
We started with the Bondi option so that we could get a glimpse of this famous Aussie beach.
Earlier in the week, we had spotted a walking tour group near Martin Place and learned about the I'm Free walking tours, which include an evening route in The Rocks area. So we decided to try out that 6pm tour, which begins at Cadman's Cottage near Circular Quay. We had a fabulous journey with guide Adrian, who led our group around laneways and streets for about 90 minutes, including stops on Observatory Hill for a bridge view, at the Big Dig, and ending at Dawes Point directly underneath the bridge and with a panorama of the Opera House.
Our plans for dinner were foiled by a lack of open options due to the public holiday, so we made due with our back-up plans at the Vietnamese Pho spot near the hotel, procuring shrimp summer rolls for me and a vermicelli dish for Mr. E. And I got to speak French with the lady in front of me in line as we waited for our takeaway!
posted by jms | 6:49 PM
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