It was really early in the morning, I was still contemplating whether to cuddle in the bed or get out to do some touristy stuff. We had really busy weeks before we landed in Sydney and I was super exhausted. My wife is an energy bubble and she pulled me out of the bed. I woke up half hearted to her lovely smile and simply couldn’t say that I want to rest. With my Australian coffee in hand, I was all set for the adventure.
Highlights
- Morning walk at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair to enjoy the spectacular views of the Sydney Harbor
- Sydney Town Hall>> Hyde Park>> Sydney Tower>> Forgotten Songs
- Seagull feeding at the Manly Beach
Our walk to Mrs. Macquarie Chair was serene. This chair is made of sandstone rocks and was carved by hand by the convicts in 1810 for the wife of Governor Macquarie. The area around the chair offers superb views of the Sydney harbor. Morning orange sky, cool breeze, deep blue waters, white Opera House and the Black Sydney Harbor Bridge, all visible in a single frame! Truly mesmerizing!!
Thought it was quite difficult to leave this place, we had to walk back to reach Sydney Town Hall by 10:30 AM for the Free walking tour of the Sydney Town! This 2.5 hours tour takes you through some of the historic sites and government buildings of Sydney. Find more details here.
The area surrounding the Town Hall was a cemetery 200 years ago. The government dug up all the bodies and it took them nearly 20 years to build the town hall. I couldn’t imagine how it looked 200 years ago! The street adjoining the Town Hall is the George street. This street, as we know today is very different than how it will be in 2019. The road is getting revamped to accommodate trams and pavements. I am glad I saw the current look of the city and look forward to another visit after 2019.
Our next stop was quite strange. It was the statue of the Queen Victoria’s dog. Queen Victoria was very fond of pets especially dogs. Her dog accompanied her all the way from Britain to Sydney when she arrived here. This statue is in the memory of this event and the cute little creature! Try going close to the statue and you might be amazed by what follows! I will leave it as a suspense! 😉
Walking with the tour, we reached the Hyde Park. Named after the Hyde Park in London, it is the oldest surviving parkland in whole of Australia. Though it is located in the Central Business District (one of the costliest real estates in Sydney), it is still preserved by the local government due to its historical importance.
Hyde park used to be an open area and was named so by General Macquaire in 1810 as a recreation ground for the inhabitants and the practice ground for the troops. It had drain lanes beneath, which connected the city to Busby’s Bore, a large water resource made by convict laborers. This was the first attempt to develop a large scale water resource system for the city. Another interesting aspect here is about horse racing. Seven Arab horses were the first horses to be brought to Australia and then there population grew eventually. The Hyde Park used to be the only venue for the official Horse Racing at that time. These days, Hyde park is a picnic spot for the locals. October is famous as ‘Good Food Month‘ and there are many food events going on here. An absolute paradise for food lovers!
Next we saw the Sydney Tower, at the Market Street. With a total height of 309m, this is the second tallest tower in the whole southern hemisphere, 2nd only to the ‘Auckland’s Sky Tower’. The observatory at the top of the tower, offers beautiful views of the entire city and the Sydney Harbor. There are 4 sections at the top which are open to public. These sections have 3 restaurants and an event space, which interestingly is the highest event place in the whole of the Southern Hemisphere. Isn’t this amazing?
A stunning site now awaited us as our next stop. This was the ‘Forgotten Songs’ art work at the Angel Palace. I must admit, I had never seen such a concept before. This a beautiful artwork by the artist Michael Thomas Hill to commemorate the beautiful fauna of the city of Sydney before the European settlement. As you can see below, the artwork consists of 120 bird cages hung through the street in memory of the birds that used to flock here at one point in time. 50 species of such birds were identified and their audio recordings were gathered with the help from wildlife scientists.
These birds’ chirruping or songs can now be heard throughout the street in the memory of old times. The songs are also separated into day songs and night songs and have also been programmed to ensure that in winter, the nights are longer and in summer, the days are longer. This artwork was actually a temporary artwork created during an art festival in Sydney. But due to its popularity amongst the locals, it is now a permanent establishment. Fascinating, isn’t it?
This was the last stop of our tour. An incredible experience overall. We then walked to the Sydney harbor for a late lunch. This area is quite happening bustling with lots of tourists, locals, shops, food stalls and lots of artist performances!
We were super excited by the way we spent our day so far and wanted to explore more! We had a choice between the coastal walk ‘Bondi to Bronte’ or visiting the Manly beach. It was quite sunny so we decided to visit the Manly Beach by taking a ferry. If you have time, I will highly recommend the coastal walk as it is very scenic.
We boarded the ferry from Wharf 3 at Circular Quay. It takes about 30 mins to reach Manly beach. The ferry ride offers beautiful views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Harbor and the Opera House. Money Saver Tip: On Sundays, this trip is AUD 2.5 otherwise it is AUD 14. This beach is famous for its strong wind current and hence is a great place for kite surfers. The wind currents and the weather also attracts a lot of seagulls esp. during the Spring. It’s a great opportunity to get very close to seagulls, play with them and feed them. It might get a little cold due to strong winds. Hence, I will suggest to visit there in the afternoon and carry wind cheaters.
Overall, another great day spent in the heart of the ‘Sydney’. Another tick mark in my bucket list. Do let us know which were some of the attractions you loved the most during your visit to Sydney!
Check Out How we Spent Our Other 2 Days in Sydney:
Day 1 Exploring the Rocks. Click here.
Day 3 trip to Blue Mountains via Feather Dale National Park, click here.
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