Australia travel part 4! Sydney overnight.

As our ship arrived back to Sydney, we set out to explore. This would be our last together all together with my friends before I set out on my solo part of my Australia trip.

We started our day out at breakfast in an area of Sydney called, The Rocks. It is an area directly off where cruise ships dock in Sydney. A great spot to grab a bite to eat before or after a cruise is a place call ‘Pancakes on the Rocks’. It has a great variety of eggs, Australian bacon, and most importantly, pancakes! Highly suggest a stop in if you are in the area!

After months of planning my trip back to Australia, I decided that while I was here, I wanted to take a piece of Australia with me. I have been a traveler for some time now and it is deeply rooted in my soul (as most of my fellow travelers can relate). I’ve been looking for the perfect symbol for travel have have tattooed on me and in the planning stages of this trip, I found one that kept popping up. My best friend, whom I had planned this surprise trip to see, has also been considering his first tattoo. He had made me promise that on our upcoming vacation together, we would go to get his first (and for me to add another to my collection). So to go along with our Legendary trip to visit, we decided to get our tattoo done in Sydney together. Gemma, the other member of our fabulous threesome, decided she was up for taking the plunge on her first tattoo as well. A way to remember our amazing time together. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, no, we did not get cute matching tattoos! Just something meaningful to each of us for different reasons. It was just taking the time out of our Sydney day to get them all done together.

The Illustrated Man Tattoo in Surry Hills area of Sydney was a great experience. Brett was patient with the two newbies to tattoos and all of us were extremely happy with our designs and final products.

Gemma went for a tattoo with a small heart connected to two small paw prints in honor of her puppies she helps rescue. Bernie went for a Japanese Kanji symbol for strength. An ode to his love of anime and to reminder to himself of the strength he possesses. Mine, is an Australian Aboriginal symbol for travel and journey, with a resting point in the middle. Thank you Brett and Illustrated Man for our new art pieces! Bernie is already planning his next ones. I think I created a monster!

After a great cruise with Bernie, it was time to send him back on the ship. I am so extremely blessed to have friends in my life that are so hard to part ways with. But it is never goodbye, just see you soon! Back on my home turf of California next time!

Gemma and I made our way to our hotel for one last night in Sydney. The Pullman Circular Quay was an amazing choice! Located directly next to the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanical Gardens, it was the perfect location for us to watch our home from the last week sail away before heading out to watch the sunset from the Sydney Opera House.

Right after sunset, there is a great art display on the sails of the Opera House. It is a moving art display by Badu Gili. It is best viewed from the Podium of the Monumental Steps of the Opera House. It is about a 7 minute display of aboriginal art that is absolutely breathtaking and no trip to the Opera House should be complete without seeing it! It can be viewed at sunset and 9pm every evening.

We grabbed a great dinner from one of the open air restaurants that lines the walk along Circular Quay and brought it back to our balcony to enjoy with overlooking the Quay and Harbour Bridge.

In the morning, we enjoyed a quick breakfast on the balcony before packing our bags and checking them with our hotel to enjoy a few of the morning hours exploring the Royal Botanical Gardens. Being we had a limited time before we had to make our way to our next destination, we opted to enjoy to leisurely ride on the Choo choo train around the Gardens. It gave us a great overview of the grounds and gave us some of the history.

With the morning going by far too quickly, it was time for one last ‘see you soon’ with Gemma as she headed to the airport and I jumped on the train to the Blue Mountains. Sydney is a beautiful and iconic city but it was time for me to explore some of the nature wonders that Australia has to offer!

Up next is my time in the Blue Mountains before I make my way down to Melbourne for some more adventure. Keep watching for upcoming posts on the charm and beauty of the Blue Mountains, Phillips Island, and the Great Ocean Road.

Thanks for following my adventures!