SydNYE

Alex woke me up Tuesday morning after his sunrise walk and we headed to the CBD for coffee with a friend-of-a-friend currently living in Sydney. It was nice to meet and catch up with a friendly face and listen to her perspectives on Australia. After a couple of flat whites we said our goodbyes and headed to the docks to catch a ferry to the Taronga Zoo.

Since it was a beautiful day, the ferry ride ended up being a great way to view downtown Sydney and the surrounding suburban areas from the water.

Looking back on Sydney from the ferry.

We got to the zoo a little after noon and headed to the closest attraction: another great view of the city.

Great views from the zoo!

We set off to explore the various exhibits and ended up spending a solid four hours just walking around and visiting the many different creatures kept there. I couldn’t help feeling a little sad for all of the captive animals – this coupled with the hundreds of screaming children on a school holiday is why Alex and I don’t make it a point to visit many zoos! Below are some of our favorite zoo buds:

Two younger elephants playing in the pool.

These lions were pretty intimidating.

You almost can’t see the goats hiding up in these rocks!

The giraffes have a pretty great view of Sydney.

I swear this koala did nothing but eat leaves the entire day.

After taking the ferry back to Circular Quay, we walked around The Rocks, Sydney’s primary historical area downtown. Many of the buildings and cobblestone streets have been preserved, reminding us a lot of New York’s South Street Seaport.

Sadly the Greek restaurant we wanted to have dinner at was closed (this has been an ongoing theme as many Australian restaurants close for a week or two around the holidays) so we stopped at a nearby café instead before heading back to Bondi.

Wednesday – also New Year’s Eve - was our last full day in Bondi and we enjoyed a leisurely day of brunch, beach and beauty (Alex needed a haircut and I treated myself to my first blowout since our wedding!). By mid-afternoon it was time to head into the city to meet my dad and stepmom for our new year’s festivities at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

We had purchased tickets to NYE Under The Stars, which provided us with a primetime harbor viewing spot as well as unlimited food and beverages. The four of us had the best time catching up on the lawn, watching the fireworks and stuffing our faces. SydNYE was just as spectacular as we had hoped and we were really happy everything worked out so well!

Fireworks #1.

Fireworks #2.

Group shot.

One of the most pleasant surprises was how easy it was to get home at 1am – Sydney’s public transportation system was fast, efficient and free (they didn’t even take our tickets)! 

We slept in this morning and packed up our bags before heading out for a recovery meal and final stroll around Bondi. We had a (very) slow brunch at AquaBar and then headed to Icebergs for a little “hair of the dog.”

Cheers to 2015!

We're sad to be leaving Australia shortly, but we've also pretty excited about the next two weeks with my dad and stepmom - we're heading to New Zealand to explore both the north and south islands!

Bondi Beach

Sarah and I made the five hour drive from Port Macquarie to Sydney on Saturday morning. We arrived in Bondi Beach, our home for the next five nights, dropped off our bags at the apartment we reserved on AirBNB, then drove the rental car to the airport. By the time we got back to Bondi we were both a little tired from all the travel so we spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry, catching up on emails and strolling around the neighborhood.

On Sunday, the weather was not great - overcast all day, but fortunately not raining. We decided to walk as much of Sydney as we could in a day and hoped that the weather forecasts for better beach weather starting on Monday would be accurate. We walked from Bondi to Queen Street in Woollahra, then Oxford Street in Paddington, then down to Surry Hill and over to the University of Sydney. We knew school was not in session, but we were surprised to see the campus completely deserted! We literally only ran into one or two other people.

The University of Sydney.

We wrapped up the cloudy day by seeing the latest Hunger Games movie in downtown Sydney. Sarah thought it was okay. I thought it was not great. Probably would've been better as just one movie rather than splitting the third book into two...

Anyway, the weather apps were right and we had a beautiful day on Monday. After grabbing some flat whites, our favorite Australian-style coffee, Sarah and I set out to do the Bondi to Coogee beach walk. The one-way trip took us about two hours, but we stopped to take so many pictures that we probably could've done it in only an hour and a half! Needless to say, the views are stunning and it's easy to see why TripAdvisor rates this the #1 attraction in Sydney.

Bondi Beach.

Another view of Bondi further down the path.

Approaching Bronte Beach.

Bronte Beach.

Waverley Cemetery. Best cemetery view we've ever seen!

By the time we made it Coogee Beach we were so sweaty that we dropped our stuff on the sand and jumped right into the ocean. We were pleasantly surprised to find the water much cooler than it was further north - very refreshing on a hot day! After a few hours in the sun and some lunch at a local café, we took a bus back to Bondi to relax for the rest of the afternoon.

We ate dinner at Fishmongers for "fancy" fish & chips. It was great - definitely not what you'd think of when you hear "fish & chips" but we really enjoyed it. After dinner we met up with one of Sarah's high school friends who lives in Bondi for a drink before calling it a night.

I woke up early this morning to catch the sunrise over Bondi Beach. We heard it was worth the early rise and I definitely agree!

Not many people on the beach before 6am!

Icebergs is not very crowded at this hour.

Spotted someone who got up early to swim some laps.

One more of the sunrise.

Bondi has been one of our favorite beaches in Australia and it's only a short bus ride away from downtown Sydney. Well worth a stop for a few days if you're ever in Australia!

Christmas in Port Macquarie

We had a cloudy, wet drive to Port Macquarie but were happy the rain waited and didn’t interfere with our previous Byron Bay beach days! We arrived at our small B&B by mid-afternoon and were greeted by our super-friendly host, Paul, and some delicious home-made treats. After getting organized, the sun was shining so we decided to head for a walk along the coast to the nearby Tacking Point Lighthouse.

Alex taking in the ocean views.

Beautiful and deserted beaches have not been hard to find along Australia's coast.

View of the lighthouse (and incoming storm clouds).

By the time we reached the lighthouse the sky had begun to look a little ominous so we hurried back to our B&B to get ready for a quiet little Christmas dinner in town. Many of the local restaurants were closed for the evening but we were lucky to get a spot for two at the local bowling club. We missed being surrounded by our families but given the beach atmosphere and warm weather it didn't really feel like Christmas anyway!

We woke up Friday and decided to hike along the beach into town for a late brunch. As has been the case with our other beach walks in Australia, we were treated to some great scenery.

The rocky beaches and overlooks continue to remind us of California.

Striking a pose on the rocks.

The trek was a little over three miles so by the time we got there we were pretty sweaty (and ready to refuel!). Since it was Boxing Day, most restaurants were closed again but we lucked out with a great café that was still serving breakfast, LV's on Clarence. Thankfully we were able to perch there for a bit because it started pouring almost immediately after we got inside.

Alex had "The Big Brekky" - a favorite of his in Australia because, well, look at it - and I had the Paleo: two poached eggs, spinach, smoked salmon, bacon, roasted tomatoes and avocado, which was basically as amazing as it sounds.

We waited for the rain to stop - or at least partially stop - and then began the walk back to our B&B, completing six miles!  After getting cleaned up we drove to the Koala Hospital to see some native koalas up close. The Koala hospital is a non-profit refuge for injured koalas where volunteers nurse them back to health; we were lucky to see these guys in a semi-natural environment and got to learn a bit more about them.

This is Harry and I love him.

Oh hi! I didn't see you there.

Port Macquarie is the last stop on our road trip before returning to Sydney tomorrow so we are packing up the car and getting ready for New Years with my dad and stepmom!

Byron Bay

Byron Bay’s reputation as one of Australia’s best beach towns had both Sarah and I excited as we made the short drive down from Brisbane. Though we hadn’t looked up the Lonely Planet review of Byron Bay before we arrived, this excerpt sums it up PERFECTLY:

“The reputation of this famous beach town precedes it to such an extent that first impressions may leave you wondering what all the fuss is about. The beaches are great, but then again there are spectacular beaches all along this coast. What makes Byron special is the singular vibe of the town itself. It’s here that coastal surf culture flows into the hippie tide washing down from the hinterland, creating one great barefooted, alternative-lifestyle mash-up.

The town centre is low-rise, funky and relaxed – in short, everything that the overdeveloped towns across the border in Queensland are not. Developers would cheerfully turn Byron into a Surfers Paradise given the chance, but locals are dedicated to preserving its essential small-town soul.

Of course Byron does get crowded and it also attracts its fair share of off-the-leash teens and drug casualties. Yet its unique vibe has a way of converting even the most cynical with its long, balmy days, endless beaches, reliable surf breaks, fine food, raucous nightlife and ambling milieu. A weekend turns into a week, a week into a month…Before you know it, dreadlocks are a serious consideration.”

Anyway, when we arrived around lunchtime on Tuesday we headed straight into town to get a bite to eat at a local café. The town was packed with people and the single road into town reminded us a lot of the potentially long drives to Montauk on summer Fridays. Most of the beach towns we’ve seen so far have been pretty quiet so seeing this many people was a bit of a surprise!

After lunch we headed to Byron Springs, our B&B for the next two nights. This place definitely felt straight out of Long Island in its décor, though our hosts’ extremely laid back attitude would probably be a little harder to find in the Hamptons.

Sarah finally found a kale salad for lunch.

Our room for the next two nights.

Byron Springs offers its guests free bikes to borrow so Sarah and I packed backpacks and headed into town to relax on the beach. After a few hours in the sun we headed to town to wander around a few shops and find an early dinner. We rode our bikes back to the B&B at dusk and called it an early night given our plans for this morning…

We woke up today at 5am so we could catch the sunrise at Cape Byron Lighthouse. This is apparently a thing that lots of people do, but rather than drive up to the lighthouse, we decided to run the 3 miles from our B&B. It was a great work out and made the views seem even more special when we made it (panting!) up to the top. A great start to our Christmas Eve!

Just before sunrise, looking down at the beach at Arakwal National Park.

Sunrise at Cape Byron Lighthouse.

The lighthouse.

We made it! (Not our sexiest shot ever though haha.)

One more of the sunrise!

After taking in the sunrise for an hour or so, we walked into town to grab coffee, then back to our B&B for breakfast. Despite our best efforts to walk, eat and converse with our fellow guests slowly, by the time we were ready to head down to the beach it was only 9am – guess waking up at 5am has its benefits! We secured a good spot on the sand and soaked up the rays for a few hours. We both decided it would be best to get out of the mid-day sun so Sarah strolled around some more of the local shops and I took Unbroken – the book that Angelina Jolie turned into a movie to be released tomorrow – to a shady spot to read for a bit.

The rest of the day was spent in a similar fashion – head to the beach, swim, lay in the sun, head into town for shade, repeat. On the last cycle of our lazy afternoon, we snapped a picture of the less crowded beach:

Byron Bay and the Lighthouse. Not a bad way to spend Christmas Eve!

We had Mexican food for dinner – which was delicious – then rode our bikes back to the B&B. Tomorrow we drive to Port Macquarie, the final stop on our road trip before concluding our time in Australia in Sydney. Byron Bay has been one of our favorite stops along the way, perhaps because it reminds us so much of the beaches (and beach towns) we love back home. We’re sad to say goodbye but glad we had such nice weather to enjoy our time here!

"Brisbn"

Though the city is (obviously) spelled Brisbane, because everyone pronounces it "Brisbn" I decided that was an appropriate title for this post.

Sarah and I drove from Noosa Heads to Brisbane yesterday morning. The drive was quick – just under two hours – and we arrived just in time for Sunday brunch. We left the car and our bags at our hotel and walked across the Brisbane River to The Gunshop Café. The food was tasty but we were both more amazed by the similarities to Brooklyn. We’d heard that Brisbane is Australia’s “hip” city, but we didn’t think we’d be inundated with so many hipsters after only an hour in the city!

The rest of the day turned into a pretty lazy Sunday for us. We strolled back to our hotel slowly, stopping at a few shops along the way, then lounged at our hotel’s pool for a few hours before having an early dinner. We’d planned on a full day of sightseeing in Brisbane on Monday so we both felt okay about our slower Sunday schedule.

Though we were very well rested this morning, our first stop was still to grab a morning coffee. Sarah was very excited that there is a Starbucks not far from our hotel because we were able to get “real” iced coffee (which is to say, without ice cream). Caffeinated (but not overloaded with sugar!), we walked over to Roma Street Park to check it out. The park is very clean and we enjoyed seeing all the tropical plants they had on display. Also, this park is apparently a pretty comfortable home for lizards – they were everywhere! (And pretty tame too.)

One of the gardens in the park.

The pond with the city in the background.

Sarah made a friend in the park…

After strolling around for a few hours, we grabbed a quick lunch at a café near the park then walked toward the city center to rent a bike from Brisbane’s version of Citi Bikes, CityCycle. We rode our bikes mostly along the bike paths near the river, stopping to take a few pictures along the way.

Story Bridge over the Brisbane River.

Sarah on her bike.

Kurilpa Bridge, famous for its unique design as the world’s largest hybrid tensegrity bridge.

Sarah had to run into frame in order for me to get a solo shot of her in front of this sign near the Queensland Performing Arts Center.

Once we’d walked and rode around as much of the city as we could take in one day, we headed back to our hotel to get our car to drive up to the lookout at Mount Coot-Tha. This spot is a pretty popular tourist attraction to watch either the sunrise or sunset over Brisbane. Given that the sun rose at 4:45am this morning, we decided to visit for sunset. We had a great view of the city, though we both left thinking that the sunrise would probably have been better…

The sun was setting behind us – so the sunrise over the city is probably a little better in the morning. Oh well, we’re still happy we got this view!

We both realized how hungry we were once the sun had set so we decided to grab some Japanese food for dinner at Taro’s Ramen & Café. The food was great and we both concluded that one of the best culinary take-aways from our trip will be how much we really like Japanese food! We both got ramen and shared some gyoza. Tomorrow we drive further south to Byron Bay for some additional beach time.