Sydney is love at first sight, even after a 22-hour journey from Prague. Flight was smooth, but we are struggling hard with Baby’s jet lag. We wake up at 2AM with Baby banging toys on our heads. We wait around until he wakes up from a 5 hour afternoon nap. We tried keeping him up, but the old truth of “never wake up a sleeping baby” is still valid. We are not doing that again. Ever.
Being on this crazy schedule means we get to avoid all the crowds. Waiting for a sunrise at a completely empty Sydney’s Opera. Seeing the usually busy CBD district slowly waking up. So slowly actually, you cannot get a decent breakfast yet. Walking across Sydney Harbour Bridge at midnight, getting the full view because the huge cruise ship that was blocking it has finally left. Priceless.
Sydney is famous for its coastal walks. The Spit to Manly Coastal Walk took us about 4 hours at comfortable speed, allowing a nice break for Baby to get out of his carrier in Tania Park Playground. We actually found it by chance when taking a detour to see Arabanoo Lookout, half way through the hike. The only thing missing was a kiosk with a cold beer.
A visit to Sydney is not complete without Bondi Beach. As we arrive, we are taken aback by how pretty the beach is, and how laid back the atmosphere is. We expected a fancy city beach, full of rental sunbeds and packed with luxurious hotels. As we watch Baby to play in sand, we suddenly see the lifeguard running to rescue a swimmer. What is weird are all the go-pro cameras, cameramen, and mics around him. Bondi Rescue live! In fact this is a reality show about Bondi lifeguards running on since 2006. How cool is this?!
Tip:
Gateway food court right next to Circular Quay has an amazing baby room for free usage: nappy changing table, microwave, sofa for breastfeeding, air conditioning. Now this is a new level of “baby friendly”.
