When it was time to leave Melbourne I wasn't ready and wished that we had a few more days to explore. I really enjoyed the city and could easily picture living there as the streets lined with cool shops, restaurants and bars reminded me of Brooklyn. Then we got to Sydney and I was like, "oh wait, Sydney is better!" Of course after spending only four days in each city I don't know which one I'd actually choose to live in if posed with such a decision, I can just tell you that they were both great in their own ways. Sydney takes the lead mostly because we found it to be much more affordable than Melbourne. Perhaps it was just the neighborhoods we explored. For each city we had done research on the best areas to stay in and in Melbourne we chose an area called Collingwood and in Sydney, Surry Hills. The streets in Surry Hills were lined with great restaurants and most of them offered day-of-the-week dining deals and happy hour specials. We didn't see any happy hours in Melbourne so the comparison would be $24 AUD ($17 USD) for two beers in Melbourne vs. $10 AUD ($7 USD) in Sydney. Need I say more?
Accommodation-wise in both cities we tried something new: we didn't stay in the city center and we used the "shared apartment" option on Air B&B, which means we had our own room in someone's apartment. We chose that option because it was cheaper than a hotel or even a hostel and the friends we made in Vietnam, Ellie and Will had just used this housing option in Australia and had good luck with it. It was weird in Melbourne when we arrived after 2AM, let ourselves in and went to bed....while another couple we didn't know were asleep in their adjacent bedroom. In Sydney, in addition to our own bedroom, we had our own bathroom and even a large balcony all to ourselves. The couple renting the room had assembled a Google Document with many recommendations on the city including specific restaurants in their neighborhood and having that list definitely improved our dining experiences. The shared apartment housing option worked out well in each location. However, after eight nights of having to make small talk with people you don't know when what you really feel like doing is going to bed, I was ready to have a place to ourselves. We'd use the shared option again for sure, just need a little break.
The first thing we did in Melbourne was go to the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG) for an Australian Football League game, "footie" as the locals call it. We've been wanting to experience some foreign sporting events while abroad and besides Thai boxing this was the first opportunity we've had to do so. As we walked into the stadium it felt like we were the only tourists and I love that feeling of living like a local. Despite being completely unfamiliar with the rules, the game was easy to follow. The stadium was massive and was the largest stadium Jake and I have ever been in. The attendance that day was just over 42,000 and the Melbourne team wasn't even playing. It was the fourth game of a 23 game season. I was surprised to learn that the MCG is the tenth largest stadium in the world and can fit 100,024 people. It felt like a modern stadium but that's only due to the constant renovations as it was first built way back in 1853. I think that must make it the oldest stadium I've been in too. Some notable events that have been hosted in the MCG are the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cups and the Billy Graham evangelist crusade in 1959 which holds the record for the highest attendance at MCG with around 130,000 people.
In both cities we did the "I Am Free Walking Tour" which gave us good overviews of the history of Australia and of each city. Australia is a young country having been first discovered by the Dutch explorers in 1606 but not settled until 1788 by Great Britain. Of course for who knows how long before that (50,000 years?) the continent was inhabited by indigenous Australians. One notable nugget from the Melbourne tour that sticks with me is that at one point before being officially named "Melbourne", the city was referred to as "Batmania". No, not because of the caped crusader, but because a farmer from Tasmania, John Batman, tried to claim it and name it. The name didn't last long as the British had authorized another man to establish a settlement. Too bad, it would be awesome if there was a city out there called Batmania.
In Sydney, we enjoyed having the company's founder as our tour guide. She's 31 years old and started the company seven years ago when she saw the need for a free tour (the guides make their money based on tips). In Sydney she provided maps that contained tips for the best cheap eats and inexpensive things to do. It supplemented the list we had from our Air B&B hosts well.
Roof of the Sydney Opera House
From Melbourne we took a day trip to the Great Ocean Road. It allowed us to see some of the beautiful coastal landscape as well as many Australian birds and Koalas in the wild. It was a long day trip but it was worth it to see the scenery and wildlife.
It was a cloudy day, but we still enjoyed the magnificent views
Another favorite picture from the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne
Sleepy Koala
A King Parrot we spotted on the Great Ocean Road
Unlike Melbourne, one of the to-do things in Sydney is to explore the local beaches. We had fun venturing out of the city to explore a few of them starting with an afternoon at Manley Beach after the walking tour. Another day we did a 90 minute walk along the ocean ending at Bondi beach for some lunch and rays. The sand was light in color, the water was a bright blue and we enjoyed watching some surfers of all ages. However, at this point we are spoiled when it comes to beautiful beaches and I'd pick Thailand, Cambodia or Los Roques, Venezuela in which to lay around all day in the sun.
Another day trip we did was to the Blue Mountains which begin about 31 miles west of Sydney. They are part of the Great Dividing Range and are about the same size as the Rockies, but only in length, not in height. The Blue Mountains peak at around 3,300 feet whereas the Rockies reach almost 15,000 feet. The Greater Blue Mountains area is a UNESCO World Heritage Area because, among other reasons, of its eucalypt vegetation. We were told that they are called the "Blue Mountains" because they look blue, go figure. They appear blue because the forests are made up of a variety of eucalyptus trees (gum trees), which in the hot sun discharge a fine mist of eucalyptus oil from their leaves. The mist refracts light, which makes the haze look blue at a distance. That same oil makes the Australian bush a quick burn in a forest fire*.
Checking out the Blue Mountains near Sydney
I couldn't wait for Jake to get off of this ledge!
Instead of taking the tour bus back into Sydney, we took a cruise along the harbor as the sun was setting. Having already visited Sydney Harbor during the day, we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed seeing the famous Harbor Bridge and Opera House again, but this time under the city lights.
~ Jesslyn
Sources:
http://www.sydney.visitorsbureau.com.au/regions/blue-mountains.html