When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that there were actually two flights out to Sydney that day which, apparently, isn’t always the case. As a matter of fact, our original tickets showed us departing at 3 something in the afternoon. When we arrived at Sunsail at the start of our trip, they informed us that the only flight out the day of our departure was an 8:10 AM. They informed us that Jet Star has a reputation for changing flight times and not letting the passengers know. Hmm, that’s nice.
At first we were really bummed that the flight was going to be earlier out of Hamilton Island but it quickly sank in that, leaving earlier meant that we would get to Sydney earlier which meant another full day there. So 8:10 AM it was.
When we arrived at the airport, the gate attendant asked us if we were wanting to go on the morning flight instead of the afternoon flight. What? Umm, what afternoon flight? We thought the 8:10 AM flight was the only one available. Luckily, the am flight had plenty of room so we weren’t sitting in the terminal all day long – that would have been a real bummer. But obviously there is some miscommunication between Sunsail and Jet Star. Whatev. Everything happens for a reason so we rolled with it.
The flight was uneventful – which is a good thing – and, after a few dozes and another look at the same magazine in the back pocket as our flight to Hamilton, we heard the landing gear unleash. This was really our only sign that we were landing since it was so overcast we couldn’t see the ground.
When we arrived and retrieved our large amount of luggage, we took a cab to our hotel – The Grand Quay (pronounced “key”). Let it be known that all cab drivers in all countries must be somewhat the same. We almost felt like we were in America when we headed to the cab line and was shown to our cab at slot number one. I don’t know if our driver was a native Aussie but I would venture a guess that he is not. I mean, have you ever had a cab experience where the driver is a native of that area?
When we pulled up to The Grand Quay, I knew it was going to be a nice property. As we made our way out of the cab, one of the front desk attendants came out to greet us. She welcomed us and wrestled with our bags in an attempt of hospitality. I felt so sorry for her. Our bags are so heavy they barely squeak by the limit of the airlines. And, nothing against this very nice lady, but this was probably a work out of a lifetime for her. Thank you nice lady.
As we entered the hotel, we noticed how incredibly swank it was. Wow. Very contemporary with pale tones of whites mixed with glass walls so that you could easily get a glimpse of the bay from the entrance. Unlike most hotels where the front desk is an actual long desk with many attendants behind it (if you’re lucky), the Grand Quay had actual desks with two chairs on one side for the lucky guests to sit across the attendant during check in.
Everything went well during check in. Our nice lady told us about places that we should really check out. Darling Harbor, Manly Beach, The Rocks, etc. Of course, she was telling us all of this while still panting over our luggage. I am telling you, that luggage is unbelievably heavy. A round of applause to Todd and I for getting the darn things up the steps and through the hatch of the boat!
After everything was signed and buttoned up, our nice lady followed us to our corner suite on the 8th floor – suite 807. Now, I have traveled extensively over the years for work and have stayed in some very nice hotels. However, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see as we opened the door to 807. It was so amazing! I think Todd was impressed too. However, just as faux stars must do, we harnessed our pure excitement and joy until nice lady left the room. Then we went nuts and dashed around the suite looking at all the nooks and crannies that it had.
As you walk into the door, to the left is a beautiful kitchenette with marble counter tops. The first double door closet actually has a washer, dryer and laundry sink. The second single door after that is the refrigerator. There is a coffee pot, toaster, double sink and a bar area that leads into the dining area. All fixtures are very contemporary which is right down our alley.
Then, from the dining area you walk into the living area with a couch, two chairs, a coffee table and a flat screen TV. There is a door off of the living area that leads to the balcony overlooking the bay. We can see the Harbor Bridge from our suite as if it were in our backyard. This is the famous bridge that people climb to the top. From our couch you can see groups of people walking across the top of the bridge and, as it turns to dusk, you can see the flashes of their cameras.
Our bedroom can be entered by either the hallway to the left of the main entrance or through the living room. After being on a boat for 11 days, the sight of a real bed with lots of pillows and comfortable mattress is a sight to behold! There is a small desk and two closets – his and hers, if you will.
Then the bathroom! Yay! A walk in shower with a glass door, a toilet that works, doesn’t need to be pumped and won’t cause drama (long story and probably too much information for some – let’s just say that you should never take for granted how awesome a real toilet is) and a Jacuzzi tub.
View from our balcony overlooking the Sydney Harbor
Behind this building is the area called "The Rocks"
As soon as we were done gawking at our room, we decided to take full advantage of our unexpected full day in Sydney. The wharf in the harbor is literally outside of the hotel. We walked around the wharf and headed into the district called “The Rocks.” Supposedly it was the first area to be discovered in Sydney but it was primarily rocks – or something like that. But now it is a really cool area of Sydney that is our neighbor by a 5 minute walk, if that.
We checked out a couple of local pubs that had such great character. Then we checked out the street vendors. Think of 4th Ave Festival (for my Tucson mates) or St. James Art Festival (for my Louisville mates). All sorts of vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Some more interesting than others.
We ended up getting a couple of things including some macadamia oil, basalmic vingerette and a crumb mixture that you put all together for an awesome snack with bread. The vendor at this booth was very nice. Originally from England, she has lived in Australia for 40 years so considers herself a native. She gave us some great tips as to what to see while we were here. One suggestion was the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney – about an hour drive. From what it sounds like, it is the Smoky Mountains of Australia.
We also stopped and got a boomerang – which is indigenous to Australia. We were able to get it personalized so, being our cheesy selves, we had it engraved “Honeymoon 2008”. We stopped by a booth that was selling Didjeridus. These are definitely indigenous to Australia – in particular, the Aboriginal Tribes. They are “straight pieces of timber, hollow, usually with a slight taper and played like a trumpet.” I took that description out of a pamphlet we bought today. What’s really cool is that, along the wharf, there are a lot of street performers. Most of which are “tribe members” – or actors – playing the Didjeridu. It makes such a unique sound and, whenever we think about Australia in the future, I am sure that will be one aspect we will remember well. The faint sound of Didjeridus in the harbor.
After we did our shopping, we headed back to our chic duds and changed clothes. The weather here is overcast and a bit cool. Although we were thinking they were well into summer, I think we are actually hitting late spring. There is definitely a chill in the air – especially without the warmth of the sun and the crisp wind that sweeps off the bay. Think Chicago.
We headed back out after a change to warmer clothes – not wasting a moment in our room. We wanted to keep moving. We headed to the lobby bar for a beer or two. The bar fits with well with the rest of the hotel. Very contemporary, bright, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbor (some of which are half open). The seating is a mix of clean lined, contemporary couches and tables with highboy cocktail tables.
After our first stop, we headed out to experience the nightlife at some of the local pubs in The Rocks. We weren’t disappointed. We ended up at, what we later found out was called, The Mercantile Hotel. We sat towards the back of the bar next to a sound stage that was in the process of transition between bands. We ordered a couple of beers from the bar – James Squire Amber Ale. We also ordered the very popular appetizer in Australia – wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.
As the night progressed and the new band started their set, we were having a great time soaking in the local flare. Then, a large man came by and asked to sit his beer on our table as he went to the restroom – which was conveniently located right by our table. Of course we didn’t mind and it led to a very interesting night meeting new Aussie mates!
When he returned for his beer, he struck up a conversation with Todd regarding Todd’s Boston Red Sox hat. Again we felt like celebrities. Big guy called over a couple of his friends and was talking about the Red Sox. When he found out that we really aren’t Red Sox fans and that we were from Arizona, they laughed heartily about how the Diamondbacks aren’t so good. We probably could have opened up about how we really aren’t big baseball fans. However, it was fun talking to some local folks and realize how truly involved they are in our culture. I mean, how well do you know the Australia Rugby team? Exactly!
The night progressed with our new mates. I was so proud (and Ryan would be too) of Todd’s limited knowledge of baseball information – players and such. We also talked politics and found out that 80 something percent of Aussies wanted Obama to win. For all of those who think that our country is the leader in the free world, you would be surprised to know what other countries truly feel about our country. You would be very surprised…and maybe a bit disheartened. But, with the election of Obama, we have a chance of saving face.
We asked our new friends what our accents sound like to them. They said we sound a little nasal and we roll our “R’s” a bit. Interesting. When one of the guys tried to imitate us, we sounded somewhat retarded! Haha!
It was so great meeting these folks. One guy has never been to America but has finally convinced his fiancé to get married in Vegas. The other guys have been to America once or twice – I think it was for a friend’s wedding. We also met a guy from Chicago that moved to Australia after meeting his now wife. He didn’t have an accent at all until his wife came to the table and then it started bleeding through. Very interesting night.
Our new Aussie mates
After more beers, two of which were paid for by our new friends, and big guy spilling most of our beers after bumping into our table (his beers had been flowing for a while), we decided to head out and make our way back to our hotel. There were cold beers and Bailey’s coffee waiting for us and we hadn’t really enjoyed our room at that point.
We sat on our balcony and had a couple of more beers before retiring for the night. It was a long day and a late night but we felt we really got a lot in! And made new friends along the way.
This morning we were dragging a bit – whether it was the beer or the fact that, lying in a luxury bed with air conditioning was a welcome change. However, we got ourselves up and ready for another adventure in Sydney. We started at a local café – Café Extra – for breakfast. A couple of fried eggs over medium, grilled tomatoes and hashbrowns for me, scrambled eggs, bacon and bread for Todd.
Once we were fueled, we decided to head back to The Rocks so that we could get a couple more things from the vendors. I decided that Mom and John would really like the oil, vinegar and crushed whatever it is as a souvenir. Todd also decided that we really needed to get a Didjeridu for home. I was really excited! What a great takeaway from Australia. And they will ship it for us which is nice. We should get it early next week.
We headed back to the hotel to drop off our goods and then turned around and headed to the wharf. We took the ferry over to Darling Harbor to check it out. It was ok. I mean, I’m glad we checked it out. There is a wildlife museum, aquarium, maritime museum and a ton of restaurants and bars. Further into the harbor there is a great area for kids. We checked out the Chinese Garden which was nice and the market place that was not.
We ended up having lunch at a very bad café. My nachos were ok – nothing to write home about (although I am writing about it now) and Todd had Satay Chicken that he said was downright disgusting. And this is someone that can eat just about anything. Leave it to me, out of all the hundreds of restaurants in Darling Harbor, I pick the bomb.
Darling Harbor
I beg your pardon, I never promised you a Chinese garden
It wasn’t too much longer that we were back on the ferry heading back to our harbor. I was feeling pretty worn out after going so hard for so long. Once we were back at the hotel, I flopped down on our bed while Todd called to say hi to Tay and his Mom. Then we discussed our plans for tomorrow. We are planning on taking a tour in the Blue Mountains with a tour company. A bus will pick us up at a close by McDonalds and take us up the mountain. We will get to feed Roos and pet Koalas. I am pretty excited about it. There will also be a stop at Leura which is supposed to have great small shops. It is a full day of adventure – we don’t return until 7’ish but I think it will be well worth it!
We took the pamphlet to the concierge and had him help us with the coordination. Then we headed back to our lobby bar for a couple of cocktails and a snack (do you see a trend here?). I decided against beer and chose a cosmo instead. We got more wedges – I think that may be the last wedge appetizer we have for a while. Our stomachs are demanding something a bit healthier – or a lot healthier.
We tossed around ideas for evening plans and decided that, with our early morning tomorrow (the bus picks us up at 8 something), we would just head back to the room, maybe watch a movie and just relax…maybe order room service or something. We popped in Larry the Cable Guy and both dozed off on the couch half way through. The rest of our evening has been very low key. We ordered room service and have been buckled down for the remainder of the evening. And, since I was behind on my postings, it gave me a chance to catch up.
Now I am off for more relaxation and bad TV. Bed time isn’t too far off…
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