Only few days are left here in Australia, and there can’t be better way to end this trip than with its most iconic city: Sydney!
Our hostel is in Woolloomooloo, the quarter with the funniest name, but very central and with easy access to the central district, either though the botanic garden or the shopping streets. Our first stroll through the city center takes us by the Opera House, which is undergoing some fixing of the facade and the stairs, but still fully operational. The building itself looks pretty old when you look at it from very close, so you are much better off from the other side of the harbor, or from the top of any of the building close by. We get an amazing view from the roof of the Museum of Contemporary Art on the Circular Quay. The heart of town sits at the root of a bunch of skyscrapers, with classy shopping centers and food courts.
After days in laid back coastal villages we get to Brisbane, which is the Melbourne’s first competitor on what concerns art and culture. With our backpacks getting heavier and heavier at every stop, we slowly make our way from the bus station to Chinatown and “Prince Consort” backpackers hostel. So much for the name, the hostel is pretty questionable. No window in the room. A DVD player but no TV! We can just stare at it thinking which nice movies we could have watched. The common kitchen seems to run by “clean before use” (not after). But the city has plenty to offer and a little bit of sun helps us appreciate Brisbane even more. The city is developed along the Brisbane river with nice bridges, a zig-zagging water taxi running up and down, and a fake beach to make it look as fancy as possible. On one side of the river the cultural center features plenty of museums, a theater and an entertainment complex. Nice coffee places and restaurants round off the river front. It’s a nice place to be, where you can bike or run to work along city parks or even the mangrove forest!
Next stop on the list is the touristy Airely beach (pronounced Eli), on the coast just inside the Whitsundays islands. Just as we get excited about the idea of a sailing tour of the islands, the rain starts to pour.