Enjoying Sydney

A few days before we left Charleston, we were having a couple drinks with our friends Brad and Mae (currently scheduled as our first visitors to Australia this July), when Brad brought to our attention to the fact that we would not be settled again for at least 4 or 5 weeks. This consisted of another week and a half in the states spent moving out and visiting family as well as finding a place to live in Sydney. Thanks to some good luck, it only took about 3 1/2 weeks from that night to finally feel settled in Sydney, although it felt like much longer. Needless to say, when the time came to sit back and relax on the couch, we were more than relieved.

It was now time to really start enjoying the city we had worked so hard to get to. And so, on our first free weekend we headed out early Saturday morning for a 9.1k bushwalk from the Spit Bridge to Manly Beach. This nature walk hugs the harbor as it winds its way through countless overlooks granting amazing views of the harbor and Downtown Sydney. The beginning of the walk passes some high-end homes overlooking the water before traversing through more remote areas including beaches, cliff overlooks, a lighthouse, a rainforest, a national park and eventually the Manly Wharf and Manly Beach. The most incredible part of this walk is how much prime real estate is protected green space. Despite being in the heart of the biggest city in Australia, it's easy to feel like you're a hundred miles from the nearest town. That is until you turn the corner and come face to face with arguably the most beautiful harbor in the world framed by Downtown Sydney. And then, a few more steps, and you're back in the rainforest passing giant walls of exposed rock far removed from the civilized world. Eventually you round the corner and see Manly Wharf in the distance. The remainder of the walk takes you by the wharf, before heading through the bustling streets of Manly to a spectacular beach. Relative to the well known Bondi Beach, Manly is more of a locals hangout. This is not to imply that Manly is a quiet little beach community. It isn't. There are countless shops, restaurants, bars and lots and lots of people. It is a city beach. That being said, Manly has not been overdeveloped with high-rise hotels, condos or kitchy surf shops every ten feet. Rather, Manly is a beach community with lots of character and plenty to do. It is a great place to spend the day.

Over the next couple weeks, we began taking a long walk nearly every night after work. We quickly discovered that Sydney has parks and bushwalks everywhere. For example, one mile from our house is Balls Head Reserve, a large forested area that was formerly home to a local aboriginal community. Like the walk to Manly, sections of Balls Head Reserve feel like they are in middle of nowhere, while other sections provide incredible harbor and city views. There are several trails that traverse the ridge of the reserve giving you elevated views. In fact, Sydney is full of these types of parks. Literally, they are everywhere. In the North Sydney area, there are roughly 7 peninsulas jutting down into the harbor. As expected, the best views of the harbor and the city are at the tip of each peninsula. However, instead of developing these areas with homes, 5 of the 7 tips are public spaces. And they are amazing. There are so many parks, that is easy to find yourself all alone at an overlook witnessing one of the best sunsets you have ever seen. This is exactly what happened to us One evening at Balls Head Reserve. The sunset over the harbor was phenomenal (pictured above), and we were able to enjoy all by ourselves. This truly is a great city.