It’s now been a month since I’ve arrived in Australia and since the last time I’ve posted, I’ve been able to explore Sydney a little more…
Two Sundays ago, a group of my friends and I went to Manly Beach for the 2016 Australian Surfing Open. Manly is located on the opposite side of the harbor then the city, so if you don’t have a car, you have to ferry across! As we were crossing, there was so much activity on the water and between the sailing races, kayaking and parasailors, the boat ride flew by. When we got to the beach, we luckily got a prime viewing location of the surfers and had the judge’s tent/commentators right behind us. The waves were massive that day and they even banned swimming on a portion of the beach because the current was so strong. We got to see a few male and female professional surfers compete, which was really cool and impressive! Every time one of them came out of the water, the crowd would surround them and take millions of pictures. Some surfers even got carried out on the shoulders of their fans!
Later when we caught the ferry back, it was perfect timing to cross the harbor because the sun was beginning to set. And as we rounded the corner, we got an incredible view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the iconic Opera House.
Later that week a group of us went to a Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line concert in the city. There were a lot of other Americans at the concert, which was nice to hear the familiar accents! At the end of the concert we noticed a girl wearing an Ole Miss shirt and so we of course took a photo with our fins up!
That Friday, Madison, our friend Emily and I went to check out Coogee Beach on the Eastside of Sydney. This by far was the smallest beach we’ve been to, but the town was full of amazing restaurants and shops. Later that night, Madison, Clancy and I went out to dinner in the city. We luckily got a table right next to the water with the view of the Queen Mary II. After dinner we walked along the waterfront and around to the Opera House.
This week was pretty exciting for Madison and I because we were lucky enough to tour the studios at ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) and SBS (Special Broadcasting Service). At ABC we were taken on every floor and were able to see live airings as well as the behind the scenes jobs that make every show successful. Then on Tuesday night, we were able to visit SBS. We were fortunate enough to be able to be in the newsroom for the beginning half of the 9 o’clock show as it was airing. Then for the second half of the show we were taken to the control room, where the directors and producers give the countdowns to the reporters and control the camera changes. We were beyond amazed with the talent the people had at both ABC and SBS. I personally never realized how much work and skills it took to produce a show.
Later this week, we went to Pancakes on the Rocks, which is a very popular restaurant in the city. Their menu is loaded with amazing types of pancakes, crepes and all sorts of breakfast foods. I personally am a chocoholic so I of course ordered one of the “chocolatiest” things on the menu…
And to finish this week off, we had another gorgeous beach day at Bondi! We think there won’t be many more, as the weather here is starting to cool off and we begin to head into Aussie Fall!
