We started booking in May, so prices were still okay. We planned to do a lot of exciting and expensive activities so we were on a budget for our flights and lodgings. For the flights, we booked Scoot for Singapore to Sydney return and Jetstar for Sydney to Cairns return, making it a total of slightly more than $1000 per person. For accommodations, we booked Travelodge Sydney for Sydney and Sunshine Towers for Cairns, both costing about $100 per night.
Day 1 - 20 Jul 2016
Our flight was at 1am Singapore time, and we landed at 11am Sydney time. We spent HOURS at the airport trying to buy sim cards though, because the queues for both Vodafone and Optus were super long. We ended up just getting the Vodafone simcard from the convenience store WHSmith and buying the MyMix plan online. I had brought my laptop but Travelodge Sydney doesn't provide free wifi, so I bought the biggest data plan - 12gb for $35 which also includes 120min of domestic talk time. A pretty good deal in my opinion. The network set up quickly but the mobile data wasn't working, which was really frustrating. We also bought the Opal card at WHSmith.
So after about 2 hours in the airport, we headed out to the busstop to take bus 400 to Bondi Junction then change to the train network. But we were stupid and took the bus 400 that was going in the opposite direction. It was really terrifying when getting lost is the first thing you do. And our data networks weren't working so we couldn't even check online or the GPS or anything!! Luckily, we asked someone on the bus and she told us we could drop off anywhere with a train station and take the railway, which was what we did, taking the train from Campsie to Museum station, from which Travelodge Sydney is just a short walk away.
So after checking in, the first thing we did was to go to the Vodafone store at the World Square mall to get our mobile data working. FINALLY.
It was raining that day which was extra annoying too. Anyway, we finally could start touring the place. We walked along the streets of Sydney first, and came across the prettiest Mcdonald's ever.
We were very amused to see so many Asians there, but we later realised it's because this place was just next to Chinatown. We continued walking towards Darling Harbour and crossed the bridge with some pretty views, but unfortunately grey skies.
And then we headed towards The Rocks and Circular Quay. By then, the sun had set, so we only got pictures of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the dark.
Dinner was at Glenmore Pub, a place we found online. The view was pretty, with the Opera House and the waters, and the food was really good.
Day 2 - 21 Jul 2016
Probably the most exciting day, cos we were going skydiving!!
It was still raining when I woke up at 3am so I was really worried and we called the skydiving center at 7am to ask if it was still ongoing but they said it was so we headed out towards the pick up point at George Street, and walked past Central.
We were early, so we grabbed breakfast at the cafe in Wake Up Sydney Hostel and then finally the bus arrived. It was a pretty long ride to Wollongong, and all the way there I just kept staring at the sky, praying for the clouds to clear.
Upon arriving at Wollongong, there was a quick registration where we submitted our indemnity forms and then we were told to gear up! Since it was winter, we were provided with pants and fleece jackets so no worries about getting cold up there.
We had to board the bus again to the airport, and then off we went into the skies! Omg that 20min or so in the plane was terrifying. I was severely re-evaluating my life choices and my legs were trembling so bad. We were being hooked up to our instructors then which was slightly reassuring, but still, I kept asking myself why did I do this to myself. After a seemingly never ending ascent up to 14000 feet, the door of the plane opened and the first jumper was already hanging from the plane. Poor girl haha she was hanging out there for quite awhile! And then off they were!
I was up next and I only had to put my legs outside the plane for awhile before I was off too.
And omg, the feeling of freefalling is just indescribable. I highly recommend everyone to try it at least once.
I was just overwhelmed at the speed and intensity and the adrenaline rush. Oh and it was still drizzling when we jumped so I went through a cloud and it was quite painful lol! It's like having water thrown at your face.
After awhile, the parachute was deployed and the ride slowed ALOT and I got to enjoy the sights. Wollongong is at the beach so the sight was quite pretty, though slightly marred since it was drizzling. The landing was smooth and I just couldn't believe I just jumped out of a plane. Would definitely do it again if I have the chance to.
After the jump, we went back to the holding area to wait for our pictures and the shuttle back to the city. Then we realised the shuttle would take about 2 hours to come so we went to enjoy the view at the beach and get some food to eat at the cafe.
By the time we arrived back in the city, it was about 5pm. Our first stop was Paddy's market, which turned out to be like a pasar malam filled with Asians, so that was disappointing.
We then headed to Queen Victoria Building and The Strand to see if there was any shopping to be done but nope, they were all branded goods which I wasn't interested in. I did get chocolates from Haigh's and Koko Black though, because I recognised them from my trip to Melbourne. They were pretty expensive but nice! I think I ended up spending about $40 on chocolates on the trip.
We took the train to Circular Quay to get dinner at Pancakes on the Rocks, which is apparently quite famous. We each got a pizza and shared the vanilla & chocolate pancakes. The food was good but my appetite while travelling is really poor so I often couldn't finish my food :( Usually, when I travel with my family, we would order 2 or 3 main dishes for 4 people and share, but I couldn't do it this time so it was torturous trying to finish those huge portions.
Day 3 - 22 Jul 2016
Spent this day at the Blue Mountains!
We woke up really early to catch the train to Central and change to the line heading towards Mt. Victoria. It was a 2h train ride, but pretty scenic.
It was FREEZING when we reached. Ok, not literally, but super cold and windy. And then somehow while I was putting on my jacket, everyone else that alighted from the train disappeared lol. It was pretty early in the morning so the shops in the town weren't open yet.
We opted to walk for 30min to Echo Point, which is the lookout for the Three Sisters. The walk was downhill and fairly easy with the help of Google maps, but the town was really deserted.
Sense of accomplishment when we finally reached :)
It was so so windy I was holding onto my phone super tightly because I was so scared it would get blown off. Even I was getting blown off by the wind. Took a gazillion pictures of the Three Sisters and the mountains from many different angles, then decided to not walk down the Giant Stairway because it would be a struggle getting back up.
There was a tourist center where I got some souvenirs and also asked how we could get to the place where the rails and skyways were. So we took the public bus to Scenic World, which is the central point for all 3 rides - Skyway, Cableway and Railway. It was $39 for unlimited rides on all 3 so we got that. We started with the Railway, which is the steepest funicular in the world. But the seats are diagonally placed so you don't actually feel the steepness. It was quite fun though!
So we ended up in the forest and chose the shortest walk (10min) to the cableway. While walking, we saw a bunch of tourists (I think they were from China) singing hymns in the forest. My friend and I were both horrified. Goodness.
Anyway, we took the cableway which brought us back to Scenic World, and then we took the Skyway across again. Now this is when the mess started. We intended to take the bus from the opposite station but the bus NEVER CAME. Furthermore it was really windy and started to drizzle so it was really torturous waiting there. After waiting for almost 45minutes we decided to just take the Skyway back to Scenic World since it's more central. But there were a bunch of people cutting our queue and we were cut off from boarding that particular Skyway, so we missed the bus back. My goodness.
But it may have been a blessing in disguise because we were the first on the Skyway so we chose the best position to see the Katoomba Falls!
So we had to wait for the next bus! And then the bus was late so we missed the 3:14pm train back! I was so devastated when I saw the train pulling away from the station. We intended to take the 2:14pm train but ended up taking the 3:44pm train.
By the time we arrived in Sydney CBD, it was almost 6pm so we headed for dinner immediately. We ate at bonafides cafe. I got a prawn risotto which was really good but the serving was too much, as usual. The hot chocolate was less impressive though, as it was really milky and I like my hot chocolate thick.
Day 4 - 23 Jul 2016
Our last morning in Sydney! We woke up really early again to pack and check out, then take the train to Macquarie University because we wanted to try the freakshake at Vogue Cafe, located in Macquarie center. The journey took almost an hour. Actually, the time spent on the train itself was fairly short. There's just a ton of time spent waiting for the correct train.
I got these cute mini burgers and they were awesome! I think this was the first meal of the trip I finished.
My friend and I each got a killer shake - she got Nutella while I got Oreos. It was really good but I couldn't finish this because I already really full by then and it's really thick. Still awesome though! And so aesthetically pleasing :)
After our awesome brunch, we took the train to Circular Quay to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the day for the first time since the previous 2 times were at night. It was GORGEOUS. I was so glad we were so insistent on coming back to see it in the day. Love the blue skies.
Oh and it was really really windy this day too. Had so much trouble walking in a straight line.
We went up close to the Opera House and realised it was tiled and not made of metal plates LOL.
After that, it was time to go back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and head to the airport. To take the train directly to the airport, it costs $16, so we stopped at Mascot station and took bus 400 instead. Our fare ended up being almost free because everything except the last bus ride was considered a transfer lol. I was very pleased with our money savings.
Had to walk from the Qantas terminal to the domestic terminal with our flights and I bought check in baggage this time since I was sure I couldnt make the 7kg limit. Our flight got delayed though because the airport was crowded, so I had plenty of time to nap.
That's all for Sydney! The Cairns leg of the trip in the next post!