Australia - Sydney - Feeling the City

We started our journey with a phrase that touched me deeply: "the happiness of the family is measured by the happiness of the most unhappy member!"

Hence, regardless of destination and situation, ours (blood and heart family) are always present in our hearts. It is a long trip, they cannot all be physically present, but they're the ones we dedicate this trip to.

When sitting on the plane it is impossible not to think that we will literally go to the other side of the globe, it makes us feel like butterflies in our bellies... this is really happening! Here we go....... Australia, yesssssssssss!!!!!

After "a few" hours on flights and stopovers across this globe, we landed in Sydney. We can't believe it, we're here! Wow...

First things to do, buy a sim card for our phones, we bought ours from Vodafone and each had 30GB of data, after all we want to be connected with the world and send lots of pictures to everyone hahahah. At the airport you really have many options! The second thing to do is to buy an Opal Card:

Sydney has an excellent public transport network and this smartcard, after being recharged, allows you to travel on all of them (train, metro, bus and ferry). It has to be validated at the entrance and after you exit it subtracts the value of the trip from your balance. Just tap on and tap off to pay your fare! It's really extremely practical. In addition, with the Opal card trips get a little cheaper, and after some trips we have even more discounts! Please note that it is not possible to recover the money that's on you card in case there is any left (except for those who have an Australian bank account), so the ideal is to top up small amounts according to the need. There is also a super useful Opal travel app, available for Android and iOS! Opal can be purchased at the airport, supermarkets and major train stations. You can top up your card through the app, on the opal website, at a retailer like a  supermarket, at train stations and wharfs or at opal top up machines. The minimum top-up amount is $20, unless done through the app or online where the minimum is $10.

Now that we are all set the adventure will begin! There are several ways to get from the airport to the city, but the one that we found most practical was by train T8. Let’s put that opal to use! :))

At first we were in doubt, after all, how many days should we spend in this city? 3, 5? Hmm... maybe it's too much? Noooooooo, how about another 5? Ahahah. So much to see and explore, time literally flew by, but here goes our experience. Australia!!!! We're here!

Where to begin? hmmmm...

Sydney Opera House, of course! Mandatory! It took 14 years to be fully completed and its highest point is equivalent to a 22-story building! It has the world's largest mechanical pipe organ, with 10244 pipes, not to mention that it has a wonderful view over the famous Harbour Bridge. It is worth visiting at various times of the day and night, as your perspective will be quite different. The atmosphere here is incredible! There's always something going on. Shows, events, music.... We didn't even notice time passing! Save at least 3 to 4 hours to absorb everything in this beautiful area!

Circular Quay. "The Quay" is the terminal from which numerous ferries depart, namely to Manly, Watsons Bay and Taronga Zoo. It is undoubtedly one of the busiest spots in the city, right next to the Opera House and the financial district. In addition to ferries, there are train and bus connections to all corners, including the famous Bondi Beach.



To complete this already long, very long day, we decided to take a walk along Circular Quay. Beautiful!


Circular Quay area is full of life and color. Lots of people, cruises, ferries arriving and departing everywhere and many restaurants and bars with food for all tastes. We can say that there are 3 main zones here, the first one next to the Opera House, full of terraces, with cafes, restaurants and bars sizzling throughout the night.



The second one is next to the ferry terminal, buzzling with people,  commuters, tourists... here you can find small take-away shops for those who want a snack or try an Australian delicacy! Finally, the third area is on the other side and is also where the famous and bohemian neighborhood The Rocks is located, which we will explore later. Here is also one of the places where we can have a fantastic view of the city and the CBD and for those who want here's a tip, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, you can take the elevator to the top floor and there you'll find a round metallic structure (rotunda), take the stairs up another floor and you'll have another spectacular view over the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay! Magnificent!

What a perfect way for endind this perfect day! Don't forget to take some time to enjoy the amazing sunset colors!

More discoveries and adventures in Sydney? ahahahah very soon :-)

To be continued...

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Sydney Rail Network map
Sydney Ferries Network map
Bus operator maps