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Each year, Sydney turns into a dazzling extravaganza of lights. The spectacular displays on the famous Landmarks, Sydney’s skyline and throughout parks are turning the Vivid Sydney into one of the best known light, music and ideas festivals in the Southern Hemisphere.
When we woke and got up, we found some toiletries on the bathroom floor that had fallen due to last nights swells. Thankfully our sleep was not disturbed by the rough seas, perhaps even enhanced by the motion.
Queen Elizabeth arrived in the port of Hobart early in the morning, although we have been to Hobart before, our arrival by a cruise ship was a first and a truly memorable one. As the ship approached and maneuvered to its dedicated berth, we could smell and feel the cool air of Hobart, after all it was a chilly day at 14 degrees. Sydney may have been hot and sunny when we left but autumn had arrived in Hobart offering a pleasant change.
Beds proved to be very comfortable indeed, room remained dark thanks to good curtains, quiet and not too warm or cold just perfect for a restful nights sleep. Drawing the curtains and opening the balcony door revealed the weathers possible intentions, a big sky and vast open deep blue water, sunny with a light breeze, what a spectacular view.
Accessible by public transport such as bus, ferry, water taxi and by car, Watsons Bay is definitely a must place to tick off for visitors to Sydney. By car, it’s about a half hour drive from the city, but the ferry will give you the option to see the magnificent Eastern side of Sydney by water.
If you’re looking for a good picnic area in a secluded bushland setting alongside spectacular water views then the Woronora Dam is definitely worth visiting, located on the Wonorora River on Sydney’s Southern fringe. It’s less than an hours drive from the city on the Princes Highway, bear right continuing on the Highway where it splits to become the Princes Motorway. Passing through Waterfall and its large railway station, the turn-off to Woronora Dam Road will be sign posted a short drive up and will a right hand turn off the Highway.
Christmas holidays maybe over but summer is just hitting its peak. Baby it’s scorching hot outside! Yes, most parts of Australia have been bracing for heatwaves over the last few days and the best place to cool down is definitely by the pool or beach. If you still have some holiday break left, check out the unsurpassed beauty of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest of New South Wales about a 2 – 1/2 hour drive North of Sydney.
Sydney is once again graced by mauve thanks to the yearly Jacaranda season. November is the peak month and these flowers are drawing crowds for photo ops and I must admit those spectacular blooms are insta-worthy. If you haven’t had the chance to take a selfie or a group photo don’t despair, the magical purple flowers are still here for more few weeks.
There is still time left if you haven’t visited the Sculpture by the Sea 2018, it closes on the 4th of November. I usually visit this exhibition during the first week but the recent Sydney rain has been unforgiving. Thankfully this week, the sky cleared up and the sun came shone, so it’s time to check it out!
If you’ve landed in Davao City Philippines and wanted to spread your towel and soak up the sun, you’ll find that there are no beaches in the city. You’ll need to reach the Island Garden City of Samal, the beach resort capital of Davao. There are 80 resort operators on the island ranging from budget to mid-range and high-end resorts, it’s an easy reach by car or ferries.
I have just come back from a relaxing 10 days in my homeland the Philippines, visiting my folks, catching up with friends and all the extended family members. Everything went smoothly the moment I stepped onboard my Philippine Airlines flight from Sydney to Manila and onwards to Davao and vice-versa. Considering the drama that has taken place before I flew out, the Xiamen airline incident that paralysed airport operations for few days as well as lingering wrath of recent super-typhoon.
After spending a lot of time walking and exploring a city sometimes you just feel the need of a relaxing journey to your next destination. Although flying is the fastest means of travel to reach your next port, it can still be very tiring. Transfer to the airport, the rigmarole of airport checks and often long queues and delays can be energy draining. And when you reach your destination, often you’ll find the airport is miles away from the city centre and a new set of obstacles just to reach it.
