Let's Go Sightseeing!

You can read Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Now was the time for a few days with my friend G & her spouse M in Sydney. There was confusion over my transfer to the airport. It was booked for Tullamarine while my flight was from Avalon.

Finally, I was in Sydney. It is a city that had captured the imaginations of many people my age. This is thanks to its portrayal in movies like Dil Chahta Hai & Salaam Namaste.

Did you know – The nicknames of Sydney include Emerald City & Harbour City.

Day One in Sydney

After reaching G & M’s home, I dozed off for a couple of hours. Then, we stepped out to take in the sights & sounds of Sydney. We first headed to the Central Business District (CBD).

The CBD or city centre is referred to as ‘Town’ or ‘the City’. It saw skyscrapers being constructed early 1960s onwards. Its north-south thoroughfare is George Street.

Macquarie Street is a precinct. It houses buildings like the State Parliament House. It also includes the Supreme Court of New South Wales. At a fountain with lifelike figures of animals, I saw the first Ibis of my life.

We walked towards the Circular Quay where I glimpsed a sight of the symmetrical Harbour Bridge. It is a neighbourhood for tourism & consists of walkways, pedestrian malls, parks & restaurants.

Circular Quay is located on Sydney Cove. This was the site of the landing of the fleet from Britain in the 1700s.

Nicknamed the ‘Coat Hanger’ because of its design, the Harbour Bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle & pedestrian traffic. Its pylon holds a museum and tourist centre.

A lookout at the top provides views across the Harbour and city. From every angle, the Harbour Bridge looked lovely.

When I turned to my right, I spotted a landmark of Sydney. No, not just Sydney, but Australia – the Sydney Opera House. At that point in time (2012), this structure defined Australia.

Every movie shot in Australia had the Sydney Opera House in some frame or another. But, even today, it is the most popular visitor attraction. It was also a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign list.

The Sydney Opera House, resembling a series of shells, was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in the 1900s. Walking towards it, we glanced at the long showcase wall of an ongoing exhibition.

Climbing up the stairs, we got a stupefying view of the harbour. The promenade made me think how lucky it would be to go for a morning run. I also imagined enjoying an evening jog or a night walk there.

Standing back & getting a panoramic view of the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House, I felt great.

We walked back to the Circular Quay & caught a ferry to Manly. Typically, where the ocean meets the land, the water is muddy but here, it was winningly clear. The cleanliness of the wharf was very good.

As we left, clouds began to gather. The inside of the ferry was clean, comfortable & large. It is a common form of public transport for Sydney locals.

I grabbed a seat outside and kept noting the tiny bits M pointed out to me. The water looked tranquil, but the wind did freeze me to my bones. I looked back at Sydney.

I caught the Sun playing a dazzling game with the Harbour Bridge. The Sun also shone on the Opera House.

Once we reached, my thoughts of rain subsided. We plunged headfirst into a Chocolate Fondue at Max Brenner. It sent me to a different world altogether. Croutons, marshmallows & strawberries dipped in molten chocolate – yes please.

What a place… What desserts! Max Brenner changed the very definition of dessert. Interestingly, because its origins are Israeli, pro-Palestinian activists have organised protests outside its outlets in the past.

Manly has a reputation as a tourist destination. This is due to its attractive setting on the Pacific Ocean. It is also easily accessible by ferry. We walked down the shopping arcade with its outdoor cafes but, more than those, abstract art attracted me.

We then headed to the Manly Beach. It was quiet and had more seagulls than humans. Like I’d seen before, the birds refused to fly away even if we stepped dangerously close to them.

Just as we retraced our steps back to the wharf, I spotted the statue of Governor Arthur Phillip. You can spot it as you emerge from the station & look across the road, slight left. It stands in an alcove in the building.

The clouds still loomed when we took the ferry back. While a sunny day would have been dreamy for photography, I was just blithesome it hadn’t rained.

We walked back to the CBD. I marvelled at the brick buildings. They stood proudly amongst the new glass buildings. I saw the National Bank of Australia building that is heritage-listed.

While waiting for G, we took a leisurely stroll and saw a dumbfounding sunset on the George Street. This Street is also considered to be the ‘first street’ in Australia.

The trees were bereft of leaves and the whole winter evening made for a cool outing.

Day Two In Sydney

The next day, G, M & I headed to Clovelly to walk along the ocean. This is a bay, beach & suburb rolled into one. It is home to the world’s first surf lifesaving club, the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club.

At Clovelly, the clarity of the water was superb. A small natural pool had formed; I imagined how families would take dips in this in the summer months.

We had planned to walk all the way from Coogee to Bondi. But, we woke up late. Due to miscellaneous other obstructions, we ended up just strolling near Clovelly.

The Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk (or, more popularly, the Bondi to Coogee) is six kilometres one-way. It takes approximately two to three hours. It is, unfortunately, unsuitable for prams & wheelchairs.

The Clovelly stroll turned out to be as well. Cliffs & drops brought out the brave hearts in us. Hillocks made us step stones & climb to the highest of spots.

The view from the top was tremendous. The ocean shimmered against the blue sky. On such a clear day, you can see for miles & miles. Both the coastline and the ocean seemed never-ending.

We clicked ourselves endlessly here, at the top. Even mock poses of jumping off the cliff. On one occasion, I sat near the edge. This action sent G&M into a tizzy. I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders.

But please do note, be careful here. very careful. Falling from here means certain death. The rocks will rip you apart. Back then, in 2012, the number of travellers was limited & there was no selfie/ Instagram craze; now, God knows!

We continued our walk. We arrived at the Waverley Cemetery. It was made hugely popular by the movie Dil Chahta Hai. It is cited as being one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world.

What a place for a final rest with an ideal view of the ocean! In keeping with the sombreness of the place, we tried to be a little less crazy here. Instead, we stood on a platform & counted all the colours we saw on the coastline – brown, white, green, blue, grey, black, rust, mustard yellow…

Being with G also meant we talked lots, catching up on everything under the Sun. Finally, I walked up the incline in the Waverley Cemetery. I clicked a couple of snaps for memories. I was careful not to disturb those who slept.

We restarted our walk along the ocean. The coastline was dotted with the houses of the ultrarich which we only sighed at! Another small natural pool was being used by those learning scuba diving.

I wondered how chilled the water must be! Seeing the divers jump, I shivered. I chose instead to focus on every imaginable shade of blue being on show there.

I rate the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk a five on five.

That evening was reserved for attending a South Asian festival where G was participating in a fashion show. The cultural evening had been arranged by the council.

South Asia came to life with dances from Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and, of course, India.

Day Three In Sydney

On my last day in Sydney, we made a journey to the Jenolan Caves. Dating back to 340 million years ago, it is the oldest known & dated open cave system in the world.

The Jenolan Caves network follows the course of a subterranean section of the Jenolan River. I was looking ahead to exploring the caves, getting over fears & marvelling at nature.

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as we reached was the great avifauna there. I was exultant seeing a Crimson Rosella who didn’t seem to be affected at all by my proximity to it.

The Crimson Rosella has multiple alternate names. These include Red Lowry, Pennant’s Parakeet, Campbell Parakeet, Blue Mountain Parrot, Blue Mountain Lowry, or plain Lowry.

The Crimson Rosella was truly photo savvy too. I shook my head and then looked around – the Jenolan Caves were so stunning!

We got our passes. Then, we walked towards the section known as the Lucas Caves. We planned to explore that area through a guided tour that day. The Caves were absolutely dark, delightful & deep.

My excitement couldn’t be contained. For some, the caves can also cause apprehension if you are claustrophobic. Take deep breaths. Try to think of the beauty you’ll see inside.

Take the plunge with an open mind. You will be pleasantly surprised with what will unfold in front of you.

While we waited for our tour to start, we spent some time around. The expanse humbled me. So goodly was the rockface up close that it didn’t fit in a single camera frame. I’d to shoot it using a vertical panorama.

Beyond the caves, I also spotted a placid water body. And then, out of the blue, a cute wallaby sprung a surprise on us. Having seen the kangaroo & the koala earlier, I was blithe to see another marsupial of Australia.

Soon, we began our descent into the Lucas Caves. The chambers were filled with natural pillars, invitingly glowing with artificial lighting, & mysterious holes that were cordoned off.

We walked along the narrow passage silently; I was too dumbstruck to utter a word. We saw a structure that looked like fossilized jellyfish. We saw stunning stalactites threatening to pierce us with their pointy ends.

A sublime rock structure reminded me of a church organ. Opposite it was what looked like a staircase. It seemed as if a ghostly bride would be there any moment.

We saw a rock that looked like a shawl, finished with delicate, silken folds. We saw a structure that looked like a rhinoceros’ head. We also chanced upon crystal deposits.

We saw a topping rock waterfall and a rock resembling a preaching monk. Then, we arrived at the main attraction – the Broken Column – but which wasn’t broken in any way.

A stunning stalactite & an equally stunning stalagmite had developed exactly opposite each other. They hadn’t grown enough to meet, forming a column that looked as if it had broken in the middle.

Being in the middle of nature, all my geography lessons began to pop into my mind. I really wish geography is taught taking students on field trips rather than sitting in classrooms.

As I mulled over this thought, I was left gaping at another sight. Right at the pit of the Cave, we saw a sparkling body of water. And then, rocks lit up in different marvellous colours.

This was our sign to turn back towards sunlight and we began our ascent. Even now, if I close my eyes, I can see those handsome rock shapes and feel the textures.

I rate the Jenolan Caves experience a five on five.

Back in the city, we frolicked on the Bondi Beach. I was to leave the next day. It is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia. Helpfully, with the off season, the world’s most happening Beach was empty.

This gave me moments to relax and take in its grandeur. A last cup of Hot Chocolate at Lush On Bondi capped off an adventurous day.