My 2012 - 2013 Australia travels

I am a born and bred Capetonian, who has had the opportunity to travel extensively. Let me begin with my most recent travel experience to the place "Down Under" called Australia for the December 2012 to 2013 festive season. It was a great choice to make. I visited Sydney and resided in a beautiful suburb called Panania.

Though Sydney is populated by Asians, there were still so many similarities I could relate to, to my hometown Cape Town. For one, the weather was everything and more like Cape Town. 

But getting back to the logistical parts and the very obvious differentiation was the great accessibility of the transport system in Sydney. How reliable and safe it was to travel during the day or night and not be too concerned about your safety.

Now I enjoy socialising, but when most Capetonians hear the words "club" their automatic image is probably that of drinks at a fancy bar, club beats pumping and men and women dressed to the nines. And given yes, there is that club culture in Sydney, but what was a major difference was that when many people spoke about clubs, they were referring to a community environment where slot machines, restaurants and lucky draws take place. It was surprising that slot machines were everywhere to be found, even in the smallest restaurant.

From a sightseeing perspective, the memorable moments for me included taking a ferry from Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach. Manly beach being on the Upper North side of Sydney, felt like a completely different country, almost like a Miami meets Cape Town vibe and energy. Tanned bodies walking around and people sitting along the sidewalks sipping their cold beverage and having a good chat with friends.

Standing on top of the tallest building in Sydney called Central Tower which revolves and having a panoramic view of the city was breathtaking.

It has always been a dream of mine to either see or hold a Kaola. Low and behold, my childhood dream was materialised. Due to regulations in Sydney, people are not allowed to hold Kaolas, but people are allowed to touch the Kaola under supervision at the Wildlife Sanctuary based at Sydney Harbour. 

If there was one activity that I wish I had the opportunity to do, it would have been the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb better known as the "The Hanger". The climbing option times were a dawn climb, an afternoon climb or a sunset climb. People should keep in mind that if they do decide to do the Harbour Bridge climb, that alcohol tests are done for precautionary measures and for your own safety.

Within the harbour, I did a sunset cruise and what an experience that was. Gliding on the calm waters of the harbour, the sunset and the sky was lit up with fantastic fireworks, a prequel to what residents and visitors would experience on New Years Eve.

Now Sydney is known for its spectacular fireworks display. It is watched by millions across the world. So you might think, that I would be one of the millions standing in line on New Years Eve morning to get the perfect spot on the Harbour's edge. Alas, I chose a less tiring option and celebrated with family at their house.

Three weeks spent in Sydney travelling through the small, quaint towns, experiencing the friendly culture of people, visiting malls where I was surprised to see a vending machine that sells Havaianas beach thongs of all things. Yes, you read correctly, beach thongs.

The Havaianas vending machine in a mall.

A tip to any traveller would be to not continually work out the exchange rate in your  head, whenever you make purchases as this would just make your potential shopping experience a daunting one.

Choosing to spend my festive season of 2012 into 2013 in Sydney, Australia was one of the best choices that I could have made in a long time.

Be sure to read more of my previous travelling experiences...The fun, entertaining and spectacular ones!