Old Friends, New South Wales
There’s a scene in the movie “Swingers” in which a group of Los Angelenos who had decided to go to a night spot proceeded to travel the very short distance by car, each one driving separately. Somewhat comparably, in Sydney, my buddies Kerry and Phil and I decided to make the historic “Rocks” area our homebase but each booked a separate hotel.
Kerry and I stayed in hotels on historic George Street, the very first street of the very first colony that ultimately became Australia. Phil, the jetsetter, who moves around the globe like a satellite transmission, stayed in one of the posh high-rises in the central business district about a three-minute walk from George Street. We made Phil’s hotel (The Marriot) the usual rendezvous point with Kerry’s (The Russell) as a back-up. Mine (The Mercantile), which is also the liveliest pub on George Street, served as the place to grab an end-of-the-day pint.
Our stay in Sydney lasted four nights. While there, we stopped by the iconic Opera House, hiked up and over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, poked around the Police and Justice Museum, ascended the sky tower, peeked into the stock exchange headquarters, visited Bondi Beach and Manly Beach (Phil and Kerry barely qualified for the latter), ate at two different amazing restaurants (both of which overlooked lap pools), and walked through Luna Park.
Right now we’re on the road to Byron Bay. I’m at a hotel lobby computer and pressed for time. Here are some shots for your viewing pleasure: George Street (from Phil’s window), the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, Kerry in his wicker pod, Phil being Bondi (but not manly), the Sydney skyline, and the Opera House and Bridge together (ooh).
Tags: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel
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