Right-Side Driving and the Sights Around Sydney

Since our children had three weeks off for the Christmas holiday, we chose to visit Australia, one of the farthest Asia/Pacific destinations from Singapore.  As we boarded our Qantas Sydney-bound flight at Changi airport, I was pleased to see they also offered the familiar "personal entertainment display" on the back of every seat.  I wasn't planning to watch much TV myself, but my son has become accustomed to his personal in-flight entertainment...boy is he in for a surprise when we return to domestic US travel!  As are the adults now that I remember that cocktails are not free...

Ready to board

But for now, In-Flight Golf, Scooby Doo and Madagascar 3 make these long flights a breeze for Cooper and Sophia.  They've certainly been lucky to travel a good bit in the course of their young life, but it's still surprising just how comfortable they have become with the routine associated with long-haul international travel.  The fact that they never complain about the travel time, cramped seats etc. blows my mind - though truth be told, both make it very obvious they don't like the in-flight food....but who does? (Jennifer's note:  I do!  I have liked almost every entree on international flights!)

Upon arriving in Sydney, a different sort of travel challenge awaited us... me, driving on the left hand side of the road!  Though I've lived in Singapore for nearly 10 months, I had yet to get behind the right side steering wheel of a car.  (unless you count the numerous times I've jumped in the right side front seat of a friend's car expecting it to be the passenger seat.)

The Harbour Bridge

About 20 minutes later, I had jumped three curbs, nearly ran down multiple pedestrians and clipped a bus with the passenger mirror (I'm still convinced this last one was Sophia's and Jennifer's imagination).  We also got a little lost en route ....meaning, we crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge (twice) and wound up in the Opera House parking lot without even realizing it.  Eventually we made it to our rented apartment on Central Avenue in Manly, where I was more than happy to park the car for several days before getting back behind the wheel again.

Jennifer's note:  I must interject.  He clipped a bus - really, he did.  I heard and felt it but wasn't going to mention it to him because he was so freaked out about how horribly he was driving.  Also, I couldn't waste my breath due to needing to scream, "MOVE OVER" at a moment's notice.  Then, about 30 minutes later, Sophia decides to blurt out, "Dad, you know you hit a bus back there, right?"  Ha ha ha ha. Busted!  I just hope the new gray hair I had to pluck out doesn't grow back. 

Our home for the next few days was small, but offered plenty of room for the four of us, including a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bath and a small patio with amazing views of Manly Beach.  There was also a roof-top patio with plunge pool.  Aside from the lack of wi-fi, it was perfect (...and actually, it was kind of nice to be forced to "disconnect" for a few days).

Our view of Manly from the patio

Manly Beach

Our view at night

After taking an overnight flight from Singapore, we were happy to just enjoy the beach our first day in Australia.  Thankfully, it was literally steps away from our rented apartment.  Fortunately, our visit was for 16 days, so we didn't feel an instant need to sight see.

FREEZING cold Manly Beach water

Eventually, we began to explore Manly and it was pretty much what I expected it to be.  A very casual atmosphere, a ton of surf shops, bars and restaurants, and lots of blonde hair.  At the beach, the kids enjoyed the *freezing* water while Jennifer and I enjoyed the warm sun and sand.  There were a lot of people on the beach, but considering we were visiting during the "summer holiday", it was nothing compared to the crowds that I've become accustomed to on the east coast of the US.  Cooper and I also took a short walk and found some local wildlife as well as several other beautiful beaches just around the corner.

Over the course of the next few days, we really got to know Manly...at least as much as you can in a short visit.  We found a favorite spot for breakfast (and free wi-fi), with good, spicy bloody marys, as well as a small local bakery for those mornings when we didn't have time to sit down and eat.  We tried multiple restaurants for lunch and dinner - some we really enjoyed (The Manly Grill), another we really didn't (Watervue)...and of course the kids were happy to find several ice cream shops for snacks before we headed back to the apartment and bedtime.

Sunset in Manly Cove

A favorite spot for us was the Manly wharf.  There were two restaurants we really enjoyed at the wharf.  One was a very casual place called the Manly Wharf Hotel (it's not a hotel).  I think it's known as "the Wharfie" around town.  It's situated directly on the wharf with great views of Manly Cove and seems to be a very popular spot for locals to grab a drink or bite to eat after getting off the inbound ferry from Sydney.  Here is where Jennifer and I first became familiar with Australia's "do it yourself" way of ordering food and drinks - whereby you place your food and drink orders at the bar, collect a tiny table flag, then take your seat and wait for your order to be brought to you.  No waiters or waitresses to tip (you don't tip in Australia regardless) and when you're done eating, no waiting for your bill.  It was actually very convenient!

The Wharf dock outside the Bavarian Bier Cafe

The second place we really enjoyed was the Bavarian Bier Cafe.  It offered a great selection of beer, as you'd expect - but what we liked most was its location on the wharf, right next to the swimming beach.  It was the perfect spot for Jennifer and I to sit and have a beer after a long day of sightseeing, while the kids played on the beach and jumped from the dock into Manly Cove only a few steps away.  The fact that every bartender in the place was 6'2" or taller and looked like an Abercrombie model probably had something to do with why Jennifer liked it as well...whatever, the beer was good, so what do I care? (Jennifer's note:  well, the drool on the table was probably annoying.)

View from Bavarian Bier Cafe

Jennifer ate fish & chips everywhere

Of course, we did leave Manly now and then.  After all, we didn't fly all this way to sit on the beach, drink beer, and ogle bartenders - the city of Sydney awaited only a short ferry ride away.  (Jennifer's note:  speak for yourself.)  We spent the better part of three full days in Sydney itself - though we could have spent much more time exploring everything in and around the city.  (I guess we'll have go back....I hope)  The highlights, in my opinion, were the Coffee Cruise, the Taronga Zoo and simply walking around Circular Quay and other parts of Sydney Harbour.

The Coffee Cruise (offered by Captain Cook Cruises) was recommended by one of our American friends in Singapore (thank you Vander Vennets!).  They lived in Sydney for a while and had this among their list of "must dos".  Not one to turn down advice of friends, we hopped on board the Coffee Cruise, which launched from Circular Quay.  Departing at 10:00 am, the cruise offers coffee, tea, juices, etc. and a small selection of pastries - and takes passengers for a two hour tour around Sydney Harbour.  It's a great way to see most of the key attractions in the harbour and hear some history, but the main attraction is the pithy commentary from the tour guide who both educates and entertains throughout the journey.

View of Sydney from the zoo (Sophia's in the pink hat)

No surprise to most of you, the Taronga Zoo was a must see for us.  Our animal lover, Sophia, would have it no other way.  Luckily, we all typically enjoy a day at the zoo and our day at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney was no exception.  To start the day, Jennifer and the kids reluctantly joined me in the car for another white knuckle drive through Sydney.  Admit it Jennifer, I was significantly better this time around.  (J: marginally)  We were met at the zoo by a co-worker of mine, who graciously gave us the complimentary SAP Corporate zoo pass...saving us more than $130.  (the Taronga Zoo is expensive! Twice as expensive as the Singapore Zoo).  The zoo housed the usual characters:  giraffes, lions, elephants, monkeys etc. as well as special "local" exhibits full of snakes, kangaroos, wallabies and koalas.  What made it a truly unique experience was the view of the Sydney Harbour, Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city in the background.  It's not every day you see mountain goats climbing on rock formations with that view in the background.

Cooper was so amused that a sea lion was named Cooper!

View of Opera House from the Harbour Bridge

While the views of Sydney from the cruise and zoo were amazing, I have to say my favorite parts of our visit in Sydney were our walks around the Harbour and surrounding streets.  We had beautiful weather - not always bright sunshine, but that was actually nice because it offered cooler temperatures than what I've experienced in the past 10 months.  It made long walks more comfortable and allowed us to enjoy the city without sweating to death (i.e. every day in Singapore).  Circular Quay (a quick ferry ride away from Manly) was always our starting point, from which we ventured out and about.  We visited the Opera House and took the obligatory photos of the kids on the steps (of course).  SPOILER ALERT - the Opera House is actually not a flat white as it appears in photographs.  It's actually more of a grey color with a waffle-like pattern on the "sails". 

Australian Heritage Hotel

After visiting the opera house and having lunch in its shadow, we headed towards the Botanic Gardens...but never made it.  Instead, a friendly Aussie gentlemen stopped us and encouraged us to walk the mile or so from Circular Quay to the Harbour Bridge where we could walk to the middle and get a great view of the city.  Again, not one to turn down friendly advice, we made the walk - and it was well worth it.  In addition to the view from the bridge, it took us directly through an area called "the Rocks"- so named because the original buildings (constructed shortly after colonization in the 1780's) were made largely of local sandstone.  The area was historically a slum, often frequented by sailors and prostitutes, but these days it's a quaint tourist area full of shops, restaurants, bars and expensive real estate with prohibitive conservation restrictions. Here we found a great little restaurant at the Australian Heritage Hotel where we could sit outside with a fantastic view of the Harbour Bridge.

After five days in Manly and Sydney, it was time to head to Melbourne to celebrate the holidays with our friends, the Vogers.  We were all very anxious to see our old neighbors, but were also a little sad to leave Manly and Sydney behind.  In fact, Jennifer and the kids all shed tears as we left the apartment in Manly and packed our things in the car...but in hindsight, maybe they were just afraid to get back in the car with me for another (J: terrifying) ride through Sydney and to the airport.  No problem.  By the time we got on the road toward the Sydney airport, I had figured out the whole right side driving thing...just in time to take on the winding, clifftop drive down the Great Ocean Road that awaited us in Melbourne!