Sydney  01/09 - 01/14/2014

 

The Greyhound spits me out early in the morning at Central Station in Sydney. I have almost two kilometers to walk up to my hostel Hump, but thanks to GPS, which I brought for this second stage of my trip, I find it without any problems.
 

What looks like a large laundry, are refrigerators ...
 

... in the spacious kitchen of the Hump.

Not only the kitchen is huge.
 

The other extreme.
 
 
International backpacker problem.
 
 
And that's nothing new, either.
 
 
Saying in the hostel. Great!
 

Australian style. Most don’t rent a car, but buy one - and sell it at the end of the trip.
 
Meanwhile, I have gained two insights. First, half of Germany seems to stay here - we are by far the largest community, followed by British, Swedes and French. Second, the travelers are really young here. The reason is, that Australia is especially a destination for people after graduation. Both findings are quite bad.
 
 
Passing this delightful district ...
 
 
... I go to the famous Bondi Beach.
 
 
Waiting for the perfect wave.
 
 
By far the more beautiful beaches you will find ...
 
 
... behind these cliffs.
 
 
 
 
For example, the Bronte Beach.
 
There is a BBQ (sausages and Goon - cruel and cheap Australian wine), for which I redeem a Peterpans freebie. However, they have the departure time specified incorrectly, so I have to take the public bus for $ 4 (not their only fault). But on the way back ...
 
  
... I take the party bus.
 

New day, new hostel, since the Hump was fully booked. D' Lux - very strange.
 

This is for example (still) a window.
 

Good thing I have not toasted my toast here twice (see Melbourne).
 

The random walk is announced.
 

Sydney, not London.
 
 
 
 
  
 

Sydney as well as Melbourne is full of sheer green.
 
 
This ibises run around everywhere – like the pigeons in Europe.
 
 
That one not necessarily needs to understand. (No, even behind the sign is no path.)
 

The kilometers may fit, but at least one direction (Frankfurt/Berlin) is incorrect.
 
 
Darling Harbour - a kind of entertainment area for families.
 

The Chinese Garden.
 

Paddy's Markets - a huge indoor market with some very attractive offers.
 

Sydney is an extremely biker-friendly city.
 

Flashback to Southeast Asia.
 

Feeding prohibited.
 

In many convenience stores there are no prizes for the goods at the shelves. No way.
 
Speaking of "no way". Peterpans Freebies second part. I have a voucher for a pizza medium size and a jug of beer. The pizza should have a value of $ 11. For comparison: There is also a 300g steak with mashed potatoes for $ 8. (I eat in the next few days twice.)

The pizza. And served very friendly. The fact that I get it not massaged into the face, is the only bright spot.
 

Who cares? I go after this to the supermarket and buy kangaroo steak for dessert. Yummy!
 

As usual: the botanical garden.
 
 
 
Summit meeting.
 

Cafe in the bohemian district The Rock.
 

On the way to Redfern, where I am invited to a barbecue.
 

As in Melbourne, there are countless of these cute little houses here.
 
 
 
 
  

This is directly across from the hosts.
 
I was invited by Nina, a German who Mella and I had met once on Gili Air. She now lives in Sydney Redfern and today has a barbecue with some friends.
 

The central piece of furniture in the living room.
 

The lovely garden ...

... is for Sara the chamber of horrors ...
 
   
... when she notices the sub-tenant.
 

Later we move to the festival in the City, where Chaka Khan can be seen for free.
 

While Sara and Nina dance eagerly ...
 

... others admire the starry sky.
 

Next move. This time to the Base Hostel. Cruel mass processing.
 

Also, I should pay $ 3.5 extra for the internet. Thanks, I prefer to sit next to the Apple store. Free of charge.
 

Early rising is announced. I go to the train station ...
 

... and from there to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
 

To the trekking path I have to march about 1.25 miles through Katoomba.
 

Good that I don’t take the bus. The timetable.
 
The Blue Mountains are a popular destination about 45 miles from Sydney. There are day trips by bus with 29(!) stops. Cost: from $ 75. The better alternative, in my view: go by train for $ 11 and then explore the mountains on foot on your own and completely free. A few impressions:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Good thing you can’t see the trembling of my knees.
 

Since I am standing just here (Restricted Area).

The Three Sisters.
 

Large trees here.
 

Purposeful they are, too. While this one forces itself around the rock ...
 

... this one is clearly controlling its adversary.
 
 
 
The biggest challenge: stairs.
 
The so-called Giant Stairway brings me to my limits. More than 800 steps, namely irregular, as you can see. Whenever I think now it's done, I see the next ones. From oncoming walkers you only get a smile of pity, which makes the question of how far it's still to go unnecessary. And this after three hours quite demanding trekking tour. The final stages (bottom left) then lead to ...
 

... Leura, a quiet little town, ...
 

... from where I'm going “home”. (But in contrast to the picture again with the train.)
 

Interesting idea. You can move the seat back to make a four- of a two-seater - and vice versa.
 

Evening program in the Scubar. With Tippex and Edding ...
 

... crabs are marked and then ...
 

... thrown in the race. (They are in the middle of the circle, and the first to cross the black edge is the winner.)
 

My last trip. From the port Circular Quay
 

... I go by ferry ...
 

... past the Harbour Bridge ...
 

... and the famous Opera House ...
 

... to Manly, where another city beach is located.
 

As always, the beach sport No. 1, 2 and three: surfing.
 

I always thought they preferred sheep here!?
 

Who feeds here whom?
 

Thanks to a free ticket a traveler has given me, I can still make a detour to the Mini-Zoo.
 

Eliza, the Koala keeper. Hyperactive pure enthusiasm - and that for animals with the temperament of a toaster.
 
 
  

Of course there is no comparison to the real wildlife, so ...
 

... I leave Sydney again on the night bus (although I really like this city!) to hopefully catch a bit more nature in Byron Bay. Man, I'm naive ...