Sydney

A group of 10 of us went down to Sydney for the weekend. We took the 3 hour train ride on Friday afternoon and arrived in Sydney around 6pm. We were all starving, so we got a quick bite to eat (I bought a hamburger) before we headed down to see the phenominal Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We walked along the peer the whole night admiring these two REALLY AWESOME structures.

We also headed to Minus 5 "The Coolest Experience in Sydney" Ice Bar. Everything inside of the bar was made of ice. It was $30 to get in the bar for 30 minutes. They had to provide mittens, boots, gloves, and a parka! =) It was a blast; even the cups and chairs and walls were made from ice. Also, there were cool ice sculptures inside. My favorites were the chandeliers and the penguin!

After the bar, we headed back to our hostel (Wake Up! about a 35 minute walk from the pier, or as it is called, Circular Quay) for the night.

The next morning, the group headed to Circular Quay again. This time, we took a ferry across the water into North Sydney. We ate lunch there before walking back to the quay across the Harbour Bridge.

After walking, the girls went to the Rocks District to do some shopping. I bought the BEST grapes in the world from this little fruit stand. =) While Kathryn and Ashley did some shopping, Courtney, Shannon, and I walked around and explored all the beautiful parks. We went to Hyde Park where Parade officials were setting up for the Mardi Gras/ Gay and Lesbian Parade that was to take place that night. After buying a snow cone, we walked back to the hostel for a siesta. =)

When everyone got back and was rested, we headed out to dinner at Darling Harbour. We ate at a cute restaurant on the water and watched all the boat in the marina. After dinner, we headed towards the parade. Before we could even get to the start of where the parade was going to be, we were stuck in a huge crowd. The streets were so crowded and nobody could move anywhere. After 10 minutes of being stuck, we pushed our way out and had enough. There was no way that we were going to get to see any of the parade. Disappointed, we headed back to the pier to see the Sydney Opera House again before heading back to the hotel.

Our last day in Sydney, we decided to head towards east Sydney to see the rest of the parks. We went to Hyde Park again and took a picture in front of St. Mary's Cathedral.

We also explored the Domain and the Botanic Gardens. We also visited Farms Cove before heading back to take the train home.

Overall, Sydney is a wonderful city; it is not crowded or dirty by any means. It is so beautiful!! I am already excited to head back again sometime next month for another weekend of exploring. Kathryn and I are already planning to see Manly and Bondi beaches, getting a tour of the Opera House, going to Paddy's Market, and walking along George St. where all the cute shops are.

=)