sydney

After doing all we could with our time in Cairns, it was on to Sydney. The final stop on this whirlwind tour. Upon arrival, we walked across the Pyrmont Bridge and got an eyeful of Darling Harbor (and a mouthful of delicious dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants). The next morning it was off to the Opera House, and a tour of the interior. The outside facade is something marvelous, but it was the soaring concrete inside that really got me. I'm huge fan of Brutalist architecture, and this was just so fluid, ornate, and dare I saw delicate? Yes. Delicate concrete. Fantastic. Next was a walk over to The Rocks, and a stop-in at one of my favorite places in the city, the Museum of Contemporary Art. So much fun. Finally, we made our way to the Sydney Tower, for a high altitude lunch at 360 (so named for the fact that the restaurant completes a full rotation in just over an hour). Beautiful food, dizzying views, and a nice cap to a busy day.

Concrete, warm wood, plenty of glass, all my favorite architectural elements in one dazzling space

Wonderful little peeks of the surrounding city from inside the museum

and plenty of colorful, engaging works of art

bold color, smooth cement, bright natural light, I absolutely love this room

masses of bleached starfish, suspended in free space

and a massive, wildly colorful, intricately taped floor that everyone, young and old, was captivated by

then my favorite piece, one of the best things I've ever been a part of. A submersion into a stunningly beautiful video and music, with life-size, human shaped pillows on the floor for cuddling. Wonderful. 

And finishing our exploring high above everything, slowing making our way around and getting a glimpse of the truly gargantuan spread of the city

sydney to melbourne

Twelve hours on the train. Worth every second. I was content simply listening to music and watching the country roll by. First through the rambling Sydney suburbs, then out to never-ending farmland. Mile after mile (or kilometer after kilometer) and hour after hour of green hills, trees, and all sorts of grazing animals. Cows, sheep, horse, alpaca, goats, you name it, they were out there doing their thing. And quite adorably. There's something comforting about a pastoral scene. An expanse of green, a smattering of trees, a barn, a silo, the animals. You could be anywhere in the world. Except for the one instant when you look up and see a kangaroo hopping through a field of sheep! Think I terrified my whole carriage by slamming against the window when that happened. And then they all had a good laugh at my expense. Everyone wins!

Took way too many pictures like this in my excitement in watching the animals go by. Hello iPod reflection!

Loved seeing all the thoughtful details and character of the old country rail stops

bondi beach

Ready. Set. Tan.

Previously noted: I ♥ Bondi. Truly. Madly. Deeply. And please tell me someone recognizes that 90s throwback!
Slept in until about 8, then walked up the street to the organic grocer. Had a banana chai smoothie for breakfast, and picked up an apple, banana, and bottle of amazing peach-apricot kombucha to feast on at the beach. And that's where I stayed for the next 6 hours. When I first walked onto the sand just after 8, it was nearly empty. Though the water was chock full of surfers. By the time I left around 2, it was the other way around. There were so many people laying out, building sand castles, practicing tai chi, there was barely enough room to pick up my things and head out without throwing sand all over someone. The beach itself is quite small, though truly beautiful. A short crescent of light sand, bookended by cliffs and reef.
It was amazing to sit and watch the surfers, listen to the locals, and watch the onslaught of tourists try to take pictures in and around the water without soaking themselves. One large group of Asian men were prancing around in full business suits! And I'm sorry to say I overheard some Americans complaining about the overall European vibe (read: clothing optional and men in Speedos). Really, if the sun is shining and the waves are crashing, what can you fault at the beach?
There was synchronized, laughter-inducing apple-eating with the girl laying out next to me. Several conversations with surfers, mostly about their desire to get to San Diego and it's environs for some Beach Boys style surfing. Plenty of kids running around with their bare bums out. And just a general air of conviviality. A genuinely lovely day.
After washing all the sand off, I was ever the party-pooper due to having an extremely early wake up call to catch my train to Melbourne. Took myself out to an early dinner and had a wonderful Balinese curry and salad. And some sticky date pudding for dessert. Love sticky puddings! Walked it all off around town, and found that once you get off the main streets full of shops and restaurants, Bondi looks pretty much like the version of New Orleans at DisneyLand. Imposing almost beaux-arts style houses all lined up, shadowed by huge trees. Not bad at all. Also popular: old stained glass windows, and plumeria trees. They were everywhere! Haven't seen so many, and so huge, since Hawaii. Impressive.
And my favorite thing about this wonderful town, besides the beautiful beach, is the beach walk. A winding, sometimes steep, always precarious path carved into the cliffs. It goes on for about six miles apparently. I only did about one mile before it started getting too dark for comfort (don't want to lose your footing on this!). But man alive, was it jaw-dropping.

Beach feast. And a terrifying sci-fi read from the hostel library

Hello!

You can never have enough surfers

There's also a great place called Icebergs on the beach. A fun restaurant, bar, and swim club. I loved their sea-pool. They always make me think of a happy few days spent in St. Malo, France when I was 16. Le mieux!

The night's forever young, it's us that gets old

At a lovely sculpture garden on top of the cliffs

Plumeria and stained glass. Killer combo.

Just an eye-catching cactus. Little bit of pretty.

Looming rocks hanging over the path

Breath-taking view on the beach walk

Stopping to take it all in

Graceful lines in the cliff face

I'm sad that I didn't have more time here, but now that I know how wonderful Bondi is, I'll definitely be planning a stopover next year. Or possibly sooner if the opportunity arises! Friendly, welcoming, accepting, all with the constant soundtrack of the waves? I'm addicted.
And not to mention the beautiful hostel I stayed in. Reserved a private room (I am carrying my entire life with me, and want to be as safe as possible), but enjoyed spending time with everyone there. Morning tea on the roof deck overlooking all of Bondi, always a fun conversation begging for an addition, a book exchange filled with truly great reads, getting lost and helping each other navigate the huge maze of a building, foreign language practice, and, most importantly of all- it's spectacularly well kept and CLEAN. Yes, please. Thanks ever so much.

Not too shabby a location, eh?