Being a tourist

So, since I have been incredibly bad about sending pics and stories to friends and fam about the sydney adventure so far, here is a glimpse at my most touristy moments.

1. Sydney aquarium

The details: Very cool. My first aquarium ever, so not that I had a lot to compare it to, but still - Aussie fish, crocs (crickey!) and other terrifying and poisonous swimmers from the land of Oz must knock it up a few. Good thing the water is cold here though, because it did show which poisonous fish are around which beaches - and I forgot to take notes [ouch.]

2. The zoo

The details: Koala, kangaroos, dingos, wombats, wallabies, 'nuf said. Everyone is obsessed with Aussie animals, and they really are pretty cool.




3. Hunter Valley

The details: Wine tours! Hunter Valley has 150+ wineries [and heaps of breweries too.] Unfortunately, we only visited 5 wineries and 1 brewery - damn tours. That being said, it was totally worth it. Great wine - some of the favs were Shiraz, Semillion Blanc and (surprisingly) Merlot Cabernet. Branden and I were the true freeloaders who drank as much as we could, and didn't buy a single bottle. Sorry H.V.


4. Jenolan Caves

The details: I've been obsessed with caves since I was a kid, so of course I loved it. Caves are just amazing, and this one was definitely cool. The sights were epic, and there really is nothing that compares to the darkness in a cave. I would love to do a more adventurous, lamp-on-the-head sort of cave tour someday. [perhaps in 'nam?]





5. The Blue Mountains

The Details: Beautiful. [Although, completely different from the Rocky Mountains I was used to a few months ago.] These ones are very green, but have gorgeous cliff sides. Best part was the old rail ride down to the bottom of the valley - over a 45 degree angle, and the driver played a little soundtrack from Indian Jones to make it even more exciting.

6. Cliff Walk - Bondi to Coogee Beach

The Details: Most amazing beaches. They are all cut back into these coves with cliffs on the side, and soft, powdery sand. The cliff walk along the beaches is a definite must. Although there is a footpath for the less adventurous, Branden and I ventured out on the rocks and even completed the last leg of the climb solely on the rocks on the edge of the water - with waves crashing. Epic does not begin to describe.

Other sights were the Sydney Central tower, the Harbour bridge, the Opera house, Darling Harbour, and of course lots of time spent at the various beaches. Although we haven't venture too far from Sydney yet, we rented a camper van and are driving up the coast to Cairns - heading out Dec 20th. Should be a hell of a trip!

For more touristy pics check out my facebook and flickr