Sydney

Arrival in Sydney

Arrived in Sydney with my travel companion on a Fiji Airways flight from Nadi (where we had arrived from Tonga). At the airport we change some money into the local currency and take the train to Paramatta station. A serious mistake, because in reality we don't need to go to Paramatta but to Paramatta Street. We only realise the error after arriving at Paramatta Station and after throwing away about 11 euros each. We take the first train that will bring us back to Sydney, getting off not at the airport but at Central station. From here, after some difficulty finding where the buses depart from and after buying the ticket, we take the bus that in just two stops takes us right in front of our accommodation. We could have been here an hour earlier. In Sydney it's not possible to buy a single bus ticket; you need to use a card loaded with a minimum of 10 Australian dollars.

Each leg costs about 2 euros regardless of the kilometres travelled, but this means that every time we change, the credit goes down. Luckily we'll later discover that after two top-ups and a certain number of trips made, you no longer pay. The Parkview Hotel is located opposite a public park; it's in an ideal position for reaching the main attractions by bus, but it has no lift and our room is on the second floor and has no windows. As had happened in Brisbane a few days earlier, my friend's credit card doesn't work, so we're forced to change money again at a nearby exchange office. After checking in and settling our bags in the room, we take the bus to the Port Jackson area to see, illuminated by a beam of eggshell-coloured light, the famous Opera House, the city's symbol. Captain Cook considered this the safest anchorage in the world.

Now it's a very touristy place, from which ferries constantly depart to reach the other side of the bay, connected by land by another Sydney icon, the metallic Harbour Bridge. After a short walk along the wharves, we take the bus back to the hotel. To reach the bus stop we have to walk for about ten minutes up a sloping street among gleaming skyscrapers and old Victorian-style houses with exposed red brick. The bus drops us a few steps from the hotel, where we retire for the night.

Port Jackson

Today I'm not feeling very well but I still try to go out. I woke up early and while my travel companion is still in bed I take a walk around the hotel. We're in an area of restaurants and cafés; they're also setting up a little market inside a school courtyard. I go back to the hotel, then with my friend we take the bus that in four stops arrives at the point from which, with a walk, you reach the Port Jackson area. We saw this harbour last night with its night lights, and today we look at it by day, though not with the sun, because the sky is grey. The sea conditions aren't optimal either, and that's why it won't be possible to do the mini cruise to look for blue whales. We go to see the Opera House up close. As time passes, my malaise increases, so I prefer to go back to the hotel by bus and my friend follows me. I'll stay in bed all day without eating.

My travel companion will obviously go out, especially to have dinner in the evening.

Darling Harbour

This morning I'm definitely feeling better, so I go out with my travel companion to take the bus to Darling Harbour, which is even closer than Port Jackson. Here too, to get there, once we get off the bus we have to walk a not very long stretch, a stroll among elegant Victorian buildings before entering the harbour area. Darling Harbour has been redeveloped for leisure and recreational purposes; it's a modern area where tourists and locals come to spend hours of relaxation. This morning, which is a beautiful sunny Sunday, many people have chosen to spend a few hours here. After all, there's the play area for children, the modern drinking fountains with potable water, numerous restaurants and attractions. Unfortunately we have to definitively give up the mini cruise to spot blue whales because the sea is rough this morning too.

While my friend goes to lunch at a restaurant, I buy the card that will let me visit the attractions of Darling Harbour. I enter the Sea Life Aquarium, a beautiful place where you see thousands of sea creatures of all shapes and sizes. There are both coral reef fish and deep-sea ones. Part of the route runs inside underwater glass tubes that allow a perfect view of sharks, sawfish, giant sea eagles and even a dugong. The best of the colours bursts forth in the reconstructions of the coral reef, where fish with bright colourings swim among anemones and sea tomatoes. There's also a small amphitheatre opening onto a large screen from which you can observe hundreds of fish. A must on a visit to Sydney, absolutely not to be missed, especially for those who aren't divers.

I had arranged to meet my friend after an hour on a bench near the entrance, and I go to tell him I'm continuing with the other attractions. I enter the wax museum, where many figures are reproduced life-size and realistically, from those who made history here, like Captain Cook, to local sports champions, from movie stars to show-business ones, from Australian television stars to some world political leaders. I don't love this kind of attraction, but since it was included in the ticket I took advantage of it. I then go to the zoological pavilion, a covered area where the animals live in meticulous reconstructions of their habitats. Australia's endemic animals are present, and so I have the chance to see kangaroos, koalas, cockatoos, platypuses, wombats and Tasmanian devils again.

I arranged to meet my friend at the hotel, so after leaving here I walk to the bus stop and take the bus to go to the Parkview. Here I wait in the lobby for my travel companion, and when he arrives we collect our luggage (we had left it in storage in the morning) and, using the bus, go to Central Station. We then take the modern train that quickly leads to the airport. We check in, make the last small purchases to use up the remaining change, and wait for the plane at the gate. From here we take the Etihad flight bound for Abu Dhabi, where we'll change for Rome.