My Love Affair with Sydney

[MMDown Under]

yWhen I was young, I didn't dream I could travel overseas one day.  No-one in my family had flown.

 

However, we could visit Sydney, our NY.  As soon as I could travel on my own, I caught the train and Greyhound bus to Sydney.  I had one of those wonderful aunties who wasn't an aunty.  I used to stay with her at Penrith in the bush. 

 

Over the years, I stayed at the wonderful CWA at Potts Point, which started my love affair with Potts Point.  You could be poor, yet share with the rich who lived there.  One year I went to the Wayside Chapel Christmas lunch with all the other street people. It was a walker's paradise - you could walk to the city via the Botanical Gardens or walk to Elizabeth Bay and further bays on the harbour.

 

When younger, I started visiting harbourside parks.  The best harbourside parks for a boozy picnic in Inner Sydney.

wseltzer.com.au

Favourite walks on the harbourside -

Taronga Zoo (by ferry) walk through bush to Balmoral Beach (by bus return to city)

Maleny (by ferry) to The Spit Bridge

Watson's Bay (turn left or right inner harbourside)

Watson's Bay (The Gap) along the oceanfront to North Bondi/Bondi

Bondi to Bronte (oceanfront walk)

 

the 14 best SYDNEY Walks

www.sydney.com

 

Sydney has excellent live theatre, museums and art galleries.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

yWhen I was young, I didn't dream I could travel overseas one day.  No-one in my family had flown.

 

However, we could visit Sydney, our NY.  As soon as I could travel on my own, I caught the train and Greyhound bus to Sydney.  I had one of those wonderful aunties who wasn't an aunty.  I used to stay with her at Penrith in the bush. 

 

Over the years, I stayed at the wonderful CWA at Potts Point, which started my love affair with Potts Point.  You could be poor, yet share with the rich who lived there.  One year I went to the Wayside Chapel Christmas lunch with all the other street people. It was a walker's paradise - you could walk to the city via the Botanical Gardens or walk to Elizabeth Bay and further bays on the harbour.

 

When younger, I started visiting harbourside parks.  The best harbourside parks for a boozy picnic in Inner Sydney.

wseltzer.com.au

Favourite walks on the harbourside -

Taronga Zoo (by ferry) walk through bush to Balmoral Beach (by bus return to city)

Maleny (by ferry) to The Spit Bridge

Watson's Bay (turn left or right inner harbourside)

Watson's Bay (The Gap) along the oceanfront to North Bondi/Bondi

Bondi to Bronte (oceanfront walk)

 

the 14 best SYDNEY Walks

www.sydney.com

 

Sydney has excellent live theatre, museums and art galleries.

 

 

Forgot to mention friends of mine do the nude swim from bush on walk to Balmoral.  There is a nude beach (Lady Bay Beach) on the harbour front beach between south head and camp cove on walk to the entrance,

Best Sydney Nude Beaches ( You don't have to swim nude, but read it for the Aussie language.) 

manofmany.com 

[MicCanberra]

I like visiting Sydney, wouldn't live there ever again.

[MMDown Under]

18 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I like visiting Sydney, wouldn't live there ever again.

That is what my daughter says and she lived in Drummoyne a beautiful harbourside suburb.

She lived in Canberra prior to Sydney - what a contrast!

[Chiliburn]

54 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I like visiting Sydney, wouldn't live there ever again.

The best way to see Sydney is in the rear vision mirror.

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

yWhen I was young, I didn't dream I could travel overseas one day.  No-one in my family had flown.

 

However, we could visit Sydney, our NY.  As soon as I could travel on my own, I caught the train and Greyhound bus to Sydney.  I had one of those wonderful aunties who wasn't an aunty.  I used to stay with her at Penrith in the bush. 

 

Over the years, I stayed at the wonderful CWA at Potts Point, which started my love affair with Potts Point.  You could be poor, yet share with the rich who lived there.  One year I went to the Wayside Chapel Christmas lunch with all the other street people. It was a walker's paradise - you could walk to the city via the Botanical Gardens or walk to Elizabeth Bay and further bays on the harbour.

 

When younger, I started visiting harbourside parks.  The best harbourside parks for a boozy picnic in Inner Sydney.

wseltzer.com.au

Favourite walks on the harbourside -

Taronga Zoo (by ferry) walk through bush to Balmoral Beach (by bus return to city)

Maleny (by ferry) to The Spit Bridge

Watson's Bay (turn left or right inner harbourside)

Watson's Bay (The Gap) along the oceanfront to North Bondi/Bondi

Bondi to Bronte (oceanfront walk)

 

the 14 best SYDNEY Walks

www.sydney.com

 

Sydney has excellent live theatre, museums and art galleries.

 

 

The harbour walks are nice,I have done most of them and I try to do a leisurely 6 kilometres at a time.

The Manly to Bondi is 80 km in its whole and some do it in 4 days. It took me about 2 years in between other walks.

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

The harbour walks are nice,I have done most of them and I try to do a leisurely 6 kilometres at a time.

The Manly to Bondi is 80 km in its whole and some do it in 4 days. It took me about 2 years in between other walks.

You are a good walker.  There is a Great Walk now which would be wonderful for long distance walkers.

[arxcards]

I love Sydney - the harbour, the foreshore, the beaches. We would happily live on the harbour, but the CBD is of little interest. It always had that distant fascination of the big smoke when I was a kid, and I spent some holidays there around the time the Opera House opened.

 

The bridge has always been the main attraction for me, for Barb it is the walk from the ferry, through the Corso and Manly beach. My favourite walk is around the edge of the harbour from the Botanic Gardens over the bridge to Milson Point station, then past Lavender Bay and down to Macmahons Point to catch a ferry back to CQ.

 

Ships give us plenty of excuses to spend time in Sydney, and we try to find another gem with each visit. Lots to explore yet.

[MicCanberra]

Try walking down around Barangaroo and the rocks, and then down to Kings Wharf. Great walk and then some food and drink.

[MMDown Under]

18 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Try walking down around Barangaroo and the rocks, and then down to Kings Wharf. Great walk and then some food and drink.

Yes great walk.  Sydney is a walker's paradise.  We used to walk from Drummoyne, past the new cruise terminal, past ?, past old ship terminal, (now Barangaroo), past the old wharves, which were saved from demolition (now STC, Ballet etc,, finally under the Harbour Bridge to OPT.

We used to stop at the waterfront Bicycle Shop for a genuine Italian coffee.  

[NSWP]

7 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

The best way to see Sydney is in the rear vision mirror.

Agree mate, i left there in 2005. After living and working there 40 years.

[NSWP]

8 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Forgot to mention friends of mine do the nude swim from bush on walk to Balmoral.  There is a nude beach (Lady Bay Beach) on the harbour front beach between south head and camp cove on walk to the entrance,

Best Sydney Nude Beaches ( You don't have to swim nude, but read it for the Aussie language.) 

manofmany.com 

We used to lock them nudies up in the 60’s and 70’s, lol. ‘Offend against Decency’ or Wilfull  and Obscene Behaviour if they played up, lol.

 

Thank goodness those days are gone.🥵

Edited November 29, 2023 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Agree mate, i left there in 2005. After living and working there 40 years.

It is one thing to work there and another to be a tourist.  It is our best city to be a tourist, buy all Capitals have something special to offer.

 

5 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Agree mate, i left there in 2005. After living and working there 40 years.

u

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

We used to lock them nudies up in the 60’s and 70’s, lol. ‘Offend against Decency’ or Wilfull  and Obscene Behaviour if they played up, lol.

 

Thank goodness those days are gone.🥵

True, I didn't know my respectable friends were doing anything illegal.  It was a mass swim community event so guess they had approval.  

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

Agree mate, i left there in 2005. After living and working there 40 years.

I don’t know how they drive a semi in Sydney,the traffic is horrendous.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Chiliburn said:

I don’t know how they drive a semi in Sydney,the traffic is horrendous.

Plus the freeways.  Last time we drove around Sydney, Rooty Hill, etc to Canberra.  The turnofff at 

Newcastle was a nightmare, which we survived both ways.  We planned to stay in Newcastle on the way back, but decided a little peaceful place just north of there would be better.  It is handy to he in a little vehicle with interstate number plates.  Truckies, in big vehicles, don't want to be held up on their journey.  

A friendly wave in appreciation doesn't hurt.  Lucky I'm not a lip reader.

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

We used to lock them nudies up in the 60’s and 70’s, lol. ‘Offend against Decency’ or Wilfull  and Obscene Behaviour if they played up, lol.

 

Thank goodness those days are gone.🥵

I took some ladies for a walk around south head there a while ago.

We went past the nudist beach there ,I think it’s Lady beach. I believe it’s a gay pick up beach.

My couple of friends where amazed at a fellow strutting around with his flag pole at full mast.

I dragged them away and we continued to south head. When we come back in half hour he was still there , flying the flag at full mast.

My friends couldn’t stop laughing and said it must be modern medicine .I-told them to stay away.You don’t where that thing has been.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

I don’t know how they drive a semi in Sydney,the traffic is horrendous.

I have found as long as I know where I am going in Sydney, it is a breeze. At least the drivers are courteous. Two places I hate driving, as it can be so aggressive. One I face regularly between Newcastle & Maitland is bad on a good day. The other is between Brisbane & the border on highway one.- at least Newcastle to Maitland is only 2 lanes of stupid each way.

[Chiliburn]

4 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I have found as long as I know where I am going in Sydney, it is a breeze. At least the drivers are courteous. Two places I hate driving, as it can be so aggressive. One I face regularly between Newcastle & Maitland is bad on a good day. The other is between Brisbane & the border on highway one.- at least Newcastle to Maitland is only 2 lanes of stupid each way.

Have you ever driven in the U.S. Geoff ?

Very courteous drivers over there. Because everyone has a gun under the seat .

 

I remember seeing some bumper stickers. Keep honking,I’m reloading.  And another was cover me I’m changing lanes.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

I have found as long as I know where I am going in Sydney, it is a breeze. At least the drivers are courteous. Two places I hate driving, as it can be so aggressive. One I face regularly between Newcastle & Maitland is bad on a good day. The other is between Brisbane & the border on highway one.- at least Newcastle to Maitland is only 2 lanes of stupid each way.

What do you mean between Brisbane and the border on Highway One?  I turn off at Hope Island. 

[SinbadThePorter]

I lived in Sydney for 40 years. There are two Sydneys. One lives near the water and the other doesn't.

 

The first one is fun to visit. The second one is fun to leave.

Edited November 29, 2023 by SinbadThePorter

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

What do you mean between Brisbane and the border on Highway One?  I turn off at Hope Island. 

In response to Chili, I commented that I have found Sydney drivers to be more courteous than most. Put a blinker on, and someone will give you space. In other places, put a blinker on and watch them close up the space to leave you nowhere to move. Over time, I have found two places that are more aggressive (lacking courtesy) than others, one of which is the motorway between Brisbane & the NSW border. It is the only place I have seen cars weaving around 5 lanes of traffic, so others tailgate to prevent weavers from cutting in front of them.

 

My daily drive has something similar, but only two lanes. It has the added joy of urban & suburban traffic mixing with interstate semis and holiday traffic - all with different agendas and driving methods. The motorway link from Black Hill to Hexham Raymond Terrace is 40 years overdue, and that will be much better in 3 years time when that is complete. 

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Have you ever driven in the U.S. Geoff ?

Very courteous drivers over there. Because everyone has a gun under the seat .

 

I remember seeing some bumper stickers. Keep honking,I’m reloading.  And another was cover me I’m changing lanes.

Very little Phil, and not in the cities.

I would hate to be at a disadvantage not being armed. The other thing I am not a huge fan of is the size of some of those suburban tanks.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

In response to Chili, I commented that I have found Sydney drivers to be more courteous than most. Put a blinker on, and someone will give you space. In other places, put a blinker on and watch them close up the space to leave you nowhere to move. Over time, I have found two places that are more aggressive (lacking courtesy) than others, one of which is the motorway between Brisbane & the NSW border. It is the only place I have seen cars weaving around 5 lanes of traffic, so others tailgate to prevent weavers from cutting in front of them.

 

My daily drive has something similar, but only two lanes. It has the added joy of urban & suburban traffic mixing with interstate semis and holiday traffic - all with different agendas and driving methods. The motorway link from Black Hill to Hexham Raymond Terrace is 40 years overdue, and that will be much better in 3 years time when that is complete. 

Thanks.  That is interesting.  I travel early with little traffic and no trucks on weekends.  However, I have seen cars weaving around traffic lanes in the past.  Most of Queensland major road accidents are in the country,  However, when we drove to Canberra at Easter, there were two major accidents, one in Qld and one near Port Macquarie, which closed the freeway.  Traffic had to divert through the suburbs.  Just what you don't want on a long car drive!

[Ozwoody]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

In response to Chili, I commented that I have found Sydney drivers to be more courteous than most. Put a blinker on, and someone will give you space. In other places, put a blinker on and watch them close up the space to leave you nowhere to move. Over time, I have found two places that are more aggressive (lacking courtesy) than others, one of which is the motorway between Brisbane & the NSW border. It is the only place I have seen cars weaving around 5 lanes of traffic, so others tailgate to prevent weavers from cutting in front of them.

 

My daily drive has something similar, but only two lanes. It has the added joy of urban & suburban traffic mixing with interstate semis and holiday traffic - all with different agendas and driving methods. The motorway link from Black Hill to Hexham Raymond Terrace is 40 years overdue, and that will be much better in 3 years time when that is complete. 

 

I hate driving in Sydney, everyone is in a hurry, roads twist and wind every which way, and to many one ways. But yes the amazing thing is, if you put your blinker on they do seem to make space for you.

And yes I have to agree the M1 motorway does have more than its share of weavers ducking back and forth, especially as you get down neat the Gold Coast area closer to the boarder.

I think it maybe Sydney siders desperately trying to get home to cramped roads, the open spaces up here tends to freak them out a bit I think.😁