Alright back to the recap of my trip to Sydney, here comes part two.
The day after Christmas was beautiful and sunny! It was the last day we’d spend in downtown Sydney so Ethan and I decided to go for a longer walk around. Of course no one told me that the day after Christmas in Australia is like Black Friday in the US! As we first headed towards Martin Place, it was a quick greeting to the shopping madness going on. There were lines for days going every which way. Luckily we made it out of the crazy shopping area and then headed towards Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral. St Mary’s was beautiful and had a lovely manger scene outside as well. It brought me back to the lovely cathedrals I’d seen on my trips to England and Italy.
St Mary's
Fountain in Hyde Park with St. Marys behind
Next stop was the Anzac Memorial. It had a nice reflection pool out front and the inside was filled with bits of artifacts from the Boer War through the present and is meant to be a memorial for all Australians who have served in wars and peace keeping operations.
Anzac Memorial
We then trudged through Korea town, Chinatown, and wanted to stop into the Chinese Gardens but wasn’t up for paying admission so we headed back to Darling Harbour. After having the sun beat down on us for a while it was time to freshen up back at the hotel before some more walking around and a good hearty dinner on the Harbour.
Ships in Darling Harbour
Saturday morning we were up and ready to go! Before taking the train to Bondi, we headed towards The Rocks. First up was delicious pancakes at Pancakes on the Rocks (thanks for the recommendation Natalie). Honestly there is nothing better than a weekend morning with blueberry pancakes! Then it was time to check out the market. Each weekend the Rocks area holds an outdoor market with various merchants selling everything from treats to jewelry to home goods. It was fun looking at all the various trades. Though I didn’t buy anything, it was because I was practicing good self-control as I knew I had a suitcase limit to abide by and could have easily gotten carried away with the cool trinkets for a shelf in an apartment I don’t have. Hah!
Finally we packed up and headed to Bondi! It was a very easy train ride from Circular Quay to Bondi Junction and then we hopped in a cab to take us right to our apartment. We decided to use Airbnb.com to find a place to stay near the beach and I cannot recommend it enough!
For those of you who aren’t familiar, Airbnb.com is a site that allows people to short term rent out their properties and it’s a great alternative to a hotel. For a very affordable price, we stayed in a one bedroom apartment that had all the fixings you’d need from shampoo to linens. And the best part was we were just a short walk from Bondi Beach and tons of restaurants. If you are looking for a more local way to stay when you go on vacation definitely check it out! Plus the hosts can give great reviews on the area and tips for cool places to check out.
If you decide to try out Airbnb, use this link to get $25 towards your first stay: www.airbnb.com/c/lgreene46?s=8 I utilized the invite from another travel blogger and was able to use it towards my stay in Sydney!
Next up is the recap of life on the beach in Bondi…
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