By the time I got back to Sydney, I had just 1 week left before I had to fly back to London so I tried to fit in as much as I could. I spent 1 morning hanging out in the trendy Surry Hills area and then walked down to Darling Harbour which was beautiful!

I spend a day at Centennial park with my friend and that was also beautiful!

I walked across the Harbour bridge one day and went to the pylon lookout which has some pretty cool views:

I wanted to re-do some of the things I had loved here in my final few days so I did the walk from Bondi beach to Coogee again. It was a perfect day and was so so beautiful. I use that word a lot when talking about Sydney, but it is very fitting! Here are a few pictures:

I also took the ferry over to Manly again in my last few days and just spent a few hours relaxing on the beach there:

I definitely want to spend some more time here. I think moving over here for a year or 2 would be pretty sweet but we’ll see! Watch this space!

So after spending a few days relaxing in Khao Lak, I flew from Phuket to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Sydney! I arrived in Sydney at 6am and was expecting it to take a long time to get out of the airport. After watching many episodes of Nothing to Declare, a TV show about Australia’s Border Security, I was expecting to be greeted by sniffer dogs, 1,000 questions, and for my bags to be thoroughly analysed but instead, I was straight out in less than 15 mins. My friend picked me up from the airport, and we headed out for breakfast. My 1st thoughts driving out of the airport were that everything seemed so normal! Scarily so! After 5 months in Asia, it seemed so strange to be back to ‘normal’ living and tap water you could actually drink!! I caught up with my friend over breakfast, and then we headed back to her house where I slept for what seemed like the whole day! I hadn’t really slept in 2 days before arriving so pretty much just passed out!
Over the next couple of weeks, I got to see quite a lot of Sydney! I love it here, and here are some of the reasons why:
1. The Harbour – stunning stunning stunning! That pretty much just sums it up! The view is just beautiful! Just walking around Circular Quay in my 1st few days, looking out onto the harbour and seeing the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, I was hit with the feeling of wow I’m really here!
2. The beaches – after spending time at the beaches in Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia, I thought I had seen it all but I really hadn’t! The beaches here are just incredible! So far, I have been to Manly beach, Bronte, Bondi, Maroubra, Wollongong, and Cronulla, all of which I can’t speak highly enough of!
3. The atmosphere – I just love how laid back it is here! Especially compared to London! My usual brisk power walk I had perfected so well in London has been replaced with just a slow casual stroll here everywhere. Just taking life easy and enjoying the moment! It isn’t crazy crowded here like it is in London which makes everything so much more pleasant! No one pushing past you and having to fight your way through the crowd. Even in the tourist areas, it is still very pleasant. I have noticed that when crossing roads here, everyone actually waits for the green man! Even if there is nothing coming! Such a change from London where you just try and run across the road at the 1st chance you get because you have to get somewhere! I have loved just strolling through the city, and taking everything in while making pit stops at cafes and parks to just sit and enjoy!
4. The weather – granted I arrived at the beginning of summer, but the weather here is just beautiful! And there is something about knowing I am currently escaping the London winter that makes it that bit more satisfying!

Here are a few pictures, more to follow!

Sydney Harbour:

Botanical Gardens:

Wollongong: