Weekend in Sydney

About a month ago, I took my biggest trip of the year....2 weeks exploring Sydney and New Zealand.  There is so much to catch you up on, so I'll begin by recapping my weekend in Sydney.  We did SO much in 3 days!

I left Phnom Penh after work Friday, April 10, and took a red-eye flight through Malaysia to Sydney.  I arrived early Saturday morning, caught a train toward downtown Sydney to meet up with my mom at our fabulous hotel (Hilton Sydney).  I arrived, showered and waited for my mom to return from a morning at a local museum.  She got back to the hotel, hugged me and cried per usual, and we snacked on cheese, cracker, STRAWBERRIES (something I never get in Cambo) and grapes.  I was super tired and insisted that we get some coffee.  We strolled down to the hotel café to enjoy some flat whites (hello, are you even allowed to drink anything else in Australia?!), my first of many throughout the trip.  We ventured over to the nearby mall and went up into the Sydney Tower Eye which is an observation deck high above the city.  It has great panoramic views.  I didn't love it, of course...since I'm not a fan of heights, but I indulged my mother and went up along with her.  After visiting the tower, we heading back to the hotel to meet up with one of my friends!  

One of the best parts about being in Sydney was seeing one of my former ICTR-housemates, Faith.  We were incredibly close during my time in Africa.  I always enjoyed having long chats with Faith; she's super intelligent, interesting, well-traveled and someone I admire and respect.  I contacted Faith a few weeks before coming, explaining that although Melbourne and Sydney are not close, I'd be on her continent.  I thought I should check to see if she would perhaps be in the area or would possibly want to come to Sydney for a visit.  To my delight, she emailed me back almost immediately, saying that she would book a ticket and come visit me!  Faith arrived early evening, and we sat down in the hotel café catching up on life. 

Reunion with my sweet, sweet friend Faith!

After catching up for a bit, we headed upstairs to get fancy for the opera.  We had purchased tickets for the outdoor production of Aida (click here to see more about the production) .  They built the stage for this opera over the Sydney Harbor and the Sydney Opera House was in the background the whole time.  It was simply stunning.  We ate in a little café outside, enjoying drinks and yummy salads.  The opera was wonderful (not that I have much to compare to since I'd only be to one other opera in my life).  But the costumes, singing, story, and backdrop made the experience unforgettable.

Aida.  Sydney Harbor.

On Sunday, we began the morning with brunch on Kings Street close to the University of Sydney.  Faith's friends had recommended Brewtown Newtown.  We indulged in your typical brunch fare, great coffee, and ended the meal with some cronuts.  I enjoyed the Nutella Hazelnut cronut.  It was absolutely amazing.  We were stuffed after brunch and decided to wander around Kings Street for a bit.  There are some great boutiques, vintage book stores and cafes on this street.  After leaving the area, we headed for the Circular Quay to visit the Contemporary Art Museum, see the Sydney Opera House and grab a ferry to explore Darling Harbor.  I highly recommend the Contemporary Art Museum as the works on display are fascinating and it's totally free!  It's in a really great old building and has a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbor and Opera House from the rooftop café.  There are some great permanent exhibits as well as special exhibits.  Definitely worth a little visit inside.  After the museum, we caught a ferry over to Darling Harbor to explore and find some food.  Darling Harbor is a great area, albeit touristy and expensive.  There is a fantastic maritime museum there as well as many great restaurants, bars, and dessert places.  I can't remember the restaurant we ate at that evening, unfortunately it was not great so not memorable  I did try kangaroo that evening though.  It doesn't taste like chicken; it's very gamey...similar to venison.    

Cronuts.  Yummmmmmm. 

Being tourists! 

Art Museum. 

Poor Kangaroo

On Monday, we walked around the city mostly.  We explored Hyde Park and St. Mary's Cathedral.  We caught another ferry at the Circular Quay because really the best way to see Sydney is on a ferry.  We went back to Darling Harbor and picked a better restaurant.  I had an octopus salad.  It was delicious!  After our long stroll, we headed back to the hotel to pack for New Zealand.  Our flight was due to leave that evening, so we needed to pack up, check-out, and head to the airport for a 3 hour flight to Wellington.   

St. Mary's Cathedral

Circular Quay

Overall, our time in Sydney was far too short.  I'd love to go back to Australia and spend some significant time there exploring more of Sydney and other cities.  However, we had too much to see in New Zealand, so we had to get on to the next adventure.  Australia was great though, and I highly recommend visiting it.  Great food, great sights, very friendly people.