AUSTRALIA - Part 3 - Sydney

Only time you'd get me on a cruise!

Bronze Bay coastal walk from Bondi

Part 3 - January 2026 - Sydney

Nearly 7 weeks on the Gold Coast, and as planned a short one hour flight to Sydney to combine playing the tourist with catching up with our son, Jamie, on his 10th month of perhaps permanency (why would any young person want to live in the UK these days 🤷‍♂️), I really hope he does settle...

CBD and that theatre place

Observatory Hill

But WOW! Before we even got off the airport link rail / underground to the city centre...destination Museum Station...heritage listed, all architecture in 1920s period style, based on a combo of London and Paris underground designs of that time....walking the few minutes to our hotel, the true city vibe was saturating, and clearly so cosmopolitan...with an array of historic (for Australia) interesting architecture....a total contrast to the Gold Coast.

We hit an array of tourist spots and cooler leftfield locations with regular suggestions of the increasingly impressive ChatGPT! 

Spice Alley - Chippendale

Bondi

Including Hyde Park, the Botanical Gardens, Circular Quay, Harbour Boat Cruise, a few ferries including Milsons Point and Watsons Bay, The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour (not impressed), that Opera House place 😉, something that looks like the Tyne Bridge, even the Museum of Australia (well it was raining but full of kids 🙈)...it was 43C in the shade on the Saturday (it had been 46C in Adelaide and Victoria with many bush fires) hence the boat cruise, but heck I was melting even in the shade.

Bondi

Bondi and Bronte Bay Coastal Walk

We visited Bondi which of course was poignant, and paid our respects...then took the beautiful coastal walk to Bronte Beach.

Jamie lives in Chippendale, quite inner city, but far enough away from the hoards of tourists...and just up the road we spent time in the very impressive edgy Newtown (think Camden Town informed ChatGPT !)...super cosmopolitan, diverse, bohemian, creative, vibrant, eclectic, colourful and culturally significant....I'd live there (if I was younger!). Reyt impressed!

Coastal walk

 

The British influence is everywhere from the obvious historic colonial / convict narrative, to street names and even the pubs such as the Hero of Waterloo, the Lord Nelson, the Duke of Clarence, Lord Dudley etc....of course we had to check their interiors 🍻

The five nights flew by and soon we were back on the Gold Coast....with still Aussie plans ahead, but the tropical stormy season is commencing so a considered lengthy circular road trip up to Cairns especially for the scuba may now have to be reconsidered....

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gap - Watsons Bay

Tamarama Beach

Mrs Maquaries Chair