Hello there, sports fans. John and I have had a great trip to Sydney. Here we are on our first day out with long suffering Meimei taking us round to see the sights.
You can tell that we are a bit jetlagged because of the forced smiles on our faces.
Please also take note of our bulging bellies. This is because we had breakfast at the Divine Monkey Lounge on Glebe Point Road, which is just round the corner from Meimei's apartment in Ultimo. We highly recommend the fryup breakfast here - not too expensive, and the portions are large enough for two (or three).
And they have exceptional coffee according to John and Meimei. This is because you can choose not to order fairtrade coffee. Fairtrade coffee is expensive, and it often tastes pretty bad. As Meimei puts it, 'It's not good coffee unless I can taste the sweat of oppression!!" I contented myself with a cup of Lady Grey tea - very nice floral taste and a pleasant scent, great in the morning.
John booked tickets to the 'Marriage of Figaro' at the Sydney Opera House for all of us as a special treat. The acoustics of the opera house leave much to be desired - the tall spinnaker shells do not reflect sound very well, so there are huge sound boards suspended in the theatre. One has to be very careful, when booking seats, not to choose a seat where the view of the stage is obscured.
We watched the opera later on in the week and enjoyed it very much - it was hilarious. It was in Italian with surtitles projected above the stage (very occasionally, the surtitles would run a few minutes behind the singing. Guess the projectionist kept nodding off).
To our great surprise, some of the audience members were displeased by the light heartedness and all-round silliness of the opera. This is Mozart's Great Work, you know. The actors were Pandering To The General Austalian Public. Opera, is supposed to be serious, heart-wrenching stuff, don't you know. There was Laughing and cheering, and I din't cry At All! Atrocious. What is the World Coming To?
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Monday 9 April 2007
Blue Mountains (Day 1, Part 1)
We rented a car from Discount Cars on Broadway Street - the first car had a faulty handbrake so the boss kindly upgraded us to an automatic car. This was a very good thing because of the steep and winding roads in the Blue Mountains - John didn't have to worry about gears and clutch control, which meant we could both enjoy the countryside a bit more.
In the rush to get out of Sydney before the rush hour traffic, we stupidly left John's wallet (containing all our ozzie dollars) in Meimei's apartment. Fortunately, I still had my wallet with me, which meant that we could withdraw money from the ANZ bank at Echo Point (they don't charge commission! Take note!).
In the rush to get out of Sydney before the rush hour traffic, we stupidly left John's wallet (containing all our ozzie dollars) in Meimei's apartment. Fortunately, I still had my wallet with me, which meant that we could withdraw money from the ANZ bank at Echo Point (they don't charge commission! Take note!).
Echo Point is the most popular lookout on the Blue Mountains scenic drive. This is because it is easily assessible by car and bus and is within walking distance from the train station. Additionally, Echo Point is famous for the Three Sisters - good examples of nymphs turned into limestone stacks - which feature frequently in Aboriginal Dreamtime mythology.
We got there in the morning, so it wasn't busy - or at least it didn't seem busy. The lookout point is very big, so it didn't seem crowded even though there were two busloads of japanese tourists milling around. (tip: parking in the Katoomba town centre - 20 minutes walk - is free, parking at Echo point means you pay by meter - minimum is one hour)
There are well marked out walking paths from the Echo Point lookout, if one is willing to brave the slippery pools of mud. Some of the tracks were cordoned off due to safety issues (mudslides, falling rocks) or for environmental issues (reforestation after bushfires). So, we walked around the area for a little bit, and then decided to drive to Leura Falls instead. We took the scenic Blue Mountain driveway (instead of the motorway), and stopped at every single lookout point along the way.
Sunday 8 April 2007
Blue Mountains (Day 1, Part 2)
We reached the Leura Falls trail, just off the Blue Mountain Scenic highway, in the early afternoon. It had just been drizzling, but the trail itself was protected from the wet by the thick forest canopy, so it wasn't too muddy to walk on.
The trail led us down into the valley, alongside a fierce, roaring stream that was flowing fast and furious downhill, foaming green and white over the dark rocks before taking a sharp turn and plunging over the edge of a cliff into a deep pool at the bottom.
The path to the pool was blocked off (mudslides, I think), which was a shame, because we would have liked to wander down there and sit on the stones and paddle our feet in the invitingly cool water.
We were feeling quite tired and sweaty by now, so we quickly moved on and checked into our B&B - a very lovely room in the secluded Bethany Manor.
Our hosts at Bethany, Jill and Greg Haigh, were very friendly and welcoming. Greg checked us into our room (the Walling Room - named after a famous Australian garden designer) and very kindly made us some coffee and tea accopanied by a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
Greg was also kind enough to give us some advice about local trails and walks, as well as recommendations for eateries in the vicinity. We had originally wanted to eat at 'Le Gobelet', but after hearing about the talented but cantankerous and unpredictable French chef - known on several occasions to sneak out of the restaurant without touching the stove, leaving unsuspecting and hungry customers waiting several hours - we decided to try our luck elsewhere.
We narrowed down our choice to the award winning Silk's Brasserie (Greg's top recommendation) and Cafe Bon Ton (we had a discount coupon). In the end, because we are scaffy, we chose Cafe Bon Ton, which looked beautiful on the outside, surrounded by big leafy trees, but turned out to be rather a disappointing experience with snooty wait-staff in a dingy atmonsphere. The food served up all fancy and in generous portions, but the taste of it was mediocre to begin with, and greatly worsened by the sour attitude of our waiter. Not very value-for-money, considering how much it would've cost without the discount. Needless to say, we did not leave a tip.
After our disappointing dinner in Leura town, we returned to our room where the bathroom was fully kitted out with a spa bath and fluffy white towels. Greg and Jill had provided some wonderful smelling herbal bath gel which John and I eagerly poured into the tub and took turns relaxing under a layer of bubbles, getting our muscles pummelled into jelly by the jacuzzi jets.
There was a fantastic selection of DVDs in the guest lounge which our hosts were very happy for us to rummage through and borrow whichever we liked. So we watched 'The Man From Snowy River' whilst tucked up all bonny and blissful in a comfortable bed.
Saturday 7 April 2007
More Blue Mountains (Day 2, part 1)
The next morning, we awoke to the soft sound of cooing doves, feeling refreshed and rested, and then walked down the corridor to the bright and airy breakfast room at Bethany Manor.
Jill, the lady of the house, was already bustling about in the kitchen making our breakfast. She had provided a newspaper and some magazines for us to peruse, whilst sipping freshly squeezed orange juice.
Breakfast was of prodigious proportions. There was a cereal and fresh fruit buffet to start, then a selection of toasted breads with jam and marmalade. Jill brought out a sizzling Australian grilled breakfast for John (Sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes, scrambled eggs with a slice of bacon) and a cafetiere. For myself, I was served a pot of tea, smoked salmon with lemon and fresh dill on beautifully poached eggs and a side of mushrooms to round it off.
This breakfast would keep us going way past lunch.
This mist is actually an essential oil released from the blue-green leaves of the eucalyptus trees. The oils, being highly volatile, are one of the reasons why the Blue Mountains often suffer from bushfires during the hot summer months - trees have been even known to explode.
Walking in the eucalyptus forest on this warm day was an aromatherapy experience. Each breath of wind brought a new wave of that delightful sweet and spicy scent.
Jill, the lady of the house, was already bustling about in the kitchen making our breakfast. She had provided a newspaper and some magazines for us to peruse, whilst sipping freshly squeezed orange juice.
Breakfast was of prodigious proportions. There was a cereal and fresh fruit buffet to start, then a selection of toasted breads with jam and marmalade. Jill brought out a sizzling Australian grilled breakfast for John (Sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes, scrambled eggs with a slice of bacon) and a cafetiere. For myself, I was served a pot of tea, smoked salmon with lemon and fresh dill on beautifully poached eggs and a side of mushrooms to round it off.
This breakfast would keep us going way past lunch.
Sadly, we soon had to be on our way...but I would have still liked to stay longer at the B&B and enjoy their beautiful garden.
We drove onwards towards the Govett's Leap and Evan's Lookout points, in the Blackheath region of the Blue Mountains. These lookout points were far more dramatic and beautiful than Echo Point, with uninterrupted views over Grose Valley and its spectacular waterfalls. Fortunately, this region is not as well-known as Katoomba, which meant that it was quieter and less crowded, and we could spend more time enjoying the scenery instead of jostling with tour groups.
This mist is actually an essential oil released from the blue-green leaves of the eucalyptus trees. The oils, being highly volatile, are one of the reasons why the Blue Mountains often suffer from bushfires during the hot summer months - trees have been even known to explode.
Walking in the eucalyptus forest on this warm day was an aromatherapy experience. Each breath of wind brought a new wave of that delightful sweet and spicy scent.
Friday 6 April 2007
Driving in Sydney and around
The first thing we learned is: Power and good brakes are KEY!!!
The land is full of steep hills and sharp inclines - and the roads can get very scary, especially when it rains.
The first car that we hired was terribly underpowered and driving uphull was a real struggle. Additionally, the handbrake wasn't very strong, so on an incline, with the handbrake on, the car would slowly slide backwards (good thing we never had to park on top of a hill)!
Fortunately, the rental car company was happy to swop cars for us, but it was a good thing that we hadn't travelled too far that day.
The land is full of steep hills and sharp inclines - and the roads can get very scary, especially when it rains.
The first car that we hired was terribly underpowered and driving uphull was a real struggle. Additionally, the handbrake wasn't very strong, so on an incline, with the handbrake on, the car would slowly slide backwards (good thing we never had to park on top of a hill)!
Fortunately, the rental car company was happy to swop cars for us, but it was a good thing that we hadn't travelled too far that day.
Within Sydney city, driving is an absolute nightmare. The traffic is horrific beyond words.
There are no U-turns and many roads will be marked with a 'No Right Turn' sign. It's very frustrating to drive round in circles.
Additionally, construction seems to go on virtually all the time, which means closed roads and lots of detours. The one-way system can sometimes change directions, even! So it is absolutely useless to have a street map for Sydney. Unless you are using it to walk.
In any case, the city itself is very well linked up with an excellent public transport system, so it really isn't necessary to rent a car to get around. A daytripper pass lasts all day and gives you unlimited access to the buses, tube system (CitiRail) and even the Sydney ferries - or there's the SydneyPass, a 3, 5 or 7 day unlimited access ticket that also includes a trip to the Sydney International airport. There's also a TravelTen carnet pass or a week travelpass for the bus service.
The Blue Mountains just outside Sydney is an easy place to get to by train and the ExplorerLink bus route covers most of the tourist attractions within the Leura and Katoomba area. However, in order to really appreciate the land outside Sydney, it is definitely a good idea to get a car.
The Blue Mountains tourist circuit takes one from Sydney through the Blue Mountains all the way to the Jenolan caves, and on the way back, through miles of beautiful green farmland. The road is wide and mostly uncluttered with lots of places to stop off if one wants to pause and enjoy the views.
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