S01-E05
Ready, Set, Go!
We are Jonica and Mark, and we are coming to you from New Zealand. Yes, that's right, the trip has begun. We spent a quick, jam-packed four days in Sydney, and now we're spending some time exploring the North Island of New Zealand.
Now that we are finally on the road and embarking on this year+ long trip around the road we are going to try a different format here. Instead of reading what you could just listen to on the podcast, we are going to give you some highlights, tips, tricks, and, recommendations based on each of the the episodes. We will also share more images from the weeks that we discuss in each of the episodes. More of a peak behind the curtain if you will.
Staying around Hyde Park - either in Darlinghurst or Surry Hill - is a great jumping-off point. Very walkable, lots of public transportation options, close to a lot of the ‘touristy’ things you will want to see, and lots of great restaurant and bar options. We also heard a lot about Newtown, but it is a bit further out and away from the sights you will want to check off your list.
Even if you are not lucky enough to have a friend of a friend who has a boat, we highly recommend renting one or doing a tour. The views from Sydney Harbor are amazing and if you may be able to stop at one or more of the public beaches and jump in for a swim!
The walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach is stunning. Bring your walking shoes, some water, a hat, sunscreen, a towel and your swimsuit. You can cruise through or stop at any of the amazing beaches along the way. There are bathrooms and places to fill up your water bottle along the path. You could even buy a coffee or an ice cream at the beaches that have concession stands. We opted to walk back to Bondi from Coogee but you could just as easily catch a bus back to the city directly from Coogee if you like. A great way to spend a warm, sunny day.
As we were walking to dinner one evening in Pott’s Point we came across a water fountain that is the identical twin to one that is in Loring Park in Minneapolis, MN. Crazy, right? Turns out that the Berger Fountain (in Loring Park aka the “Dandelion Fountain”) is named after Ben Berger, the former parks commissioner who donated the fountain to the city in 1975. It was a copy of the El Alamein Memorial Fountain Berger saw on a trip to Sydney. Berger funded the Minneapolis fountain with profits made from screening “The Exorcist” at his chain of movie theaters. Berger originally intended the fountain to have a home in the then-nascent Walker Art Center sculpture garden, but the Walker rejected the proposal because it was a copy and not the original artwork.
Here is a list of our top and also recommended Sydney restaurants and bars. Names is ** are places we visited.
Restaurants:Le Foote (French/Downtown)**Chin Chin (Asian/Surry Hill)**Apollo (Mediterian/Pott’s Point)Alberto’s (Italian/Darlinghurst/Surry Hill) Pellegrino 2000 (Italian/Surry Hill)Yulli’s (Vegan/Surry Hill) Bistecca (Steak House/By RBG) Bars:The Baxter Inn (Downtown) Cantina Ok! (Downtown) The Lobo (Downtown) Double Deuce Lounge (mid-Downtown) Ramblin Rascals (Off Hyde Park west) Old Mates Place (Downtown) Bar Planet (Newtown) Tio’s (Surry Hill) PS40 (Downtown) Jacoby’s Tiki Bar (Newtown) Continental Deli (Newtown) **Shady Pines Saloon (Darlinghurst)**Tucano’s (Darlinghurst)
Grab lunch and head over to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Huge park with lots of space to eat, chill and watch the world go by.
There are tons of fountains and sculptures to check out in Hyde Park. It is definitely worth spending some time wandering around this 40-acre park.
Hopefully when you visit the Opera House there will not be flies in your face every two seconds. Walking around the outside was cool, but you can also tour the inside and if you can catch a show, the theaters look amazing.
