Since New Zealand, i've been all the more keen to travel and explore....to the point where working on a lousy paper seems like such a chore as it is taking away from my travel time (I've got to snap back into reality!!!). Nonetheless, I've been able to do well in classes, and at the same time, knock a few more thing off my bucket list this month. The weekend after getting back from break, me and a buddy went down to the city to walk around and explore the city a bit (I go into the city usually a couple times a week...and I still always love checking out the sights). We ended up wondering through many of the same places I have been before, but it never gets old just walking around the city...Darling Harbour, Paddy's Market, Chinatown, George St...it's always fun! Anyway we ended up meeting a few of my buddies from the University of Sydney at the Octoberfest event at the Rocks. The Rocks is the old historical area of the city, where the convicts first settled. Many of the old buildings still remain, and its is packed with heaps of pubs, hole in the wall stores and historical attractions. Being that its location is right in the harbour, its pretty awesome and one of my favorite spots in the city. After that we all headed over to Newtown (the inner-west of Sydney) for some awesome thai food. I swear you can get the best Thai food outside of Thailand in Sydney (especially Newtown).
The following weekend, I was itching to do some more traveling, so me and a friend decided to go to Canberra for the weekend. Canberra is the capital of Australia and is about a 4 hour coach drive south of Sydney. It's got a pretty bad reputation from Aussies, as it is considered a bit of a random and boring place for a capital city (it's "heaps dull" as they would say). However, while it is definitely no D.C, I quite liked it. It is a planned city, so everything is nicely laid out. the business district is on one end, while the government houses and memorials form a bit of a triangle at the other end. Everything is very spread out, which amounts to a lot of walking, but it is pleasant enough with a lot of natural features lining the city. As we were only there for two days we stuck to the touristy things...toured parliament house, the war memorial, embassy row, etc. The parliament house is a rather new building but has a really cool design (its in the shape of a boomerang---see pic below). Its located in the center of town and offers views of the entire surrounding area. Ironically enough, while we were there they were preparing for the Queen's arrival two days later....yes, I missed possibly seeing the Queen by a lousy two days! Across the lake from parliament is the war memorial. It is a beautiful complex honoring fallen Australian soldiers. There was also a huge, and quite impressive war museum attached. Who knew Australian military history could be so interesting?! We also made a point while in Canberra, to walk by the various embassy's...including the US. Its modeled in the style of a large Georgian plantation, and was quite honestly probably the biggest embassy there! In all it was a good weekend in Canberra, and I'm definitely glad I was able to see it. However, we decided to take the long distance train back...which was a mistake. We got stuck behind a freight train that broke down...a 4 -5 hour journey back turned into about a 7 hour journey!
Overall its been a fun filled month. Traveling and exploring the sights, and constantly meeting new people...I'm not going to want to leave. In addition, we've had a few days of really nice weather, offering a glimpse into summer. I've been able to get a few days of beach in (DeeWhy and Bondi), and I even tried my luck at surfing again. Sydney has some amazing beaches, so I am excited to take full advantage of them come November!
The following weekend, I was itching to do some more traveling, so me and a friend decided to go to Canberra for the weekend. Canberra is the capital of Australia and is about a 4 hour coach drive south of Sydney. It's got a pretty bad reputation from Aussies, as it is considered a bit of a random and boring place for a capital city (it's "heaps dull" as they would say). However, while it is definitely no D.C, I quite liked it. It is a planned city, so everything is nicely laid out. the business district is on one end, while the government houses and memorials form a bit of a triangle at the other end. Everything is very spread out, which amounts to a lot of walking, but it is pleasant enough with a lot of natural features lining the city. As we were only there for two days we stuck to the touristy things...toured parliament house, the war memorial, embassy row, etc. The parliament house is a rather new building but has a really cool design (its in the shape of a boomerang---see pic below). Its located in the center of town and offers views of the entire surrounding area. Ironically enough, while we were there they were preparing for the Queen's arrival two days later....yes, I missed possibly seeing the Queen by a lousy two days! Across the lake from parliament is the war memorial. It is a beautiful complex honoring fallen Australian soldiers. There was also a huge, and quite impressive war museum attached. Who knew Australian military history could be so interesting?! We also made a point while in Canberra, to walk by the various embassy's...including the US. Its modeled in the style of a large Georgian plantation, and was quite honestly probably the biggest embassy there! In all it was a good weekend in Canberra, and I'm definitely glad I was able to see it. However, we decided to take the long distance train back...which was a mistake. We got stuck behind a freight train that broke down...a 4 -5 hour journey back turned into about a 7 hour journey!
Overall its been a fun filled month. Traveling and exploring the sights, and constantly meeting new people...I'm not going to want to leave. In addition, we've had a few days of really nice weather, offering a glimpse into summer. I've been able to get a few days of beach in (DeeWhy and Bondi), and I even tried my luck at surfing again. Sydney has some amazing beaches, so I am excited to take full advantage of them come November!
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