The flight touched down during the wee hours of Monday morning. It was a very exciting trip, with many small events all stringed together. I also got myself “baptized” while I was there too. And I have the signs to prove it too!

Also, my rather old pair of gloves eventually failed, so I had to get myself a replacement.

4 fingered gloves?

I had to cut off the digits of the index fingers as it was already tearing off on one side. The otherside had to go too in order to balance things up.

Can you spot the holes?

There’s actually one on the left middle finger, where I have a ring on, and one on the right palm. That comes with an interesting story too.

Still in mint condition

Pity there weren’t any in Red colour. It would have been awesome.

Guess the material

I may have paid double for this new pair, but at least it’s 90% leathers where it matters the most. Compared to the old pair which is made using mesh material, this should be better. The padding’s better too.

Now to sort out my photos.

This trip was almost on a whim. Only decided on the destination the night before, and because it was a sunday, the newsagent won’t open until 9.30 am.  I had initially planned to board the bus at 9, but that won’t happen for at least another 30 minutes. I needed to visit the newsagent as I decided to get the day tripper pass. I’ll need to take at least 2 modes of transport, and using the day tripper ticket, it’ll probably be a dollar or two cheaper.

I took the usual bus to The Rocks where I switched to the ferry service to Manly Beach. I was initially considering a switch of buses one way, and the bus and ferry combination for the return trip. At least this way, I’ll get a mix of scenery. However, the lure of photo opportunity made me follow the same route.

Arriving at Manly, I walked around for a bit before having lunch of Fish and Chips on a park bench by the beach. It’s cheap, but you cannot beat the superb views and relaxing atmosphere. Why eat indoors when the outside is so refreshing?

After lunch, I decided to do the walkies. I think I’m almost hooked. I’ll probably need to find something else to do when summer comes around, but until then, walking will keep me occupied just fine. It’s fun exploring new areas, not knowing what you’ll expect. A bit like travelling, except that at the end of the day, you’ll be back in your own bed; which happens to be in a hotel.

The walk was fantastic; the view fabulous. As I walked, I had a rough idea of where I was going. All I had with me was a street directory, and it had a rudimentary walking path made up of dashed lines. It’s anybody’s guess if that’s up-to-date, although it’s quite unlikely that the walking trails will change that soon. Then I stumbled upon the remains of an Artillary camp which has since been converted into a visitor’s center. After spending over an hour inside, I exited the compounds and headed back to the warf.

I had time to kill, so I found myself a park bench and took our my trusty book.

As the sun got lower, I had a quick dinner before to the ferry terminal. I decided to time my return ferry ride to coincide with sunset, which should make for excellent pictures. What I didn’t have, unfortunately was a camera with anti-shake built-in. Almost all of my shots were slightly blurry, since I was on a boat, and it’s not without engine vibrations. Still, I think I managed to get at least one ok shot.

Let me make things a little clearer, and put some dates in.

2008-10-12 – Lake Parramatta National Park

2008-10-18 – Blue Mountains Hike

2008-10-19 – Hyde Park and Botanical Gardens

2008-10-26 – 7 Bridges Walk

2008-11-01 – Sculptures by the Sea & Bondi to Maroubra Walk

2008-11-09 – Manly Beach

2008-11-13 – Picnic @ Botanical Gardens

2008-11-15 – Skydive

2008-11-23 – Sydney Motorcycle Expo

2008-11-30 – Manly to Spit Bridge Walk

2008-12-03 – Lane Cove National Park

2008-12-06 – Rozelle Market & Glebe Market

2008-12-07 – Bikes @ The Rocks

One thing I’ve started to indulge myself in since arriving Down Under, was to behave like a local. I still have a long way to go, but I think I’m slowly getting there.

My only fear is that I may just end up overdoing it, which is usually the case anyway. Interestingly, I did not really indulge myself while back home. I guess now when one is “living more or less alone”, there’s is more freedom for indulgence. Price could be a factor too, since the dynamics of it here is different compared to how things are at home. The standard offerings are not at all enticing, and for the exotic variety, the cost is usually more than the cost of a meal. Over here, is remarkably different.

I’m almost spoiled for choice.

Life is good.

The first weekend of November was yet another gathering with my student friend. She had two other friends along, so the crowd was growing! It was off to Bondi this time, for the Sculptures by the Sea.

It’s free to view, but costly to purchase, so it’s another one of those outing possibilities for the cost conscious. It’s always good to know the many ways of having a good time without breaking the bank. The previous week at the 7 Bridges Walk was one good example. Especially here, since it’s very commonplace to see people having a picnic on the grass. It doesn’t cost much to get a take-away Fish N Chips. It costs even less if it’s homemade sandwiches.

I arrived at the Sydney CBD early, as I needed to get a pre-pay ticket in order to board the express bus to Bondi. There’are actually two services, with the quicker service requiring a pre-paid ticket. Problem is, I couldn’t find a newsagent which sells single trip pre-pay. All of them sell the Travel-Ten ticket, but none had the single trip ticket. I spent almost 45 minutes walking around and just asking around. In the end, I reached the bus stop just in time to board the normal service which turned out to be not that slow after all.

I arrived quite early, and had time to walk around Bondi a little. That’s one thing that I’ve noticed and adapted to. Or rather, trying to. Since the frequency of buses are not that high, usually 20 to 30 minutes between them (except for the high volume services), you tend to plan ahead in order to catch the timed service in order not to be late. 30 minutes can sometimes make a difference between 15 early, or 15 minutes late. The timetable helps, but it’s a drag having to carry one around.

Contemplation

SN and her friend JD arrived a short while later, before JD’s significant other, AN arrived. The weather appeared a little gloomy and threatened to open up. Even then, it failed to deter the persistant visitors, us included. I had a guide book with me, thanks to a colleague who had visited the exhibition earlier. It was interesting to know the cost of the exhibits, should we get the urge to splurge for the occasional artwork. Thankfully for us, the lack of a proper home for the piece of art, the lack of financials and a practical sense of mind kept the money in the wallets. There were at least a hundred art works on display, all scattered along the coast from Bondi Beach to Tamarama Bay. A good day’s worth of walking and viewing.

Hoping

Right around 1, JD and friend decided to head back since they have a paper to sit for on Monday. That leaves just SN and myself. There’s still more to see, and we have not even reached the half-way mark. I’m not really an art aficionado deep down, so some of the works were easy to appreciate while some just didn’t really make sense. Then there were those which were a few notches above the rest.

Reaching Tamarama Bay, we stopped for lunch before finishing up the remainder of the exhibition. The weekends here are fantastic, to say the least. Lunch by the beach sitting under the sun without any shade and not even breaking a hint of sweat. Then again, it’s only spring; Summer should be balmy.

Then came the crazy suggestion – walk from Tamarama Bay back to the apartment. I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into, but what the heck? I had good company, and after going through the ups and downs of Blue Mountain, this should be a piece of cake. I didn’t have a proper pair of walking shoes though – more like hiking shoes which gives my littlest toe a sore, and a sole which allows water to slowly seep in. Other than that, I’m game.

From Tamarama Bar, we passed by Nelson Bay, the Bronte Baths, through Waverley Cemetery, around Burrows Park, past Clovelly Bay, Gordons Bay, along Coogee Bay and to South Coogee. From there, it was a mess of turns before we arrived at the apartment. I do remember walking along Cuzco road though. It sure brought back memories. Total walking time was probably in the region of 4 hours or so. Don’t really remember exactly.

A short rest in the apartment before dinner and the long trip back to the hotel for me.

Frankly speaking, I think that was one of the best long walks I have ever taken. There wasn’t really any targets set, except that we probably should arrive at the apartment before nightfall, which we did. There was no hurry whatsoever. We could rest whenever we liked (only once did we sit on one of the benches), pause to admire a stunt kite being flown, a game of lawn bowling, beach volleyball. Perfect weekend away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Three sundays back was yet another humungous walk for me. As before, I never did prepare for it in particular, except for getting up and starting the day bright and early.

It’s called the 7 Bridges Walk, and the name already hints, the walk encompasses crossing 7 different bridges. All in one day, all within one walk. It’s a circuit with no start or finish in particular, so you can practically start from anywhere along the route. Certainly helps to spread the crowd out, as all along the route, the participants were all comfortably spaced out. With similar pace, chances are you’re bound to be walking for a good portion of the way with the same bunch of walkers. There isn’t a fixed start time either, so it’s all up to how much you want to achieve, and how much enjoyment you want to derive out of it.

I started out not exactly early, since the bus ride is almost a quarter of an hour long. The startpoint for me was  at The Rocks, just at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, beside Circular Quay. Coincidentally, I managed to do a bit of prancing horses spotting, since the Ferrari owners club decided to have a club gathering right at that spot. Saw several vintage Ferraris together with the new ones, including my favourite, the 550 Maranello. I even saw a Hummer H2, with one of the best registration plates ever – DESTROI

So, I started the walk. Comfy pace with comfortable weather allowing me to reach Pyrmont bridge just in time to meet up with my colleague. From there, it’s us with his wife and newborn having an enjoyable time getting fit by walking. There were the occasional spots where the sun came on strongly, but it was great most of the time.

Two hours later, we stopped for lunch at one of the Irish pubs for lunch. Steak was the item of the day, but no Irish beer for me, although I would have wanted one. We were very near my colleague’s home, so it’s the end of the walk for them. Me however, had quite the distance left to cover. I ended up with a mix of the Bundaburg beer and cola, which turned out to be refreshing. Sweet with a mild taste of alcohol. We stayed in the pub for over an hour, and was reaching 2 by the time we left. That left me with a very tight schedule in order to reach the Harbour Bridge before the cut-off time of 5. An hour later, I decided not to risk it and took the free shuttle bus to Milson’s Point. From there, I walked across the Harbour Bridge back to me start point.

That’s the end of the walk for me. I didn’t exactly complete the entire circuit, but I did cross all the 7 bridges, which was what I had set out to do anyway. At least there’s some unfinished business for me to look forward to next year.

Usually, we end up deciding that the weekend is much too short. Friday night goes and Saturday arrives. An entire Saturday of action only leaves one Sunday to recover. Sometimes, that one Sunday just isn’t doesn’t seem enough.

Playing chess

Following my _first_ hike after many months of inactivity, I welcomed Sunday with aches all over my legs. That’s not the worse of it either. I had an appointment with a friend of a friend. No, not a blind date. Nothing like a seasoned foreigner showing a noobthe ropes. I was already brought for a ride two weeks ago. Nothing like another tour around. At least now, I have a rough feel for the Sydney CBD, which direction should I want to get to where I needed to be, where to get what I wanted.

Call me hard core, but even though my legs were screaming for mercy, I did a fair bit of walking still. A lot slower and on flat even ground, but it’s walk all the same – the Royal Botanical Gardens. The green well kept lawns were simply inviting, literally. There was a sign which invited everyone to walk on the lawn.

The previous saturday was another filler for me. Little do I know that this will be the trend to come. Was initially planning to head to Manly beach. In the end, I met up with my uncle and we went to one of the weekend markets dotted around the area. Lots too see and buy, only that I didn’t see what I wanted to buy, which probably was a blessing in disguise. On the way from the market to their home, we passed by one of the motorcycle accessories store which I had wanted to visit 3 weekends ago. Which I didn’t, until now. Almost a motorcyclist’s wet dream come true. Racks upon racks of boots, leathers and buckles; and rubber. Then there’s denim and codura. And helmets. Whatever motorcycle gear you can possibly want, it can probably be found there. Probably. Almost a wet dream, for they only stock accessories. All the shiny hardware is outside, and sadly not for sale. Best part is, I got myself a riding jacket. It comes with fleece, rain proof liner, and armour – _the works_.

Yes, that

It’s all slowly coming together.

Unlike my stay in Delhi, it’s a lot more enjoyable here in Sydney definitely. For one thing, I’ve got friends and relations here, which make the weekends pass a lot quicker. So, unlike the previous experience, now I’m out of the lodge when the morning comes around. Then again, I had already visited most of the sights in Delhi during a leisure trip there, even before I was sent there for work. Although I’ve been to Sydney a couple of times, it’s mainly Touch N Go, often departing to the neighbouring locations.

There’s quite a bit of exploration to be done within Sydney and around. I’ve not been to the beaches along the east coast, which is world famous. There are numerous national parks dotted around the area too, and all of them are begging to be explored.

The previous weekend, I headed out with a colleague to the Blue Mountains. I’ve been there before, no doubt but the itinerary then is different. We were more touristy, heading to see the popular sights. This time however, we behaved more like locals, heading out to the trail and enjoying nature as a whole. From the main start point, we walked along the Valley of the Water trail, heading towards the Vera Falls. The path is quite well definied. However, it’s the first time either my colleague or myself walked on this route, so it’s all quite new. I guess the previous time he’s been here, the others were probably not up to the task. How good of him to think so highly of me, considering that it’s rated as a difficult trek, which will probably take us up to 5 hours to head to the falls and back. Not to forget that I’ve not been excising for this year, since I’ve been out of the country for a good portion of the year.

We passed by quite a number of falls, some of which I am unable to put a name to. There’s just so many, it’s easy to get mistaken unless you’ve been along the route numerous times. We eventually arrived at what we believed to be our target. It’s probably not a very popular trek, since it’s a dead end, and hikers will need to retrace their steps, so much so that the area wasn’t signposted at all. I expected to see a sign saying “Welcome to Vera Falls”, but then, this isn’t America, or so I was told.

A few moments later, another pair of hikers appeared. Only difference was that they came via a route we didn’t know existed. We decided to explore. After a little while, we found outselves joining another popular trail. Astounding. By the end of it, we had walked a total of three routes, bringing our combined hiking time to five and a half hours. Quite speed I’d assume, since we had meshed a good portion of the trails in one afternoon. A good lunch later, we tood a bit of time to see the touristy sights again before heading back.

Plonked down some money for the deposit.

There’s no turning back now. Yeeha!

I had time to myself on Sunday. It was enjoyable being by myself, walking around the Lake Parramatta reserve nature trail. Parramatta, which was another district about an hours worth of bus ride from where I am, is a rather big suburb with loads of car dealers; brand new or second hand? You want it, you can probably find it there.

I arrived well within my schedule, but conveniently realised that the bus I was meaning to take runs only on Saturdays. I could have remembered the wrong bus service which I should take instead. I pondered heading out to the car dealers for a little while, before heading to the nearby bookshops to check for the correct bus service. Heading back to the terminus, I realised to my dismay that I had just missed one of the buses, with the next one arriving two hours later. Yup, there are only three services on a Sunday, and I had just missed one of them. How wonderful. I ended up taking another bus service and walking a little further just to get into the lake grounds.

The weather was refreshing; the un was shining, but it wasn’t uncomfortably hot at all. 15 minutes into the walk, I paused on a big rock outcrop and had one half of my packed lunch. It was a very nice and quiet moment for me, with bottle of wine and good company missing. Otherwise, it would have been doubly enjoyable.

It would have been a well rounded end to the walk, if I had not missed an important turn. From that point on, the trail narrowed a little, and the signs all but disappeared. In the end, I walked an additional half an hour, but still managed to exit the route with enough time to relax at one of the gazebos around the lake.

Better yet, I went to the motor registry to transfer my Singaporean drivers’ license over. The process was quick, and I only had to a eye-sight test. After all the paperwork, I had my spanking new drivers license in my pocket. With that, I can legally drive … and ride motorcycles of any engine capacity! A full license! Now time to hunt for my dream set of wheels!