Well, in craps or in travel, all lucky streaks must eventually come to an end… after 3 months of travelling amazingly 99% hassle-free through Africa and Asia, I had my first cancelled flight - in Australia of all places.
It was a bit of a bummer since I showed up to the airport for a noon flight, expecting to get into Sydney by 2. The airline passenger's classic favorite - “mechanical troubles” popped up, so we got an unexpected not-so scenic bus journey back to Brisbane, along with (due to the mixed audience) two child appropriate movies… the entirely forgettable Fluke and an even more forgettable one I can’t recall. ;)
The long and short – I got into Sydney around 9, and amazingly had a dorm room at the YHA all to myself, which kinda/sorta made up for the bad travel karma of the morning.
But, the next day made up for it...
…for my last two days in Oz, instead of trying to frantically squeeze in as much as possible, I decided to just lay low, and keep exploring Sydney. A bit after the fact, I’m still mentally patting myself on the back, for it turned to be the perfect decision.
To kick things off, I ended up catching a bus into Bondi Beach, yet another amazing beach community that are seemingly dotted everywhere around Sydney. My friend Becky had moved there from Manly Beach while I was gone, and as she was coming back from a weekend away, I got to occupy myself until the early evening.
Dropping my big rucksack at a friendly local hostel, I immediately had to sort out breakfast. Cosmopolitan Sydney lived up to its reputation, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Bondi had a Spanish café that specialized in the classic churros and hot chocolate. I’m not talking Swiss Miss cocoa here… this was thick, dark, and rich; it’s rather like drinking a gourmet chocolate bar.What a perfect way to start the day!
By now feeling the immense post cocoa sugar buzz, I set out on my hike from Bondi to Coogee Beach – another of Sydney's famous walks.
Winding along the coast, it's a great way to see so much of the beach vibe that gives the city its character. Surfers, bodyboarders, and even open-water swimmers – there are so many ways to stay fit...
The trail was 6km in all, and wound up and around the various craggy bluff. With hundreds of other folks out enjoying the clear Sunday weather, it was a great way to enjoy the day. I even got to watch a bit of youth rugby – complete with proud parents cheering them on...
A highlight was what has to be one of the prettiest cemeteries I've ever seen –
nestled on a seaside slope with a 180 degree view of the coast... the great and not-so great of Sydney have buried here since the founding of the city.
The rest of the trail took me through a succession of beaches and semi-calm coves – beach volleyball was pretty popular, or just watching bodyboarders try to catch that next wave:
Frisbee geek that I am, with all of the flat beach sand, I couldn't help but think that this would be an amazing place for beach ultimate...
Once I got to Coagee, lunch was a pretty good burger and an even better microbrew beer, then some homemade gelato as I wandered around the beach town. My allergies were acting up for some reason, so I caught a bus to Bondi.
At least, that was the plan. It turned out that I took the wrong bus and ended up about 2 miles away – right next to a spiffy new mall. Malls aren't my favorite thing – but I wandered around a bit. One thing is absolutely clear – books are really really expensive in Oz! Take your average Grisham paperback... $8 in the US.
In Oz? Try $25-30 AUS ($18-23 US)! Insane.
I was running dangerously low on books, so I was able to find a discount Clancy for a few bucks; then it was a meandering walk back down the hill towards Bondi Beach. They have some great cafes and restaurants dotting the back streets – and to kill time 'til Becky got back, I ended up taking a nap on the beach...
Becky landed another amazing flat – from overlooking Manly Beach, this time her studio had a stellar view of Bondi Beach...
Some pizza, beers, and the odd whisky with Becky and her friend Deke, which led to competitive board games until the early hours. I at least didn't have to work the next day... ;)
I had a windowside nook to sleep to the sound of the waves – and crashed immediately... full, slightly buzzed, and very, very content.
My last day in Sydney was pretty relaxed – rather than a quick trip out to the Blue Mountains for the day, I just couldn't get fired up. So instead, it was another day chilling out in Bondi...not the worst thing to have to do...
A great brunch breakfast with a meal of homemade cheese/egg goodness, then it was a long overdue haircut at a gruff Greek's barber shop. And besides chilling on the beach, and lunch, that was about it :)
Good day.
Becky continued to raise the bar as the “hostess with the mostest”, after moving just so that I could experience living in two amazing beach communities. She picked out a great pizza restaurant and bar that let me sample emu, crocodile, and kangaroo as toppings on yummy gourmet pizzas. Several beers and a good chat with some other ex-pats, then it was a rooftop bar with the two of us and her friend Chris:
Um, there just might have been a few rounds of whisky at this point – but fortunately the almighty hangover gods were merciful, and I was able to get up at 6 the following morning for my flight to Dunedin!
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