12th February to 23rd February 2023

Going on holiday as just the two of us without our children felt strange to start with, like a leg was missing or something, but we very quickly adjusted to it.

We were very fortunate to be offered the use of a spacious apartment in Manly that turned out to be the icing on the cake of a lovely holiday.  Not only is Manly a nice place to be – upmarket with nicel eateries and lovely beaches even if very expensive – but we had more freedom than if in a hotel, saw more than if we’d been based in Sydney as originally planned, and had the great pleasure of the 20 minute ferry ride to and from Manly Wharf and the city’s Circular Quay; what a spectacular jouney even when cloudy and amazing when sunny.  Coming round the headland to see the Opera House in the distance to the left and then a few seconds later the span of the Harbour  Bridge never lost its magic.  Was I really here, in Sydney?  Yes I was!

We moseyed around, had nice breakfasts, lunches and dinners (no kangaroo meat though, but we brought some home to cook for the family), met friends including one and his wife made through being a colleague of Steve’s, visited the Taronga Zoo as well as parks and gardens, and took a long bus ride to Palm Beach and a ferry to the deserted island of The Basin.  Here we had the privilege of being completely alone (nobody else on the island) with 15 very well behaved wallabies for an hour until the ferry came back for us.  We ate delicious meals, drank fine wine and sumptuous coffees and spent time simply resting and enjoying a much slower pace of life.

There was also the wedding to go to that took us to Australia in the first place, a trip to Hunter Valley vineyards and climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge but we’ll post about these separately. It also felt surreal to meet up with Steve’s goddaughter and her parents for the first time in a couple of years, on the steps of the Sydney Opera House!  Whoever would predict that?

We found Sydney to be well organised, clean and somehow calm and in order despite so many people.  It also has quite the best public transport network we have ever found anywhere.  Extensive, reliable and frequent from early to late.  Inexpensive too, and easy to blip on and blip off – ferries too – with a contactless bank card.  Rules were enforced in a good way so everyone was behaving.  I would very quickly become an Aussie – it is easy to get used to such a nice life and at least whilst we were there, lovely climate even if plenty of Factor 50 is needed due to the thin Ozone layer.   

Our biggest surprise for such a a vibrant city was restaurant last orders by 9pm and the city being dead by 10pm.  We checked in to Rydges Hotel overlooking the harbour for a couple of nights and on Valentine’s Day went out for dinner after a leisurely evening at the hotel only to end up with Maccy D! It was that, or go hungry!  The following evening, by a couple of minutes we just sneaked in to The Meat and Wine Company at the Intercontinenal Hotel for a delicious dinner; Turkish chicken kebab for me and a rare fillet stake for Steve.  Walking through the door at 20:58hrs initially they didn’t want us, but thankfully changed their mind after we explained our disappointment from the evening before and showed us to a table.

When the massive cruise ships Carnival Splendor and Celebrity Eclipse docked with 3,000 and 2,500 passengers respectively it made not the slightest bit of difference to the ambiance of the city – even if it did to something else as Steve will post later!

If you get the opportunity to go to Sydney, make sure that you do.  We don’t think that you will be disappointed.

Rennie