To refresh your memory, we left off last week on Day 2 of our Australian Adventure. This week we will finish our first of two visits to Sydney.   Then next week, pack your bags for warmer weather as we hop on a Qantas jet and head up the coast!

I don't have any pictures from night two because I don't think you want so see a picture of my brother and Amber Airplane out cold.  That's right, those two made the mistake of taking a "5 minute nap".  The only thing I could get out of them when I shook 'em around 8:00 pm was a few grunts.  No eye contact.  Don't laugh, jet lag does strange things to you and when you fall into the wrong pattern, it's tough to get back on track.  

It was just as well, because I had a ton of work to do and that kept me busy ‘til a good bedtime of 10:30 pm.  Naturally, I woke up early, but not as early as Frank DiScala did.  His internal clock was tweaked, and Amber Airplane, well she can sleep for days.  I call her sleeping beauty.  When I made my morning stroll to the bathroom at 5:30 am, I was stunned to see what I found.  Not a snake or a spider, but Frank.  I thought I was seeing things.  See people, this is what happens when you go to bed at 6 pm!  You wake up at 2 am wide-awake, nothing to do.   Frank's only alternative was to read his book by Bill Bryson.  He didn't want to wake us by turning on the light, so he laid in a waterless tub with a blanket and pillow.   Now, how funny is that?

We woke up Miss Sleepy Head and went for another  early morning walk.  This time we walked briskly through the city and took a left at Circular Quay (the Opera House is to the right).  We went straight for the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.  The "Coat Hanger" which many locals call it, is the world's largest (but not longest) steel arch bridge.  It has eight vehicle lanes, two train lines, a sidewalk and a bike path.  Now the thing to do in Sydney is walk over the bridge.  I don't mean walk over on the sidewalk; I mean WALK OVER the arches.  Can you see those people?  It's called the bridge climb and it's one, if not the most popular tourist attractions.  The rates vary ($125-$175), depending on what time you walk. The most expensive rate is usually for weekends and/or the sunset walk.  The sunset walk is what you want to do.  This way you see the city going up by day and then by night when coming down.  The views are unreal, but so are the heights.   Click here for bridge history and statistics .

There are strict rules to climb.  First of all, it's mandatory for everyone to take a Breathalyzer test (just to make sure they aren't still drunk from the night before).  You're not allowed to bring anything with you, including a camera (they take digital pictures for you).  Don't worry about falling or your other climbing mates jumping because everyone wears a special jump suit that is harnessed to the bridge.  The climb takes roughly 3 hours and you really don't have to be that fit to do it.  We were planning on going, and in fact, their PR people were kind enough to give me a free media pass, but I sadly declined. Why?  Well, I was planning on doing it, but when we walked across the bridge on the sidewalk, I looked up to see the pass and my knees started to shake.  I have a little problem that used to be much worse when I was a kid.  I'm sometimes afraid of heights. Luckily, it's not that bad.  Just certain things I can't do and this is now one of them.  It's sad, I know.  Bridge Climb ,  + 61.02.8274.7777 and to contact them via email: admin@bridgeclimb.com.  Make your reservations well in advance unless you are afraid of heights.

One advantage to being in a safe city is you can go for walk and not worry about getting lost.  And that's just what we did.  I can't even tell you where we went on our morning walk because I still don't know exactly.  All I am certain of is we crossed the bridge and were in North Sydney.  In a town called Kiribilli.  The  views from Kiribilli are amazing.  In fact we got so lost we ended up in front of John Howard's (the Prime Minister) residence .  When the guard told us whose residence it was, I thought "What?”   The capitol of Australia is in Canberra but the Prime Minister's home is in Sydney?   That doesn't make sense.  The guard couldn't even explain it, but we both agreed with a view like the one he has, who can blame him?  

We were all getting pretty cranky by now.  We had walked at least 5 miles, mostly in circles, it was getting hotter and hotter, and we were famished.  Not a good combo, especially when you are with Amber Airplane.  We eventually gave up finding a place to eat on the North Side of Sydney and hopped on a 5-minute ferry that we had stumbled upon. Pulling into Circular Quay, we got up a close to the ResdinSea (you know the cruise ship that's a condo) at port.  The ship is a monster, but doesn't look that great from the outside although I am sure the inside is amazing.  I know, who cares about a ship we aren't even on, especially when we we're STARVING!  When we arrived we headed straight to the closest restaurant we could find.  I can't even remember the name of the 24-hour joint right in front of the ferry stop. Our American breakfast hit the spot nicely and we were off to our hotel room to get cleaned up.

We decided since it was Saturday and sunny, that it would be a good time to go to Bondi beach. We jumped in a taxi.   Here's an observation:  What's pretty cool, but strange to us Americans is that many Aussies who take a taxi by themselves will sit in the front passenger seat and not in the back.  It's much more friendly and humane don't you think?  But imagine trying this in NYC?  The cabbie would probably put a gun to your head. 

Many of the taxis have  plastic shields around the drivers, which surprised me because violent crime in Australia is very low.  When I asked the driver about that he explained it's for the late night drunks who tend to get a bit rowdy.  Ahh... "We all know Aussie's like their beer, we see the Foster's commercial a lot in America."   This might surprise you too:  Not too many Aussie's drink Foster's.  In fact most seem to dislike Foster's. They prefer VB (Victorian Bitter), Crown Lager (up market beer), XXXX (Queensland Beer) and Tooheys.
 
We were headed to what is probably the second most famous beach in the world right behind Waikiki. We were cruising along until we hear, Amber Airplane say,” Pull over”! The driver quickly pulls to the left and says, "This is not Bondi; this is Paddington". Amber Airplane says, "I know, this is Oxford Street."  "Right," said the driver. My brother and I looking at her like she was crazy.  Then she said do you guys know what's on the other side of that  fence ?  No, we don't!  Amber said it's the weekend market .  The girl has never even been to Australia and she knows where the shopping is.  It's like she can smell it.  She even corrected me when I said is "This is Paddy's market?"  She said no silly, this is Paddington, we are going to Paddy's tomorrow.   Trouble.  We weren't too happy, but fortunately I had Frank to say,” you have ten minutes to look around”.  Look? Ten minutes is more than enough time for her to do some serious damage, and she did.

We hopped back in another cab and this time we had a Chinese driver.  He was really nice but I am sure glad that Frank was sitting shotgun.   Frank starting making small talk, which turned out to be a big mistake because this guy had a spitting problem.  Every time he would open his mouth to say something I could see spittle’s flying everywhere. Amber Airplane and I were in the back seat moving our heads and body like we were playing dodge ball.  Maybe the real reason they have those plastic shields is this guy? 

Ten minutes later we arrived at  Bondi Beach .  Remember, it's Saturday and one of the last days of summer in Australia for this year.  The sun was cranking and the waves were pumping .   The sand on Bondi makes the sand in California look like dirty gravel.  The beach is full of tourist and locals who aren't shy about taking off their tops.  Don't you hate it when everyone goes topless ?   April fools!   I bet you thought that was going to be a picture of some naked Aussie girl.  

Since we forgot our beach towels we rented really lousy ones for $4 apiece right on the beach.  We also got an umbrella ($5) and  chairs ($8).  The prices aren't bad, especially when you compare them to Waikiki.  

Besides the beach, Bondi has a promenade that is full of ice-cream parlors, outdoor cafes, greasy fish and chip restaurants, surf stores, and touristy shops.  If strolling down the street is not your thing, then take a walk along the  rocks (to the right of the beach).   The rocks are so cool here and the walk is so worth it .   
 
On the way back from our walk we checked out the Bondi Beach swimming club.  How cool is that pool?  That's a great way to enjoy the salt water without the thought of sharks or the fierce riptide.  The Pool is open to the public for a fee of $3.30.  Above the pool you will find the hip icebergs club and bar which is also open to the public for anyone who lives outside of a five-kilometer radius.  If you live within the radius you have to join to get in.  There are fantastic views at this great bar.  The top level is a four star restaurant and it's very chic and trendy.  Everyone was well dressed except of course for the American tourist (we just got off of the beach).  We met a lot of locals and they were all very kind to us.   icebergs swim club and bar , 1 Notts Avenue Bondi NSW 2026,  tel. (02) 9130 3120

On the way out we pulled the  girls off of Frank (dang, that boy is a chick magnet) and we took a taxi back to our hotel ($20).   I wish I could tell you that we went out and partied like rock stars, but I can't.  If you really want to know what we did, just re-read what we did the night before.  
   
Day 4:  We woke up early again and Amber Airplane got to pick the day's events. Naturally, we started out on a leisurely walk through the shops.  The good news is the two main department stores, David Jones and Grace Bros, were not open yet.  Phew!  So we took a walk through Circular Quay, passed this hilarious street act , and went to breakfast at the Rocks .  The Rocks is the oldest part of Sydney and is full of colonial history.  It has many buildings that still have the look and feel of the past. The streets are full of shops, restaurants , pubs and art galleries.   This place is always packed with tourists, but especially for the weekend markets where you can buy all kinds of souvenirs.  On a tip from a reader we explored the less developed area of the Rocks and checked out the famous Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel , which is one of Sydney's oldest pubs (the other is The Hero of Waterloo).

Lucky for us, we didn't have much time to shop because we had to rush back to our hotel to meet our friend  Laura .  Remember Laura?  She came over to America for one year to work as my sister Carol’s nanny.  She was so awesome and everyone (especially the kids) were truly sad to see her go back home this past January.  Well, when we told her we were in Sydney, she and her father drove 5 hours to see us .  Her father was way cool and refused to let us take an hour train to our next destination to Featherdale Park.  He drove us in his " Jackaroo ", I am sure you are wondering what that pipe is to?  It's a "snorkel, so he says.  The car can pretty much go under water and that pipe allows it to happen.  The drive to Feather Dale was close to an hour, but well worth it.  By now I am sure you are wondering what Featherdale is?  It's the coolest wild animal park around.  Not only do you get a close up of the Koala's , but you get to pet them as well.  

The last time I was in Sydney, I went to the Taranga Zoo, which is nice, easy to get to, and has amazing views, but it doesn't compare to Featherdale.  It's not much fun seeing animals in their cages.  I mean how many times do you get to hang out with a kangaroo?  Not only do you hang out with them, but you can pet them , feed them , and run from them.  All right, so some of the animals you probably don't want to get too close too,  but other's you will.  We have all seen the cartoon character, but have you ever seen a real life Tasmanian Devil ?   Have you ever heard of a Wombat ?  At Featherdale, all of your Australian animals are there. Featherdale is open 7 days a week from 9.00am-5pm, every day (except Christmas)  217-229 Kildare Road, Doonside NSW 2767.  tel. (612) 9622 1644.

By the way, we also met up with some of my  good Australian friends at the park.  You might recognize them from other newsletters because I used to watch Kristine play tennis at the US Open, and other WTA events.  Or maybe you have seen her husband, Damo, getting his butt kicked in beach volleyball by yours truly.    
On the way home Laura's dad dropped us off at the entrance to  Chinatown . We weren't there to get lunch but rather to go next door and shop.  Remember, it's Amber Airplane's day to pick the game plan.  Next to Chinatown you will find Paddy's Market .  It's only open on weekends and it offers a true market shopping experience.  This place is huge!  It has over 1600 stalls of food, clothes, souvenirs and junk.  If you shop wisely you can find some great bargains or bring Amber Airplane with you!  Paddy's Market is located in Market City, corner of Hay & Thomas Streets, Haymarket.

This night we planned to take Laura out for a spectacular dinner, but guess what?  That's right, another 5 minute nap that turned into 8 hours.  Shocker, huh?  I just looked at them from my laptop and shook my head. 

Well, the good news is at least we woke up early again.   Frank made us go up to the gym and workout, which by the way is on the top deck and has amazing views and a great pool .  Then we all took a taxi to Double Bay to see one of my sister Georgette's long lost Australian friend’s.   Georgette used to live in Australia in the mid 80's and hasn't been back yet, and wanted us to go by and say hello to friends who lived nearby.  Double Bay, otherwise known as Double Pay is awesome.  It's only a few kilometer's from the city, and it's very accessible.  The town is one of my favorites and I definitely could live there.  In fact, I stayed there for one month back in 1994.  I was happy to see my favorite juice shop was still there:  Top Fruit.  Trust me, just go in there and order a mixed fruit juice and you won't be sorry.   Top Fruit:  53 Bay St.,  Double Bay NSW 2028 tel. (02) 9328 7420  

We found Georgette's friend Primrose at a store she owns called White Ivy .  It's located on New South Head Rd., that is the main street.  Primrose was really nice and we called Georgette from our cell phone and reunited them.   Hey, for 16 cents a minute, why not call everyone we know back in the States?  Our good deed of the day was done and in case you are interested Primrose sells women's clothing and of course, Amber had to buy something.

We finished up our morning in Double Bay at one of their great outdoor cafes.  Then we took 10-minute  ferry back to the city so Laura could catch a ride back home with her dad.  You’ve to got love what the ferry can do for your hair .  
 
We walked around the city some more until we stirred up an appetite and then went to Harry's famous pies in Wooloomooloo.  Wooloo… whatever, is right outside of the city and cost only $7 by taxi.  We would’ve walked but it was raining.  Harry's makes meat pies right.  Not only are they good, but also they are cheap.  You can get all kinds and they all come with a huge scoop of mashed potato's and mashed peas on top.  For $3 you can't get a better bargain.  Harry's is right next door to the W hotel , which is also worth a walk through, even if you aren't staying there.  The place is amazing and we hear the bar on weekends goes crazy.  If bars aren't your scenes, then one of the fine restaurants along side the building might be.  They are all recognized as some of the best in the city, especially Manta Ray and Otto.  Otto Ristorante Italiano  tel. 61 2 9368 7488.   W Hotel and Water Bar ,  tel. (61)(2) 9331-9000 .  More info on Manta Ray, later.

We didn't have time to eat at one of those fine eateries this week because we were off to our friends Damien, Kristine's, and Kobe's for dinner.  Since we have been away for about 5 days and all of our clothes were dirty, we asked if we could do some laundry at their house.  Of course they said yes, but you should've seen us walking through the Sheraton lobby with our plastic grocery bags full of our soiled clothes .  All of the guests were looking at us like we were freaks, so we started saying to each other (in a louder tone), "I can't believe that darn airline lost our luggage again, this stinks...  I guess you had to be there, but we thought it was hilarious.  Maybe the jet lag was kicking in, after all these guys didn't take their evening "nap".  Not only was that funny, but while we were driving in Damo's car he said, "Geez , something smells.  I think it's my air conditioner."  While he was fiddling with his vents we said "Um, no Damo that would be what's in the bags".

Dinner was fun , but our laundry took way to long to complete and we couldn't keep our mates up all night.  We only had one and a half loads out of three finished, so we planned on going to a laundry mat the next day.  Now here's an awesome find for your trip.  Don't bother to wash your clothes yourself.  Bring them to City Laundry & Dry Cleaning on the Corner of Bathurst and Sussex Streets.  It cost us $12 per load for them to do it, that's about US $7.00 and you don't have to spend hours in a laundry mat!   tel.  9264-6661.  
 
Okay, I think this might be long enough.  Next week your going snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef so pack your bags!

Make sure you read our reader tips for Australia below.   We are fortunate to have some of the best readers out there and certainly the most traveled.  Thanks again to all our friends who sent in some great tips (we tried to do as much as we could). Safe travels.

Peace,

Johnny Jet