P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Syndey...does not exist!

Photo compliments of Danielle

Sydney Harbour Bridge... check!
Sydney Opera House.......check!
Botanical Gardens............check!
Staring at top-notch business men all day and not being discrete at all, Danielle.... check, check!
P. Sherman 24 Wallaby Way, Sydney... Sorry all of you Nemo fans. It doesn't exist!

I know, I'm as bummed as you are, too. But, despite the nonexistence of one of the most famous addresses in the history of movies, I had such an AMAZING day in Sydney. Gina, Danielle, my new awesome friend Yoshua, and I started the day off bright and early this past Friday and caught the two and half hour train ride to Central Station! As always, Danielle did not fail us with her healthy obsession of picture taking. "You're going to thank me one day, children when you have hundreds of photos to look back at!"

Upon arrival, Gina and I were thankful to have two Sydney pros with us to guide us through the massive Central Station. We caught the next train to Circular Quay and began our day of adventure.

Danielle and Yoshua had reservations to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, which is something I will be doing before I leave here. I mean if Oprah and Gale did it, then I find it extremely necessary to do it as well! We walked down George Street, the main city road through Sydney, and dropped Danielle and Yoshua off to make the climb. That's right, I'm quoting Miley Cyrus! Also, kudos to Danielle for making the climb. She's afraid of heights, and kept tripping the whole way there. I'm just glad she didn't trip and fall off the bridge! Who would have been there to take pictures of us for the rest of the day?!

The climb took three and half hours, so Gina and I ventured off for lunch and to view and take pictures all of the "touristy" landmarks. Our first stop was the Australian Art Museum. Neither of us are interested in art whatsoever, but felt the need to prove we had the chance to actually see the museum. We walked in and Gina took a picture. The creepy smiling woman jetted over and told us there was no flash photography inside of the museum. We simply smiled, turned off our flashes and kept walking. Two seconds later, the same woman is right behind me telling me that backpacks are not to worn on the back. I could hold it at my side or in front, but not on my back. Hmmmmm? We took this as a sign to leave, and just take a picture from the outside of the building. I'm still surprised they didn't make us sign a release or agreement for that photo opportunity.

We then had lunch at the adorable Rossini Cafe. This Italian restaurant sat right on the harbour and had a wonderful view. In Australia, waiters are paid a flat hourly wage of about $20 an hour, so there is no tipping over here. This is great for the waiter, but not so great for customers. Being used to American waiters who are at your table side every twenty seconds ready to take your order, see if you need anything else, or ask for the hundredth time how you meal is, the laid back mentality of Australian waiters takes a bit to get used to. After being seated for about twenty minutes, I finally forced eye contact with the Italian/Australian waiter (talk about a confusing accent to understand) and he came over, but needless to say, we didn't see him again for awhile. But, it's all a part of the culture here and our food was delicious, so there is no need to complain! I had a scrumptious bowl of minestrone soup and Gina had a gourmet margherita pizza.

Photo compliments of Gina

After lunch, we headed to the peaceful and serene Botanical Gardens. The gardens were huge with different paths every which way. There were four statues representing the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn; little temple looking huts; benches; fountains; picnic areas; fluorescent flowers; vibrant colours; and beautifully landscaped greenery at every turn! Talk about a beautiful place to have a lunch break! It was such a funny, yet neat sight to see heaps of business blokes and sheilas dressed in suits and ties, lounging around on their backs, taking a nap in the grass or having their lunch.

 I even saw one woman doing yoga over in her own little corner while another man was passed out on the other side of the bush. Of course I took a picture, which probably completely disrupted and violated her yoga zen, but hey, I'm in Australia! Young school children were even picnicking during their lunch break, which I thought was too cool! I could totally see myself picking up and moving there! Don't worry mom, dad, and Elyse, you can come, too!

At the end of the gardens was the Sydney Opera House! What a memorable moment. I've seen this landmark on every travel advertisement, seen it on Oprah, and have always heard about it, but standing right there on the stairs was just incredible. The architecture and design is magnificent. All of the different wedges fit perfectly together and the overall design was inspired by an orange. Pretty cool, right?
 Next weekend I will be going to the ballet, Infinity at the Opera House, so check back to hear about that!

Gina and I then made our way to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Back to you Nemo fans, this is where Nemo's dad winds up! The whole time I kept thinking of those darn seagulls saying, "Mine, mine, mine." No one can do it like you though, dad!

The Harbour was magnificent! The sun reflecting on the water was lovely. It was such a classy atmosphere as well. That night I got chilly and put on my hoodie. I was probably the most ghetto/dressed down person there, which really goes to show you how sophisticated everyone is! People tend to compare Sydney to New York, but they are in no way, shape, or form alike!

We finally met back up with Danielle and Yoshua and trekked to Paddy's Market. Talk about an overwhelming amount of discounted items! I bought a rugby sweatshirt-- originally $70 in the souvenir shops-- for $10. Talk about a super steal! After the market we went to Cold Rock, which is Australia's version of Cold Stone, but with about half the amount of sugar, and the portions are actually manageable, unlike Cold Stone! I got a scrumptious cup of Aussie Vanilla with cookie dough, and 100s and 1000s, which are just rainbow sprinkles. Yummmm!

We finally made our way back to the Harbour to see the bridge and the opera house at sunset and it was spectacular! The night life was amazing. There were jazz players lining the harbour playing saxophones and violins.

After a long day of walking, climbing, staring at business men, and laughing, we worked up a huge appetite and found an Italian restaurant tucked away. The food was amazing and it was the perfect way to end a wonderful day! We made our way back to the train station and took the longgggg train ride back. The whole time we had to listen to a group of fifteen year old girls squealing about the One Direction, which is an Australian boy band, concert they just went to. They also all got new hair extensions while in Sydney, so they were a big hit for the ride, too. They took them out, then put them in, then took them out, and put them in a different way, but took them out so they could put them in yet again in a way that would let them put their hair up into a pony tail. To be honest, the extensions didn't even match their hair! It was quite comical.

At midnight we finally made it to the next train; however, it was not scheduled to come for another hour and a half. Then a drunk guy came running through the train station, yelling and staggering everywhere. About a minute later, two undercover cops with guns came strolling through and casually asked us if we saw the Aboriginal fellow wandering through here. We all just shook our heads and pointed in his direction. I found this so interesting though, because in the states, there is no way a police officer would have pinpointed someone's race like that. That's a big difference I've noticed. Australia is not half as worried about being politically correct all the time, which is kind of a relief. Well, ten minutes later the cops came back, without the Aboriginal fellow, and told us to have a good night. By this point we were exhausted so we decided to catch the bus. We got on and at the next stop, guess who shows up? That's right, the Aboriginal fellow! He hopped right on without paying, then there was a scene while the bus driver kicked him off. It was quite amusing.

But after a long, fun-filled day, we made it back to Edwards Hall and fell fast asleep. Sydney was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to go back! My words and picture cannot describe how beautiful it is there, so if you ever hit the lottery, or rob a bank, I suggest making Sydney one of your top destinations!

Cheers, mate!

Photo compliments of Danielle