For us Europeans (or for me at least...), going to Australia is a special thing, something big, it's quite hard to go further from home (well, besides New zealand next door and some remote pacific islands or Antarctica) and I know quite a few friends or colleagues for whom a trip down under is the dream. I still feel extremely lucky (especially during the COVID19 lockdown) to have been able to include not one, but two stops in Australia during my sabbatical leave last year, the first one at the beginning of January 2019 (this post), with the visit of the south of the country (Few days in Sydney, a week in Tasmania and few days in Melbourne area) and the second trip towards the end of my adventure, early April with the region of Perth, the red centre and finish with a couple days in Sydney. The reason for this split is that I did not want to visit the red centre in January, where temperatures are unbearable. Likewise, January in Tasmania is just one of the best seasons to visit, while going there in April might not have been that good.
Sounds quite a luxury indeed to include Australia twice in a round the world trip from Europe, and I was able to do so thanks to the fare rules of my MH cheap business class ticket form KUL, allowing me to (virtually) stay up to 3 months in Australia for the same price, and also thanks to the great use of some Alaska airlines miles (transferred from my Marriott account, points coming from my Amex membership rewards account ) to get me back to Australia from the US on Cathay Pacific, in first class luxury, for only 75 USD... Combine this with a great use of BA Avios for domestic flights in Australia on Qantas and I ended up travelling on the cheap, but in a very comfortable fashion across the continent country !
It was actually my second time in Australia as my first time was in a kind of mini-vacation/mileage run in 2018 which I partially reported on FT here (and I still hate myself for never having been able to finish that one !). I was only able to stay a few days in Sydney and a couple days in Melbourne at that time, before heading to Japan for Sakura. I was able to visit at that time the Sydney opera, the botanic gardens and a couple museums in the CBD.

January in sydney is traditionally very warm, but this time, the temperatures were bearable, around 30 degC (unlike the previous year in March where I had 40 degC+ in the city !) and I started my day by walking around Darling harbour (did not go there during my previous trip) and visit the interesting Australian maritime museum (Free entrance, besides some temporary exhibits and the visit of a few ships on the harbour).




Good day Sydney ! from the Holiday Inn Potts point


Tumbalong park, next to Darling harbour


Darling harbour, went there for the first time on this trip




Ferris wheel on Darling harbour




The HMAS Onslow on Darling harbour, part of the Australian maritime museum


Inside the Australian maritime museum

After a refreshing beer in one of the neighbourhood pubs and being in Darling harbour, it was easy and relatively cheap to catch one of the ferries from there to have a view of the city from the bay, I loved the feeling and like cities which offer different types of public transportation than conventional buses, trams or subways !






Harbour bridge


View of the opera house from under majestic Harbour bridge



I wandered around the historical district of the Rocks at the end of the day and ended up at the observatory hill for the sunset...



Dali's artwork near the contemporary art museum


The rocks historical district


"First impressions" sculpture symbolizing the origins and settlement of the first colony.








Sunset view from the observatory hill


Sydney by night...

After a restful night, I headed towards world's famouns bondi beach and walked quite a bit along the ocean until the afternoon came and I had to leave for the airport... I certainly enjoyed the intake of Vitamin D !


Bondi beach


Bondi beach


Oppossum is back !






On the coastal walk between Bondi and Bronte beach.


Bronte beach

I eventually came back in Sydney 3 months later, under different weather conditions though. While I enjoyed my short time there, visiting the city was certainly not the main reason for my trip to Australia, but being one of the main gateways to the country, spending a couple days there is a must. Next time, I would love to visit the Blue montains area located a couple hours away from the city.