Sydney; a hyper energetic marketplace of the soul

 

February 2013

We left Bali and her tranquillity behind with a little pain in our hearts. Going to Sydney, the city known for the loud, uncompromising and “in your face” mentality. We flew with Scoot airlines to Sydney, what was a very surprising experience of a low cost carrier. No luggage included in the fare and rocking up at midnight to check in, learned us that trying to travel with 80 kg’s of luggage cost you a fortune of excess fee’s. I had to get my negotiations skills out, paid cash and next time “book your excess luggage ahead!

Highfield hotel, Victoria street, Pott's Point

As budget travellers, we stayed in the Highfield hotel in Victoria Street, Potts Point. One block away from the "roughy toughy" area of Kings Cross. Our street was lovely and besides the shared bathroom facilities, which really needed a thorough clean and paint touch up, we were happy with our little room with even a fridge.

Of course we started with the icon of the city: The Sydney Opera House. The inspiration for the design of Danish architect Jorn Utzon, were billowing sails. Architect Louis Kahn said “The sun did not know how beautiful its light was, until it was reflected of this building”.

Sydney Opera House

Sydney is a beautiful city, with lots of outdoor enjoyment. Parks, Botanical Gardens and the beaches. I remember when I visited Sydney 16 years ago, that I thought “I want to live here”. Sydney has it all; the city buzz circles around the huge harbour with outdoor activities and boating. Unfortunately me being over 30 years old; no way to get a work visa, so not easy to fulfil this dream.

 

The Rocks, the old part of Sydney, were he sailors and whalers, joined the convicts and inns and brothels sprang up to entertain them. Today it is Sydney’s cultural and historic heritage with unfortunately a lot of tourist traps. Gazing at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 134m high and 53.000 tons of steel.

The Rocks and Sydney Harbour Bridge

Australian Museum

 


With so many things to see we choose the Australian Museum as first to visit. A natural history museum, with skeletons of dinosaur, giant wombats and video projections of snakes, spiders, crocodiles and all these dangerous creatures, you wish you will never ever see on your “outback tour”.

Indigenous Australians

Most interesting for me was the exhibition about the aboriginals, the indigenous people. Aboriginal history and spirituality with their dreamtime stories. The snake is of great significance. The rainbow      serpent is regarded as the creator of life and created the rivers land and the birds and the animals. But also the sad story of the Aboriginal right issues, their stolen land, used for sheep and cattle stations and “the stolen generation” where the children of the Aboriginals were moved from their parents. And till today the aboriginals fight for their freedom. There will be a 2013 Referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution.

 

 The museum of contemporary art has been raising the most open minded eyebrows because of her controversial exhibitions. We went to Taboo with a lot of work about war, discrimination and sex which even made me as Dutch free liberal spirit sometimes astonished and ashamed.

Australian history & crime against the indignuous people

Self portrait as a narcotic from Jenny Watson

Shocking exhibitions

Sydney on Valentine’s Day. What a dream: Ti Amo (I love you) written for us in the air, a champagne tapas dinner at the Opera kitchen and a performance “la Soiree” in the Opera House. Finished off with midnight drinks and the view of the Opera House by night.

I love you

The Sydney food experience is changed from the colonial meat and two vegie culture, and changed into a food culture with star chefs, food festivals and a multi cultural kitchen. We tried the wonderful fresh fish from the fish market, the siphon coffee from Antidote (best coffee in Pyrmont), Chat Thai (make reservations ahead) .

Coffee culture Antodote

 Harry’s cafe de Wheels an institution since 1938 and foto’s of special guests who ate here (Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken).


 The beach is an essential part of the Sydney experience. Join the bronze & beautiful, watch the surfers and eat an ice cream. Just hop on the ferry to Manly and half hour later you can stick your toes in the golden sand.

Manly Beach

Sydney, what a wonderful city! Next blog we will sail and see Sydney from the water.

Ahoy Charlotte