Day 1
We flew 15k km from Chicago to Sydney via San Francisco (18 hrs total flying time). All on time and smooth, but we spent a few extra hours in San Francisco after bumping up our flight from Chicago (to 6-hour lay over) because of possible construction delays at SFO. With Opal card from fellow TA traveller loaded in advance in Chicago, it was a brisk trip by bus 420 to Mascot and train T8 (green) to Circular Quay, and short walk to our hotel (☞ Mercantile Hotel) in the Rocks district, just next to Harbour Bridge. Wasting no time, we were on ferry F1 from Circular Quay to Manly. After short break at Manley harbor, we took bus 132 to Clontarf (Beatrice St) where we crossed-over to Spit-Manly trail (recommended) for relaxing 10 km walk back to Manly.
Clontarf-Manly
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Picked-up food at Manley Fish Market (fish and chips, and grilled baramundi) for late lunch on Manly Beach. Walked around a bit, grocery-shopped at Coles and took ferry back to Sydney just in time to watch sunset over the Bridge on approach to Circular Quay. Circled around the Rocks neighborhood and finished the long day viewing the City from Harbour Bridge.
Day 2
We started the day with morning views from the roof of Overseas Terminal at Campbells Cove.
Sydney harbor from Overseas Terminal rooftop
We then walked around Opera house and spent good part of the day in Royal Botanic Garden (recommended) where we had coffee and picnic lunch. Then we waked to Mrs Macquarie’s Point, visited Art Gallery of NSW (Australian, Aboriginal and European art) on the way back, and crossed through CBD to St Mary Cathedral, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building, Town Hall, St Andrew church, St James church, Barracks, State Library of NSW. Finished the day with delicious dinner at Pony Restaurant (recommended) in the Rocks (grilled snapper with pea pure and asparagus, and lamb rump with lentils and mint pure).
No pieknie jest w tym Sydney!