Sydneyside

 From Phillip Island, Lauren and I headed north along the coast toward Sydney.  I had be warned many, many times about driving this trip, because Australia is so vast.  After half way across the US last year, I thought  we'd be just fine, but nothing really prepared us for the drive between Melbourne and Sydney.  After crossing through cow country, we got into the mountains, where we were surrounded by a wall of trees for hours.  One lane, no other cars, and basically a tunnel through the forest.  Needless to say, we were thrilled to see this sign:

After seeing that glorious sight, we needed to switch camper vans.  We picked up our new van, as well as directions to get to our campground.  Five minutes later, we were navigating rush-hour Sydney traffic and heading toward the Harbour Bridge.  Even though it was dusk, rainy, and we were exhausted after a long drive, driving over the Harbour Bridge and sneaking a quick peak at the Opera House was a great welcome to Sydney.

The next day we set out to see the sights.  It's impossible to get a hold on a city in a day, but Lauren and I really did make an effort with Sydney.  We started our day with a free student-guided tour of the city.  It was a great way to see all the major sights, and spend time with a Sydneysider, as the city's residents are known.

Sydney reminded me a lot of Boston.  The cities are both built around the water, but the similarities go beyond the obvious.  As we were walking around the city, we quickly realized how small it is - the entire city is walkable.  We were also stopping every few blocks to look at a historical monument - the flag planted by the First Fleet, or a pub where the British navy sailors used to gather.  In history and charm, Boston and Sydney could go tit for tat.

But Sydney certainly has one thing over Bean Town - the beaches.  We hopped a bus to the world-famous Bondi Beach, on the south side of Sydney.  Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, but the beach was beautiful even with clouds and wind, so it has certainly earned its reputation. 

In the afternoon, we took a ferry across the Harbour to Manly, another beach on the northern side of the city.  For anyone visiting Sydney, this is a must do.  As the ferry pulled out from the dock, we had a gorgeous view of the city (evidence in the picture up top).  Just as we turned away from that sight, we were saw the stunning mouth of the harbour - massive bluffs cascading into the Pacific.  And, like most Aussie beaches, Manly did not disappoint.  It was the perfect end to our day in Sydney.

Sydney and the Harbour Bridge

The Opera House