Australia Part One
Sunday August 30, 2009 in travel |
Although I’d heard horror stories about the nineteen hour flight to Australia I can safely confirm that it was a breeze. Twelve hours from Heathrow to Singapore is dulled by video on demand, and a menu of Star Trek, Watchmen, The Boat That Rocked and In the Loop made it literally fly by. Less attractive was the amount of babies on our flight, who were less impressed with the in-flight entertainment.
Singapore is a brief changeover, allowing for smokers and those in need of a more quality toilet. The flight from Singapore to Sydney is a mere six hours, hardly anything for those now seasoned in long haul flights, although I made this part of the journey hard for myself by having a glass of wine and attempting to understand Scorsese’s The Departed. No matter. Before I knew it we had landed in Sydney.
Despite being ripped off by a taxi driver, my impression of Sydney was not blighted. It’s a beautiful city. Just emerging bleary eyed from the Australian winter, the mornings are cool and sunny with days of brilliant sunshine and clear blue sky. And no insects to annoy, this really is my idea of a perfect winter. Our hotel was well situated, within walking distance of the harbour and we took in the obvious Opera House and ferry tours, where the Aussie guides relished in their terrible tales of shark attacks. True, there hasn’t been a fatality from a shark attack since the early 60s, but there have been plenty of what I’d describe as near misses, such as the diver who lost a hand recently (or a foot, or both – depending on who you listen to).
As with all my visits to major cities, I seek out the highest buildings – in Sydney’s case a rather impressive sky tower that offers an amazing view of the rather attractive surrounding area. The aquarium is also worth a visit, and if you’re feeling adventurous I also recommend a trip out to the Blue Mountains (renewing its fame recently with the saga of the lost British backpacker).
Alas my time in Sydney was all too brief, but there are greater adventures to come…