I wouldn't describe myself as a city person. So it says something about a city if it manages to suck me in -- so much so, that I threw my hiking plans for the day out the window (or into the water) and let me get pulled into its bustle. (Yes, I know, this is unheard of.)

I was just going to take a quick look at the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House before heading out for a hike, but seeing those two iconic landmarks for the first time in real life felt like a magic spell was cast upon me. And that's how a quick stop turned into an entire day. 

First I stopped underneath the Harbour Bridge and watched tiny little dots aka climbing tours climbing up the gazillion steps to the top of the bridge. I mentally prepared myself to do the same in a couple of days. (Nothing better than to kick off the new year with a real life stairmaster class, right?) Then I discovered the spot that Nadal and the Spanish team took their team photo yesterday, with the Opera House as the backdrop. I did contemplate for a split second hanging out at that very spot to wait and see if the German team would do the same, but thankfully reason got the better of me and I continued my walk along the water.

That's how I ended up at the Opera House. I caught my first glimpse of the inside through the giant darkened windows, and can't wait to see the real interior tomorrow night. Did you know that the smaller front building is actually a really fancy looking restaurant? I then walked into the botanical gardens, which wasn't even part of the plan for Sydney, but I'm glad I did because the flowers, plants, scents, bird sounds and views should not be missed. 

Oh, and in case you ever wondered: 12/30 seemed to be the day when all the barriers, water stations, porta potties, and trash bins go up for the various NYE celebrations. Today was already busy with people so I can't even imagine what actual NYE will be like. Oh wait, I'll be there so I guess I'll find out in about 24 hours.

First off: why can't all public transportation systems in the US be like the one in Sydney (and other major Australian cities from what I hear)?! Imagine you want to hop across town on a bus. In Sydney, it was like a dream. The buses and trains and ferries are running every few minutes. They are so clean, I think the 5-second rule actually applies. (Big contrast to Bart or Muni where I try not to touch anything and literally throw my clothes straight into the laundry when I get home). You can just use your credit card or digital wallet to tab on and off. They have a daily, weekly and weekend cap to encourage more people to take public transportation. They have discounts if you transfer between bus/ferry/train etc. And a ride across town (some 45 minutes) cost $1? Seriously, check this out. Someone should tell the US about this. 

A pretty long preamble (sorry) just to say that I took the bus across town to Bondi Beach, hiked along the coast to Coogee and then took the bus and train back to where I'm staying. 

Remember the can of sardines beach at Waikiki? Bondi is nothing like that. It's a huge beach with some of the softest sand my feet have ever walked on. It was also fun to watch all the surfers catching the waves. From Bondi you can then walk along the coast from beach to beach to beach to beach until you eventually reach Coogee Beach. The views are stunning along the way and I dare say that leisurely hike is a must-do for anyone visiting Sydney. 

One of the coolest things I saw along the way? Ocean baths, which are swimming pools with ocean water, build right on the shore so when the tide is high, waves will splash into the pool. You basically get the best of both, the swimming pool and the ocean experiences. Genius!

Being in Sydney for New Year's Even to see the famous fireworks above the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House has been a dream of mine for ages. And it finally came true in 2022/23!

I probably spent hours leading up to the trip trying to figure out where to go on NYE. Should I try to go to one of the many free public viewing areas? Or a paid one with presumably better (and guaranteed?!) views? Join a party boat to watch the fireworks close up on the water? Make a reservation at a restaurant with a view of the show? Find a hotel with a view to avoid the crowds? Or try to do the ultimate NYE in Sydney thing and book a ticket to a show at the Opera House?

Well, who knows how soon I will be in Sydney again for NYE, so I chose the last two options:

First, I got to see Amadeus at the Opera House (a phenomenal play, highly recommend it). I definitely had to soak it all in when I first walked into this iconic landmark. Me, inside the famous Opera House, on NYE? Crazy! Most people walked onto the terrace with a fantastic view of the Harbour Bridge to wait for the play to start. That's where I ran into a couple from Munich, Germany. Yup, them speaking German while they were standing next to me gave them away and I decided not to stay undercover and eavesdrop. (Some of you know the airplane story I'm talking about). They've been traveling the world for the past six months, started in San Francisco and are just about finishing up in Australia for the past six weeks before heading to Thailand for the last two weeks. It was such a pleasant conversation, and they gave me tips about all the places they had been and that I'm about to go to. What a small world this really is!

The play timed the intermission with the 9 pm fireworks (yes, as if one firework isn't enough, Sydney gives you two fireworks for NYE). And while you definitely had people who left the play 30 minutes into the first act to (presumably) score the perfect spot for the fireworks, there really wasn't a bad spot to see it. We were all AT the Opera House after all!

The 9 pm fireworks was already spectacular, so I wondered how they could top that for the real one at midnight. But boy, how they turned it up another notch!

I decided to not stay with the crowds but instead, I walked back to my hotel to watch the fireworks from their 23rd floor balcony. It took me twice as long to walk back because by now, the police had blocked off a lot of the streets downtown (excuse me, in the CBD) and wouldn't let anyone walk through. I made it within two blocks of my hotel when I hit a police block. I talked to three of the officers and when they finally realized that I really just wanted to get to my hotel, they let me through. Imagine missing the big firewords because of this. Whew! 

I made it with just 15 minutes to spare, and I'm so glad I made it.  Just see the video. That fireworks show was the most impressive one I've ever seen (sorry, San Francisco). My personal favorite was the golden waterfall that appeared for what felt like minutes underneath the Harbour Bridge. How they did that? Magic, there's no other way.

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all the joy and happiness for 2023!

No, I'm not talking about a ferry that has "qualities traditionally associated with a man: strong, virile." (Not my definition, talk to Merriam Webster about that one). Manly is a beach and in my opinion, going there is a must-take ferry ride. Not only do you get a fantastic view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, you also get to see how beautiful the rest of Sydney is along the water. It's massive, and the shores are covered with trees, rock formations, and houses and apartments with (probably) multi-million dollar views. I found out that Sydney is surrounded by National Parks. Just gorgeous. 

Oh, and did you know that Sydney has its own Alcatraz, called Fort Denison?

Pro tips for the ferry ride:

• Be on the right of the outbound ferry and on the left on the inbound ferry. Trust me, the ferry does turn around after leaving Circular Quay, which you can tell immediately if you pay any attention to what the ferry looks like. It's actually very entertaining to watch the people who thought they scored the prime spot to see the Opera House, and then slowly realize that they will be on the wrong side. A little, healthy amount of Schadenfreude is always fun :)

• Sunscreen up! Seriously, put on sunscreen before you get on the ferry. The Australian sun is intense. 

I thought climbing the Harbour Bridge was something only tourists do, but several Australians told me that that was not the case, and that I should definitely do it. And I'm so glad I did because it was an unforgettable experience, and surprisingly not as exhausting as I thought it would be. I think Bridgeclimb is the only provider of this adventure, and man you can tell they know what they are doing, from beginning to end. 

After passing a test of counting to 5 without having a breathalyzer go off, you do a quick dance: Line up in two rows, face each other, right foot forward, left foot forward, bend the knees, stand up straight, pull on the right, pull on the left, reach overhead, two steps back, turn right and done. That's how you put on the harness. 

Next you practice climbing fire stairs, put on a headset and sunscreen, and we're all good to go and start the climb. 

You cannot change the order of the group once you start climbing, so you really have to be lucky to have good neighbors... and I was. Coincidentally, the two people in front of me where from Germany, Trier to be exact. (Do I really have to travel to Australia to meet Germans every day? Is that where they all hang out? Who knew...). The two people behind me were a couple from Ohio. 

And so we started the climb, all the way to the top and back. The views were incredible, not to mention the fact that you're standing on the top of one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. 

A couple of fun facts we learned along the way:

• Rubbing the granite used on the four towers of the bridge brings you good luck (and rub, rub, rub we all did)

• The two flags on the top are the Australian and the Aboriginal flags. NSW wanted to put up a third one, the state flag, but that would have cost $20M. (I would recommend they get a second quote for that... or find a task rabbit to do it instead)