Sydney: Bike the Bridge, Hyde Park Loop and Fortune of War

This was by far my favorite day in Australia. Hanging out with mrC, riding bikes and just moving at our own pace felt really, really good.

We walked back down to The Rocks to a cute little outdoor eatery that we saw the day before for brunch. DARE, Delicious And Responsible Eating, serves everything gluten free. We took full advantage and ordered gluten free toast and banana pancakes with our eggs. Everything was delicious.

We earned that BIG meal after the full body workout we did at the hotel. A little warmup on the treadmill followed by arm and leg circuits then a cool down. My new Lorna Jane tank spoke for me.

After eating we walked around the corner to rent our bikes for the day from Sydney Bike Tours. In the past we have gone on guided bike tours, but this time we went on our own. The bike rental comes with helmets and maps, but we used the bike store app to download the maps onto our smartphone. They gave us a phone holder to attach to the bike and let us use a locker to store our extra belongings while we were biking.

Our first route took us over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. To me, this was kind of like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. The dedicated bike lane is on the west side of the bridge, so we could not see the Opera House, but we could see Goat Island. 

On the north side of the harbour, the bike route went by Luna Park, Australia's oldest theme park. It was closed for "filming" but open to walk around.

We rode the path around Lavender Bay past the marina to the secret gardens. We did not spot the home of the Prime Minister, but part of the bike trail was closed for construction. We had to carry our bikes up the stairs to bypass the construction. By the way, my Athleta pants were amazingly comfortable. I love that I felt sporty without having to wear tights.

Back across the bridge we stopped for a gluten free brownie that we got to-go from DARE on Observatory Hill. It was a well-earned treat after riding about 9km.

After our snack stop we continued our biking adventure picking up part of another route. We made our way down Macquarie Street to Hyde Park. Archibald Fountain was a popular photo spot.

We paused at the reflection pool at the Anzac War Memorial at the south end of the park. 

Then we made our way up College Street stopping to visit St. Mary's Cathedral. It was so big and so beautiful. 

We returned our bikes and walked to Fortune of War, the oldest pub in Sydney.

We hung out at the bar learning more about The Rocks neighborhood and tasting some of the local delicacies like crocodile skewers. They tasted like a fatty piece of chicken.

Afterwards we walked back to the hotel.

Coming up next our last day in Australia took us to the mountains.

Previous posts:

Melbourne: Exploring the City
Melbourne: Great Ocean Road Adventure
Melbourne: Puffing Billy, Wine and Wildlife

Sydney: Harbour Tour & Opera House

Sydney: Harbour Tour & Opera House

Our Australian adventure continues!

It doesn't take long to fly from Melbourne to Sydney. I arrived a few hours ahead of mrC and since it was raining we stayed close to the hotel only venturing out for a late lunch/early dinner.

We walked a couple blocks to Darling Harbour spotting the Sydney Tower and the Queen Victoria Building on the way. The QVB is home to some great shopping, or so I hear. We never made it inside. (I guess I'll just have to go back!) Darling Harbour is a tourist hotspot with restaurants, shopping, the National Maritime Museum and more.

The next morning we started with a good sprint workout at the hotel gym. The fitness center in Sydney Hilton was even more amazing than the one in Shenzhen. 

After a quick low carb breakfast at the hotel, we walked down to The Rocks, the oldest neighborhood in Sydney and literally built on rocks. We walked along the cobblestone streets and I wished it was the weekend so I could stroll through one of the famous markets selling local artist's handmade gifts and jewelry and organic food. 

On the way there, we passed a Lorna Jane fitness store. I was happy to browse the shop on George Street and pick out a LJ souvenir. A fitness blogger in LJ land has to test the local product, right?

After wandering around The Rocks, we walked along the waterfront getting our first views of the Sydney Opera House on our way to Circular Quay for our Captain Cook Harbour Cruise. 

The views from the boat were amazing. We got to see the most famous landmarks from all perspectives. If we could have a do-over on this part, we would just jump on the commuter ferry (for less AUD) and see the same sights. The narrative part of the cruise was not audible, at least from the upper deck. It wasn't worth the money.

We grabbed dinner on the waterfront at the quay, then walked to the Sydney Opera House. It's interesting to see things in person that you have only seen on television. The Opera House is much more of a tan color than the bright white it has appeared to me.

Over cocktails, we watched the sunset before going inside to see a performance by the Bangarra Dance Theater: Our Land People Stories.  

Coming up next: a bike ride and eating like the locals!

Previous posts:

Melbourne: Exploring the City
Melbourne: Great Ocean Road Adventure
Melbourne: Puffing Billy, Wine and Wildlife

Melbourne: Puffing Billy, Wine and Wildlife

Three days in Melbourne goes by quickly, especially when you pack it full of sightseeing and day tours. Since we had so much fun with Gray Line Tours on the Great Ocean Road Adventure, we signed up for another with the other Captain and his wife because we wanted to see some Aussie animals.

Day 3: Puffing Billy, Wine and Wildlife Adventure:

Sherbrooke Forest - we stopped here for another Aussie style breakfast snack and Bush Billy tea. Since we tried the treats the day before, we opted to feed the birds instead of ourselves this time. When the food tray came out, dozens of Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots flocked our way. They were obviously very comfortable around people. We also took a trail walk through the forest and stopped into Grant's on Sherbrooke, a cafe and store, where I picked up a beautiful scarf (because it was still really cold in Melbourne!). 

Puffing Billy steam train - One big highlight on this day trip was a ride on the historic steam train through the Mountain Ash forest of the Blue Dandenong Ranges on part of the original track used during the early 1900s rural development. After a landslide blocked the track in 1953, the line was closed but preserved by public interest. Eventually new track was laid to bypass the landslide and part of the line opened as a tourist attraction. Most of the men working the line are volunteers. mrC made friends with one of the conductors who rode in our car and narrated the journey. 

Louise Ferguson Winery lunch - another highlight of the trip was our lunch stop at a local winery located in the Yarra Valley. In addition to a delicious meal of Prime Aged Charolais Beef cooked on a turning spit in an open fireplace, there was wine tasting in the "cellar." After lunch we strolled around the vineyard, that even in the winter time was picturesque.

Yarra Valley Chocolatier - It was a short drive for a post-lunch sweet feast of chocolate and ice cream. We watched European Chocolatiers at work and browsed display after display of premium chocolate while delighting in spoonful samples.  

Healesville Sanctuary - the final stop of the day was a visit to see Australian wildlife. The sanctuary (much like a zoo), is home to over 200 animals in a natural bushland setting. We were given an exclusive VIP tour by an expert guide. We came face to face with koalas (but no, we did not get to hold or touch them), walked through paddocks of wallabies and kangaroos (almost got to touch one), and got up close and personal while feeding emus! We also learned a lot about Australian birds during the "Spirits of the Sky" demonstration, observed the underwater habits of the platypus, watched Tasmanian Devils, and tons more. 

Come back to see what we did in Sydney, our next stop on our Australian adventure.

Previous posts:

Melbourne: Exploring the City
Melbourne: Great Ocean Road Adventure

Melbourne: Great Ocean Road Adventure

After a great day exploring Melbourne on our feet, we signed up for a day tour. mrC and I both love the ocean, so traveling the impressive coastline was an easy choice.

Day 2: Great Ocean Road Adventure: 

Gray Line Day Tours - our hotel recommended this company and after reading many great reviews on Trip Advisor, we booked our tour. The pick up location was only two blocks from the hotel, free wifi was offered on the bus and you stayed with one guide all day. Our contact at the hotel advised us to grab the upper level front row seats on the left side of the bus. Best tip ever! It is worth it to talk to the concierge at the hotel even if you decide to book things on your own.

Aussie style Bush Billy tea - our first stop of the day was a little park in Anglesea for some Bush Billy tea (tea made in a billy can) lamingtons, (in the picture below) Vegemite (popular Australian spread) and crackers. I loved being able to try out some local treats.

Memorial Arch - Great Ocean Road was built by veterans returning from World War I and dedicated to those who lost their lives. The road is the largest war memorial in the world. There is also a beach entrance here with amazing views of blue waters meeting golden sand.

Surf Coast - the first part of our ride along Great Ocean Road we saw golden sandy beaches, rolling surf perfect for surfing, and beautiful mountains meeting the water. 

Apollo Bay - We stopped for lunch in this popular holiday resort town. We had lunch at the Scorched Grill. We sat at the bar facing the front window where we could people watch and see glimpses of local life.

Otway National Park -  Another part of Great Ocean Road passes through the Otways, an Australian rainforest full of fern gullies and eucalypts. 

Twelve Apostles - They can be found at the final destination of our day tour along the area of coastline known as Shipwreck Coast. They are huge stone monoliths off the shore caused by constant erosion from waves and wind. Once part of the mainland, the erosion first formed caves which became arches up to 45m high that eventually collapsed leaving the limestone stacks standing cutoff from the shore. There were stunning views from an observation deck, but the Gibsons Steps that lead down to the beach were closed. 

Helicopter Tour - we signed up for the optional 15 minute air tour to get a bird's eye view of the Twelve Apostles plus other natural landmarks like London Bridge, Seahorse Rock, and The Sentinel. The views were amazing! The only downside was not being able to hear the pilot very well. He was describing everything as we flew by, but I missed most of it. It was still beautiful though.

Loch Ard Gorge - Named after the Loch Ard, a ship that tragically ran aground and wrecked. There were two teenage survivors, Tom and Eva, who were sheltered in the gorge before being rescued by locals.  Near the gorge are two unconnected rock pillars that have been named after the two teenagers. We were able to walk down to the beach to get a feel for how high the cliffs really are.

Coming up - our ride on a steam train and playing with the animals.

Previous posts:

Melbourne: Exploring the City

Melbourne: Exploring the City

Visiting Australia has been on my bucket list since I was a kid and I read a book about a group saving koala bears from bush fires. When mrC was tagged with a two week trip, we quickly figured out how I could meet him for part of it.

We did so many amazing things that I'll be sharing my Australian experience in multiple posts.

After arriving in Melbourne on a red-eye from Hong Kong and resting a bit at the hotel, mrC and I set out to explore.

Day 1: Sightseeing 

Degraves Street - this is one of Melbourne's best laneways featuring charming shops and cafes. It was like walking into a postcard scene and it was only a block or so away from the hotel. We popped into a tiny cafe to grab "long black" coffees to-go and then roamed the street checking out all the goodies.

Visitor Shuttle - a shuttle which allows visitors to easily hop on/off at various spots around the city. A two day pass was only $10AUD. mrC and I used the shuttle to explored as much of Melbourne as we could despite some chilly and sometimes rainy weather. We did a little pre-planning using the Melbourne website and knew which of the 13 stops we wanted to hop off and explore. Each bus offered free wifi and live audio commentary along the route. 

Queen Victoria Market - we strolled the stalls of this large open market looking for delicious produce and quirky souvenirs. It was fun to see the local items (boomerangs, Merino wool products, indigenous artwork) mixed among the usual touristy tees and trinkets. We walked away with some winter wear. Melbourne was experiencing one of its coldest winter days.

Harbour Town - we were excited to check out the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. It was as much fun as the Osaka Ferris wheel and bigger. We had great views of Melbourne while listening to a recorded narrative that described what we could see.

Southbank - we headed to the Eureka Tower for more stunning views of the city. Skydeck 88 is the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere.  

South wharf promenade - with the water on one side and a line of restaurants on the other we walked until we found gluten free pizza at World Restaurant and Bar. We'd been fasting all day and we never get gf pizza in China! It was an easy walk across the river and through the underground pedestrian walkway back to the hotel on Flinders Street.

It was an amazing first day exploring the city.

More Australia posts are coming soon!

Ever been to Melbourne?