With nearly a month on the farm behind me (wow hard to believe it was almost four weeks) I headed back to Sydney. I took the bus from Leeton to Wagga Wagga, and then to Sydney via train. Sam and Mike had arrived in Australia on Thursday and were staying at the Radisson Blu in the CBD (Central Business District). I wasn't sure where I would stay - maybe a hostel - but luckily they had plenty of room for me to crash at the hotel. After a night in the Radisson Blu we moved to the Park Hyatt for two nights; by the way, if you actually paid for a room there it would cost you upwards of $900!
So how did Sam and Mike manage to book the rooms? Well just as you can open up credit cards to earn airline miles, you can do the same with hotels. Cards like the Starwood Preferred Guest and Club Carlson give you bonus points redeemable for free nights at ritzy hotels worldwide - not bad for backpackers! We wouldn't be able to stay at top end hotels during the whole vacation, but we sure enjoyed it while we could.
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| The Park Hyatt is next to Darling Harbour |
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| Sam posing in the hotel |
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| Our double-sink and shower (separate toilet room) |
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| With Mike and Sam on the hotel roof (Opera House on the top left) |
I spent three nights in Sydney with Mike and Sam before the three of us flew to Cairns - using airline miles of course. On Sunday we checked into the Park Hyatt, explored the Rocks, the area around the harbor bridge, walked to the Botanical Gardens, and spent quite a bit of time simply enjoying the room. If you are staying at the Park Hyatt you really need to spend some time in the room to get your moneys worth (or points)! The room itself was nice, with a spacious bathroom, comfortable bed, and even a heated-seat toilet. But the best part was definitely the view. Our room opened up over Darling Harbour and the Rocks, with a view of the Opera House to our left. That's where the money is!
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| Hard to beat the view from our balcony! |
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| the roof deck |
Mike and Sam had stocked up on beers, goon (cheap boxed wine), and vodka, so in the spirit of St Patrick's Day we drank more than our fair share. In the evening we hopped in a taxi to Kings Cross - with three or four people short trips in a taxi can be cheaper than the train - to check out the nightlife. Even on a Sunday night I'd of expected some activity, but the Cross was pretty dead. Recent laws shortening bar hours and aimed at curbing excessive drinking seemed to be working. Unfortunately we were wearing shorts, and for a lot of clubs in Sydney that is a no-no. We aren't into those types of clubs anyway, so after a short stroll around the CBD we headed back to our hotel. Can't complain about more time to spend at the Park Hyatt!
On Monday afternoon we took a ferry from Darling Harbor to Manley, a northern suburb with a nice stretch of sand, trendy cafes, and a more laid back atmosphere than the CBD. There we met up with three Swedish backpackers whom I had met at the Fruitshack. They only managed to stay in Leeton for 10 days and then headed back to the city to look for jobs. A friend was celebrating his birthday and they invited us to join. We spent the afternoon drinking in the park, went for dinner in Manley, had a drink at an Irish bar (have to on St Patrick's Day), and caught the last ferry to Darling Harbor at 12:20. Again not a super late night, but a fun one nonetheless.
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| View of the Harbour Bridge from our ferry |
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| CBD and the bridge |
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| Arriving in Manly |
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