We arrived in Sydney in the late afternoon so by the time we were settled into a hostel all we had time for was a little explore around where the hostel is and dinner at a little japanese place.
The next morning we woke up and it was raining so hard you wouldnt believe! But backpacking we are and limited time in Sydney we had so waterproofs and umbrellas were found and out we went. We got not very far, Darling Harbour, before deciding that since our shoes were deffinately not waterproof we were being stupid and dove into the Starbucks for a coffee and to read our books until the weather got a little better. There was a jazz festvial going on around Sydney that weekend so we saw a little jazz before heading to Sydney Harbour to view the Harbour bridge and Opera House. Pretty amazing to actually see the things you have seen on the tv so many times. We wandered around a sunday market in the rocks area before heading to the contemporary art museum which was holding a big exhibition and was very fascinating. There was also some of the exhibition on one of the islands which meant there was a free ferry, and being backpackers a free ride on a ferry in Sydney Harbour was exactly what we wanted! The art was pretty good too.
THe next day the weather was a little better so we joined a free tour around Sydney for 3 hours to see what we hadnt found the day before and have what we had seen explained. Did you know that the sydney hospital was funded through the sale of rum?! After the tour we decided to get the ferry across to Manly since the weather was brightening up even more. We went for a coffee overlooking the beach before wandering around and watching the surfers. We got the ferry back after sunset meaning that we saw all of Sydney lit up and absolutely amazing as a result. We went out for a few drinks that night, cashing in a few free drinks vouchers and moved around the pubs which were mainly deserted.
We changed hostel the following morning because the hostel was ok but more of a hub for those working in Sydney and therefore very cliquey. We went to the WIldlife center in Darling Harbour that afternoon and saw all of the weird and wonderful Aussie animals - koala, kangeroo, wallaby, possums, etc. Not all of the animals were quite what I thought they would be like but all very cool! We also walked around the botanical gardens and went up close with to the Opera House.
The next day we decided to have a day off since we had been marching around the city for days and had walked miles and miles, plus it had decided to absoluutley chuck it down again. So, we went to the imax and saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D and had a coffee. Pretty good day all in all!
Our last full day in Sydney was spent walking around the city again. We went to an exhibition in the library which was enjoyable and generally spent the day eating or drinking coffee and spending our last few dollars. Walked through the parks and around the main section of the city.
We left for Singapore the next day after a pretty packed week in Sydney. Its definately a city to be seen in the sun I think. We had a great time and the sights were amazing but the beaches and general outdoors vibe didnt quite hold the same pull as they would have in the summer I think.