I have been in Sydney for five months now and although I have enjoyed my time here I have definitely missed my family. This past week I was lucky enough to have my parents and two brothers visit Sydney and the spend the week with me. I was extremely excited to show off my home for the past five months and spend some quality time with the people I have missed the most. I spent a lot of time organizing the best itinerary to maximize their time in Sydney. The following blog summarizes my family’s visit.
My family’s flight was set to land at Sydney airport at 8 am Sunday morning. To make their adjustment to the time zone easier I met them at the airport with four pre-paid Opal cards (which is similar to a Charlie Card that is used for all public transportation across Sydney). However, we decided to take an Uber from the airport to their hotel in Circular Quay. The trip from the airport was quick and we were checked into the hotel before 10 am. After getting settled, we all changed into our bathing suits and then walked to the Quay where we would take the ferry to Manly Beach.
The ferry ride was refreshing and it was awesome to show my family the harbor, including Sydney’s famous Opera House and the other beaches I have been to while on our way to Manly. After the short walk from Manly Wharf to the beach we strolled along the boardwalk, soaking in the atmosphere and watching some competitive sand volleyball games. While my parents lounged on the beach, I showed my brothers the “wormhole” on the far-left side of the beach. The wormhole is a small hole carved through the rock that provides a cool view of the ocean and Freshwater beach, which is just on the other side of Queenscliff Head. To get to the wormhole you walk across a short pathway past the swimming pool and along a rock platform. It is located just under a large painted heart with QBC written next to it. I really enjoyed exploring this rocky outcropping with my brothers, bringing us all back to our younger days as kids exploring the jettys at the American beaches we would frequent. After our afternoon at Manly I left my family at their hotel to get some rest while I returned to the library to study for my final exam.
While I took my exam, my family spent the morning exploring Circular Quay. I planned an extensive day for them which including visiting the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Sydney’s Oldest Pub – The Fortune of War in the Rocks. After my exam, I met my parents at a Sushi train restaurant, Sushi Hotaru, in Darlinghurst for dinner. The sushi was delicious and it was an interesting experience to order sushi on an iPad and see it brought out on a conveyor belt. Following dinner, we got a few drinks near the hotel before calling it a night.
The next day I met my family in the Grand Concourse in Central Station, all packed and ready for the hike I planned. We would be taking the train to Cronulla station, 45 minutes south of Sydney, then taking a local ferry to Bundeena Wharf. Bundeena serves as a main entrance to the northern end of Royal National Park. As a warning, the ferry is cash only and runs every hour between Cronulla and Bundeena. The hike I planned was to walk along the coastal track past the infamous Wedding Cake Rock through to Wattamolla Beach. Wedding Cake Rock is a naturally formed sandstone outcropping that resembles a white wedding cake. Although a cool sight that makes for a great picture, it is fenced off due to the rock being unstable and slippery – prone to collapse at any time. On the hike from Wedding Cake to Wattamolla you pass through several different landscapes including the sandy Marley Beach, a small alpine desert, and the beginnings of a rainforest type environment that dominates the southern portion of the park. Wattamolla itself is cove, lagoon, and beach with a large picnic area and cliff jumping. The roundtrip hike is around over 20 km, or about 13 miles, and took us about 5 hours in total. Please make sure to pack extra water as we ran out about half way through!
We spent the next two days at our friend Jack’s family farm in the small town of Yass, 3 hours west of Sydney. Here we spent our Thanksgiving with Jack and his family and got to explore his expansive farm. I cover the rest of our trip to the farm in a different blog so be sure to check that out.
On Friday, I took my family to Bondi Beach to soak in the last of the Australian summer before they headed back to the cold east coast of the US. We spent a few hours in the sun and sand at Bondi before going on the Bondi to Coogee walk. This walk meanders along the coast, extending for 6 km and passing through several beaches including Tamarama and Clovely. We were rewarded with stunning views of the coastline and worked up a nice sweat traversing the steps carved out of the rock. At our final destination, Coogee, we grabbed dinner at Coogee Pavilion. This venue is ideal for families and has a large downstairs with a games area complete with a life-size checkers board, giant magnetic scrabble, and ping pong. After dinner, we went to the rooftop for a drink and a beautiful view of the beach. Finally, we took a bus back to the hotel where I said goodbye to my family as I will not see them for another month. This family visit was the perfect way to end my semester abroad as I shared my favorite places in Sydney with the people I love.
