Sydney, AUS (NSW)

After a nice, short, and even relaxing flight (even for Chel), we touched the ground at Sydney International Airport at December the 26th. Because we still had some days to go before New Year's Eve, our main concern was to develop a "battleplan" to tackle our days in Sydney. After taking a shuttle to a very nice hostel in the city center we started the more intense planning for Sydney and, more in general, Australia. This was quite a daunting task and we were only able to plan ahead for about a week. But besides planning troubles, there was more important business to take care off: where are we going to sleep around NYE07? Everything was either booked out or so ridiculously expensive that we just refused to p(l)ay along. More on that later.

Back to first impressions of Sydney and its surroundings. Sydney is THE water or harbour city of the world and nicely combines its older heritage with modernity. We of course visited such sites as the Opera House, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, the many Parks and the Botanic Gardens, Manly Beach (famous Bondi Beach is still to come), and the Sky Tower from which there are nice views of the city and its surrounding suburbs. We spent our days wandering through the city and eating very cheap in the Asian foodcourts as our hotels were all located in Chinatown. Besides our daytrip to Manly Beach by ferry, we also went to the national park called the Blue Mountains (due to the evaporating blue myst that comes from the numerous eucalyptus trees in the valley). Yes, we were two busy bees working our way up to "Emerald City's" world-renowned New year's Eve.

Botanical Gardens and skyline

Sois taking a nap near the cathedral

Manly Beach