marinegirl

Sydney was really cool… freezing in fact! I can’t believe how much I’ve acclimatised to living in North Queensland. We must have looked very funny, as Rich was sweating in shorts and a t-shirt and I was shivering in my jeans and a jumper!So, we could hardly go to Sydney without doing the tourist thing. We decided not to climb the bridge… it costs a fortune, and they don’t let you take your camera! For about $15 you can climb the ‘South East pylon’ and get great views of the harbour from there, so we did that instead, which I think was a good choice. We then went for a closer look at the Opera House, which really is an impressive building. Up close it’s all tiled, which I don’t think was what I was expecting! We also took a ferry across the harbour to Taronga Zoo, which was lots of fun. We liked the fishing cat and platypus best. We did stop short of having photos taken cuddling koalas though. Aside from the ’sights’, from what we saw of Sydney it looks like a great place to live. My housemate in Townsville originates from there, and if we’d eaten at all of the restaurants on the recommended list I think we would have had 6 meals a day! The places we did make it to were absolutely fantastic though. Longrain (a thai-oz fusion affair) was one of the best meals I’ve ever had i think. The decor is ultra-trendy, with long communal tables (we ate at the bar), and the service was top notch - our waiter recommended these amazing ‘betel leaf’ starters… I have no idea what was on them, but they were magic! The soft-shelled crab and crispy barosa chicken wotsit were spectacular too. We also had a lazy brunch at Bills, which is famous for breakfasts, for good reason. The sweetcorn fritters with roast tomatoes, spinach and bacon kept us full all day! But I’ll shut up now, because this is becoming a list of what I ate!We stayed at a place called the Wattle House, in lovely suburb called Glebe… all cafes and bookshops. The Lonely Planet billed it as ‘backpacking for grown ups’ - technically it’s a hostel, with shared bathrooms and a communal kitchen, but it’s beautiful! An old townhouse with a fantastic big kitchen, and a library and a little garden and teddy bears in the rooms! Definately recommended.