Another Christmas in Australia in 2018

This was my second trip to Australia in the last two years, but the third time I visited this beautiful country.

My flight to Sydney, Australia was a direct flight from Vancouver, BC, Canada. I left Vancouver, BC at 8:00 PM on Monday, December 17^th, 2018 and landed in Sydney at about 6:00 AM on Wednesday. It was a 15-hour flight.   (Good luck trying to work out the math here. Just remember the time difference.)

This trip was a little different from my other two trips to Australia as I generally skip Sydney and explore other towns and cities. This time around, I spent more time in Sydney than other places. Sydney is at its best in the summer months.

Wild Australia

Australia has a fantastic array of local wildlife, from the ubiquitous kangaroo to harder-to-see native animals such as the Tasmanian Devil and hairy-nosed wombat. Aside from the wildlife that is native to Australia, there are many zoos in Australia that house other animals like tigers and lions that are not native to this land.

These white lions are massive. I should have recorded a video of these creatures fighting or even playing.

The two I fed are twins, so they love each other until food is brought in. We were lucky that they were up and playful. Lions tend to sleep too much, so sometimes you never know what you’ll get when you go there.

Feeding these guys was a joy. I didn’t realize how big they were until I was up close. These are the biggest of all hyenas.

Hyenas or hyenas, from Greek ὕαινα hýaina, are any feliform carnivorous mammals of the family Hyaenidae /haɪˈɛnɪdiː/.

The African wild dogs or, African painted dogs, were a treat. They stay in a pack and take care of each other. They are highly social animals, living in packs with separate dominance hierarchies for males and females.

Unique among social carnivores, the females scatter from the natal pack once sexually mature, and the young are allowed to feed first on carcasses.

Duetting with the tallest animal in the world. The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristic is its extremely long neck and legs. It is classified under the family Giraffidae with its closest extant relative the okapi. They feed on leaves, fruits, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most herbivores cannot reach.

The Sumatran tiger is a tiger population in the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

This population was listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2008, as it was estimated at 441 to 679 individuals, with no subpopulation larger than 50 individuals and a declining trend. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct.

The fastest mammal on land, the cheetah, can reach speeds of 60, or perhaps even 70, miles an hour over short distances. The coolest thing about this cheetah in the picture with me is that he is being raised with a dog his age.

He thinks he is a dog and believes they are brothers. Apparently, this is a common practice with cheetahs that have no siblings. They pair them with a domestic dog their age. Opposites do attract because they love each other, and they are so different. The dog is super hyper and wants to play non-stop. The cheetah wants to sleep as most big cats do.

Until this experience, I had never seen a sun bear before. Sun bears are the smallest species of bears. They have short black/dark brown water-repellent fur, with a yellow crescent on their chest. They have strong paws with naked soles and long sickle-shaped claws.

They have flexible snouts and very long tongues, which are an adaptation for extracting termites from nests. Relative to their size, they have the largest teeth of all the bear species. The canine teeth are specialized for tearing meat, but sun bears are not particularly carnivorous.

The Tree Kangaroo

A Tree Kangaroo. These guys are hard to find.

The wallaby is a small to medium sized marsupial found on the Australian continent and its surrounding Islands

Dingos - Don't let that cute doggie look fool you. Dingos are wild dogs and very smart. Dingoes are medium-sized, with broad heads, pointed muzzles, erect ears, bushy tails and red to yellow coats. They have longer muzzles, longer canine teeth and flatter skulls than similarly sized domestic dogs. Dingoes are carnivores, commonly feeding on kangaroos, wallabies, cattle, wombats and possums.

Wild Sea Life - Scuba diving with sharks in Sydney, Australia

White Rhinos

White rhinos are one of my favorites after the tigers. The white rhinoceros, or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), is the largest species of rhinoceros. They have a wide mouth used for grazing and are the most social of all rhino species.

The white rhinoceros consists of two subspecies: the southern white rhinoceros, and the much rarer northern white rhinoceros. The northern subspecies has very few remaining individuals, with only two confirmed left in 2018 (two females; Fatu, 18 and Najin, 29), both in captivity. Sudan, the world's last known male northern white rhinoceros, died in Kenya on 19 March 2018. With no males left, we can only assume that these last two females might be the last remaining.

Beach Time

Bondi Beach

Bondi beach is becoming a tourist Mecca. The beach is loaded and packed on Christmas day and around Christmas day. If you are in Sydney during Christmas, you probably want to avoid going to this beach on Christmas day unless you like a crowded beach.

Beach Time is always the best time

With its golden sands, parks, and blue waters, Sydney’s Bondi Beach is still one of the most famous beaches in the world.

Manly Beach

Waiting for a good wave in Manly Beach

Manly Beach has vast open stretches of golden sand and is key to the development of Australia’s surfing & beach culture. It is the aquatic playground for many of Australia’s surfing champions. This is slowly becoming my favorite beach in Sydney. The day I decided to go surfing in Manly was a very windy day.

Beach Time is always the best

The currents were strong, and it was not the best day to surf, but I still gave it a shot. It was dangerous, but I still managed to get some good surf even with the rough waves and strong currents.

This is where the first world surfing contest was held in 1964.

Mollymook Beach

Surfing in Mollymook

I know I wrote an entire blog about this coastal town and the beach. It is my favorite beach in Australia, partly because it is one of those beaches where the waves seem always to be good for surfing and it was where I learned to surf, I love surfing here.

Other Attractions

The Sydney Tower Eye (Often referred to as the Sydney Tower by Sydney-Siders) seemed to be the perfect place to begin this trip. The day was perfect with breathtaking views across the city. I got into the city in the morning, and the early morning is indeed the best time to check out Sydney from about 1015 feet above the city grounds, with views stretching out as far as the eye can see in all directions.

Bush Walk

Bush Walk

The Sydney Bridge Climb

This would feel like something someone (Moi) that is about to have a knee surgery should not be doing, but I have to tell you, this is something you should do in Sydney if you have the time. It is very popular, and it took me two tries to successfully do it. The first time, I was denied because I had been drinking and everyone is given a breathalyzer before the climb. I did not make the first try. I was close to not making it the second day because I had been drinking again, but luckily, I ate so much that day, the climb was in the evening, and I had been hiking all day. I guess that helped.

The view from the top of the largest steel arch bridge in the world is breathtaking, and a must see. The Bridge Climb is on Cumberland Street in the historic Rocks, a stroll from either Circular Quay or Wynyard train stations. From the top, you can enjoy this beautiful city and beyond, including the iconic Sydney Opera House, the gorgeous harbour surrounding, the spectacular Blue Mountain, and the Government house sitting on the knoll overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Farm Cove.

The climb itself is not hard, but the stories of its construction can be scary. I was not too worried about the climb. After all, only 16 people have died on this bridge, and this was during construction (I think).

The view from the top of the bridge

Interesting fact: The bridge was constructed starting from both ends, and the engineers, without computers or equipment as advanced as today’s, managed to somehow calculate the measurements almost to the centimeter and only missed by 8 when the two sides met in the middle.

Blue Mountains

There are still places on the mountain where you can spot some wildlife, although most of the wildlife have been possible driven away from the tourist industry. The best place to see kangaroos on the mountains is definitely by the Jenolan Caves Cottages, near Jenolan Caves. This is one mountain where you should not rush if you visit.

There is so much to see and do. If you like hiking, then there is plenty to be done here. Take your time and enjoy this massive mountain. It could take you two days to see everything. You can camp or rent one of the many hotels and bed and breakfast that are around. We stayed in this town called Katoomba, which is a few feet from the mountain.

If you are driving, follow the brown signs. Brown signs in Australia lead tourists to all the national parks or tourist attractions.

The best of the Blue Mountains include the mighty Three Sisters rock formation, the expansive Jamison Valley, the Wentworth Falls and the Leura Cascade (Leura Cascades are a lovely set of waterfalls with some bridges just below, allowing walkers to get up close to the creek.

Three Sisters, Blue Mountain

The area has a nice feel about it and is quite cool in summer. Much of the track near the cascades have handrails, and the bridges are fenced).

Rock Climbing

Canberra

This is not just the capital of Australia, but it also has one of the highest concentration of Kangaroos in the country. You will want to drive fairly slowly when you are leaving the city and pay attention to the road signs that warn you of kangaroos in the area.

Although there are Kangaroos everywhere in Australia, and most people think they are everywhere, hopping down the streets of the city like you will see in some YouTube videos, they're harder to find than you think.

Mollymook

Mollymook is located only minutes from the harbour port of Ulladulla and historic rural Milton. These three areas complement each other with their unique features and ambiance. The surrounding districts offer an abundance of nature's delights with spectacular scenery, forested mountains, and numerous fascinating waterways. Mollymook is best known for its excellent surf beach of sweeping clean sands and clear waters and its neighboring lush green golf course. You can read my blog about this coastal town, and you will get a feel for why I love it so much.

Botanical Gardens, Sydney

I spent a few hours here while in Sydney. I was particularly interested in catching the sunset in this part of Sydney, so I didn’t explore the exhibits.

I just love this picture I took from the Botanical Gardens in Sydney

Mrs. Macquarie's Chair (also known as Lady Macquarie's Chair) is an exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench on a peninsula in Sydney Harbour. It was hand carved by convicts in 1810, for Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales. The peninsula itself is named Mrs. Macquarie's Point and is part of The Domain, near the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Rocks

The Rocks is one part of Sydney I really liked to go to and just enjoy the history there

Let’s go back in time; The Rocks is essentially the birthplace of modern Sydney. It evolved in 1788 from a rowdy, raucous settlement of convicts, soldiers, sailors and street gangs into a thriving, modern precinct. You will see some of Australia’s oldest modern buildings in this area.

By the way, Australia’s oldest profession is fishing. The aboriginals have been fishing thousands of years before the Europeans made it there.

'The Rocks' is a popular place to stay and visit, with a range of accommodation, attractions, funky bars and restaurants, and Australia’s oldest modern pubs. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD).

This is not a place, but I just thought this plant was a miracle plant. You can find one just outside what is said to be the oldest modern building in Sydney. (Another building and now a plant in The Rocks.) The Wollemi pine’s genes have already survived over millions of years, multiple ice ages, warming periods, the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humans. The finding of this plant has been a topic in science. I am not aware of anything on earth that is older than this plant. It was found about 120 miles away from Sydney. This plant had been missing for over 150 years before it was found. Yes, it is a miracle.

George Street

If you’re ever in Sydney, you should go to George street and walk around. I enjoyed my time here. It was Sydney's original high street and remains one of the busiest streets in the city center. It is about 1.8 miles long and connects a number of the city's most important buildings and precincts.

King street (another busy road and a must-see) is right next to George street. You should also visit this street if you are in Sydney, especially on the weekend.

Opera House, Sydney

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

North Sydney

I was not sure if I should add this or not, but I have to say, if you want to capture the sunset in Sydney, then this neighborhood has some good spots. North Sydney is a suburb and the major district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, Australia. North Sydney is located about 1.8miles north of the Sydney central business district.

The Bars and Wineries I Liked

Cupitt Winery – With spectacular views of rolling green hills and vineyards, Cupitt winery is the place to visit.

Checking out the grapes

The friendly, professional and attentive staff were efficient despite it being a hectic Christmas day. Suggested wines matched the food perfectly. We were looking to have a table outside in the shades because this particular day was very hot.

Opera Bar

Situated at the edge of the water, Opera Bar is often described as the best beer garden in the world. Be swept away by the panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and beautiful Harbour.

Whether it’s breakfast, a lazy lunch, a pre-show dinner date, or merely a cocktail, Opera Bar is truly perfect for any occasion.

The Hero of Waterloo:

This bar in The Rocks opened its doors in 1843. If you like history and you like to drink, then make sure you check out this spot. Ask them to take you to the cellar and tunnel if they can and learn about the history and some of the ghost stories. This pub has been operating for well over 170 years.

The Watson bay hotel is a great place to finish your day if you have been hiking or touring Sydney. You can have your dinner and drinks and relax here.

Palisade Hotel and Bar – This place is also a nice place for some food and drinks.

Glenmore Rooftop Bar – Ask anyone how to get to Cumberland. If you are coming from Circular Quay, you will have to walk westward and then you will approach these stairs that will take you up to what will be Cumberland Street. This was the easiest way for me to get to the bar. Cumberland Street is an elevated street, from there you will be able to make it to the bar.

Fortune of war – The word on the street is that this is the oldest pub in Sydney. And like all the old pubs, hotels or buildings, it is in The Rocks. This is one of those pubs that I would not have been allowed to go in, just a few years ago (maybe even last year… lol). How can a bar last that long while most of the bars in Tacoma, WA can’t operate for one season without closing?

Is this the oldest bar? I have heard other bars claim to be the oldest. Regardless, it is still an ancient bar, and it is impressive that it is still open today.

Conclusion

My last and final day in Sydney. Just in my room and wishing I could stay longer

Each section of this blog could be a blog on its own. I thought about that, but I just wanted to capture this in one shot. This is a private blog for my friends and not for everyone. There is so much of this trip that I have not mentioned, but I have managed to capture much of the unique experience in this blog. I also visited very many restaurants and pubs while I was there, but I only include the ones that I thought were unique.

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