Sydney, Day 2 ...

Our amazing apartment in Sydney had floor to ceiling windows that wrapped around the entire living and dining room. Our bedrooms had a windowed wall too. The view was fabulous.

Kind of like this:

And the view from the veranda:

Where I rested my pretty little head in Sydney:

And our kitchen, which I did not use at all. Go figure. :) : I met my friends Bernie and Chris for a stroll through the Sydney Botanical Gardens, lunch, shopping, dinner/drinks, and a lot of catching up. Bernie and Chris both lived in Japan last year but recently returned to Australia. I miss them both dearly and being able to see them in Sydney was definitely a highlight.

The Botanical Gardens:

I took a whole 2 pictures there :) :

We did find Russell Crowe's house:
He lives at the end of the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo (that's seriously the name of the area of Sydney):
The view of the city from the park:
We had a great view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from the Gardens as well. The weather was great, despite a few clouds, but I think this was the first day of our trip that didn't include rain.

Bernie & I in front of all that is Sydney:

And then there's the Harbour Bridge. Almost everyone knows that I have a full blown fear of bridges. It's more of a phobia and I go into a panic every time I have to go over certain ones. Sometimes the sight of one makes my palms sweat and my chest gets tight. The Harbour Bridge was no different. Thankfully we didn't have to drive over it.
"The Harbour Bridge is the world's widest long-span bridge and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 429.6 ft from top to water level. It is also the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world." Just reading that is enough to make me want to vomit. AND THEN I learned that as a tourist you can climb the bridge. No joke.

"Since 1998, BridgeClimb has made it possible for tourists to climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to dusk, and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind. Night climbs are also available. Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions and are given an orientation briefing before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb is a three-and-a-half-hour experience."

I think this would be the ultimate way to 'conquer' my fear of bridges, if that is in fact possible. We'll see if I'm brave enough the next time I'm in Sydney. :)

Insane:

Once the sun set Bernie, Chris and I went up to what is known as 'The Gap'. It's an ocean cliff located on the east side of Sydney. It's coastal and scenic and a little creepy because it is also known as the most popular suicide point in all of Australia. According to MrTravelGuide.com, "When international director and closet ghoul Alfred Hitchcock visited Sydney in the sixties this was his infamous point of reference. Locals know, and tourists do not, that this is the last stop for the desperate few, it also a beautiful location for a spectacular scenic cliff top walk that begins at The Gap Park."

The Creepy Cliff:

And the view of the city from The Gap:

much love

-tara-

xx