De paseo por Sydney

A stroll through Sydney—so peaceful and unpretentious…

A STROLL THROUGH SYDNEY OF YESTERYEAR

In 1783, the war between England and its American colonies came to an end. England suddenly found itself on the losing side, with an impoverished population and a huge number of prisoners who were costly to maintain… How could the problem be solved? By sending the most distinguished members of the prison population to a distant land discovered by James Cook a few years earlier. And so, in 1788, 11 ships carrying 750 prisoners and several British soldiers arrived in Australia… and the rest is history… Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

These model citizens, who arrived in chains, needed infrastructure appropriate to their standard of living, so prisons, courthouses, and similar buildings were quickly built.

So let's get to know them by taking an easy, not-too-long tour of Sydney's historic sites:

You won't need public transportation for this route, and you'll end up in Sydney Harbor, where you can explore the most modern and impressive part of the city.

Let's start with the religious needs of the new local population: A church had to be built. So they got to work, and that's how construction began on the St James Church.

¿Y quien y cómo se construyó? Ya hemos leído que aquí solo llegaron presos y soldados ¿no? Pues su arquitecto fue un tal Francis Greenway, un arquitecto británico que había sido deportado a Australia por falsificación de documentos y toda la estructura fue levantada por los prisioneros que residían justo al cruzar la calle, en los barracones de Hyde Park Barracks (also designed by Greenway) that we will visit next. In fact, the first informal religious service in 1822 was held in a building that was still under construction to protect the prisoners from the rain. 

Our church actually began operating as a de facto court, and for a loooong time it was the tallest building in Sydney. Today, it’s slightly surpassed by the Sydney Tower you see in the photo, which stands at 309 meters; anyone who wants to visit it will have to pay about 18 AUS$.

Across from them are the Hyde Park Barracks, built to house some 600 criminals under a sort of parole system. Many of these criminals started their own businesses, earned their freedom, and became millionaires (in fact, many Australians proudly boast that their great-great-great-grandfather was one of these entrepreneurial criminals); it’s one of the best museums in the city and costs only 10 AUS$.

Here is their website: https://mhnsw.au/visit-us/hyde-park-barracks/

On the same street, we find more remnants of that first settlement, such as the Sydney Hospitaand the mint, which replaced what had been the customary “currency of exchange” in transactions in the absence of official currency: ! bottles of rum !

Just to the left of Circular Quay is a small hill where the British authorities housed the bulk of the convicts as they arrived: The Rocks. Little remains of the ramshackle buildings that the convicts themselves built, but you can visit the site on a free walking tour that departs at 6:00 p.m.

A STROLL THROUGH TODAY'S SYDNEY

Now that we've had our fill of history, it's time to take a tour of modern Sydney

Sydney Opera House

Paradoxically, the area next to what was once the most run-down neighborhood is now the most popular with tourists: it is the Circular Quay area and the well-known Sydney Opera House

In 1957, a young Danish architect—Jøn Utzon—won the competition held by the Australian government to build an auditorium. More than 200 designs from architects around the world were submitted. Utzon moved with his family to Australia to devote himself body and soul to what would become his life’s work….

…but this story doesn’t have a happy ending. Cost-overrun issues led to Utzon’s resignation, and he left Australia through the back door; he wasn’t even invited to the building’s dedication in 1973, although later, in an attempt at reconciliation, they enlisted his help in remodeling the interior…

There's an extremely expensive tour (37 AUS$) that takes you on a one-hour tour of the interior; honestly, it's not worth it even if you're a fan of opera or architecture because they hardly show you anything—just a few of its rooms, like this one:

For more information: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com

One thing that isn't too expensive and is really cool is taking a tour of the bay aboard one of the public ferries at the port; if you have time to spare, you can take different routes to see various sights from the water

The Royal Botanic Garden

What is essential to me is the immense botanic garden which is located east of the opera house.

It's free, it's spotless, and it has plenty of charming spots; highly recommended

Walking Tour from the Royal Botanic Garden to Sydney Harbor

The break is over, and it's time to take a nice walk around Sydney Harbor. I suggest this route to the Mrs Macquarie’s Point

And who was Mrs. Macquiare? Well, she was the wife of the Governor of Sydney in 1810. She liked this trail so much that, at its end, her husband had a small lookout built—they say he literally had a chair nailed to the rocks near the sea….

Beaches and Excursions 

Bondi Beach y el Bondi to Cooge Coastal Walk

A large group of surfers is waiting in the water for the right wave… soft sand, pretty girls, and fancy food: you're at Bondi Beach, the place where Sydney's cool young people hang out.

Since I'm neither young nor cool, you might be wondering what I was doing there: Well, there's a short hike you can take along the coast for about 6 km where you'll enjoy spectacular views: the famous Bondi to Cooge Coastal Walk; the route would be as follows:

The route is easy (all flat) and very photogenic; you can even take a dip along the way.

I recommend bringing your own food because the neighborhood is extremely expensive, even by Sydney standards. To get there, take bus 333 or 380 from Circular Quay, Martin Place, or Hyde Park.

Another hiking trail: The Manly Scenic Walkway

Here's your new route: it's about 10 km and also pretty easy.

Take bus 169, 178, 179, 180, or 185 to Spit Bridge. There, about 10 km from Manly, is a path that runs along the coast and lets you admire—and envy—the lives of wealthy Australians….

…in addition to indigenous artifacts and local wildlife

Once you arrive at the Manly ferry terminal, you can continue on for another 5 km to North Ford, a military outpost that once guarded access to the bay. Personally, I didn't think it was worth the extra 10 km, even though I enjoyed the view from the Fairfax lookout.

Manly It's a secluded residential neighborhood where life is perfect. I hope that in my next life I'll be reborn as one of its residents: hidden beaches, elegant bars, a friendly neighborhood… a great place to stop for a while and rest from the walk.

I recommend taking the ferry back at dusk to enjoy the Sydney skyline in all its glory

For the same reason, I don't recommend taking any tour that involves sailing around the bay; with the public ferries (whether heading to Manly or Cockatoo), you'll see the same sights but, of course, for less money.

Museums

When you're out and about in Sydney, be sure to stop by a museum

Visiting Sydney's museums is a very expensive endeavor, so you have to be careful; fortunately, the most iconic one—the Museum of Contemporary Art—offers free guided tours (11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.), although no matter how well-guided the tour was, between the strange exhibits and the Australian accents of the volunteers leading it, I didn't really understand much 😓

Here's their website, in case you're interested: https://www.mca.com.au

Enjoying Sydney at Night

Y para acabar nuestro paseo por Sydney…¿donde se sale de fiesta? Al que le guste la acción de verdad no debe de dejar pasar el barrio de King’s Cross, con su icónico anuncio de Coca Cola

Neon lights, fast-food restaurants, and dancers and prostitutes who quickly smoke a cigarette before getting back to work… Darlinghurst Street is supposedly home to the red-light district, the seediest part of Sydney, although, like everything else here, it’s so elegant and sophisticated that there’s not much mystery to it.

Come on, I'm exhausted from all that walking around Sydney, haha. No more walking for me…

Sydney has so much more to offer, but it takes a lot more time—and money—to see it all….

If you want to read more about Australia: https://999millas.net/category/paises/australia/

Whether you liked this post (or not), leave me a comment!! 🙂

Texto y fotos : Mike !