Coming to Australia, unlike Saudi Arabia, it was not an unknown country. While it was my first trip here, but having lived in London and with holidays to European cities, I almost knew what to expect. On top of it, I had couple of very close friends and families in Sydney whom I was looking forward to meet.
As my other travel blogs, this won't have much of a tourist plan or iterinary. Since it was a work trip, pretty much most of the day-time in 4 working days were spent inside meeting rooms and rushing from one meeting to another. So the family holiday planner would be better off reading some other blogs/articles. This could be a guide for the worker-bee looking to squeeze some sight-seeing time between work. This could be a random compilation of my experiences or conversations, bunched up together. Here it goes !!
(1) Iterinary overview
I took off from Mumbai on 24th Sept and after 16 hours (via Delhi) landed in Sydney in early morning hours of 25th Sept. 3 full days of meeting (25-27 Sep) and I had some personal time with family & friends over weekend. Then landed into Melbourne on 29th Sept, day-long meetings on 30th Sept and took the 16 hour flight back home (via Delhi) on 1st October.
(2) Air India [needs lot of improvements]
Spending 12.5 hours in a confined space is not easy, so business class experience is supposed to take some misery away. The inflight experience of Boeing 787-8 flights both ways was below average with the recliners not functioning properly and the entertainment console erratic. As the national carrier, Air India represent the country and somewhere it didn't paint a positive picture. Also with a 1 million Indian diaspora and increasing tourism & trade between the countries, there needs to be more frequent direct flights between the countries.
(3) Country of migrants :
As a country, Australian history would be under 200 years old starting perhaps with the gold rush in 1850s which attracted lot of migrants (primarily UK and European nations) into the country. The mining sector still leads the way, but over time, the country has seen migrants from China and India. You can not miss these 2 two countries' presence as you walk through the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Most whom I met had migrated to Australia in the past 12-15 years. The quality of life seemed to be key motivator to move from home countries, which I couldn't disagree. Faster commute (less traffic or good public transport), fresher air (less pollution), work-life balance .. Few things a Mumbaikar or Delhi-ite crave/pray for daily!!
(5) For the lovers of Running, Coffee, Wines and Gelato :
Both cities have a very lively running scene and I could see lots of runners braving the drizzles and early morning chill as they went about accumulating miles by feet. I too managed a 10km & 12km exploring the attractions of Sydney & Melbourne respectively. I feel this is the best way to get a real touch & feel of the city.
One of the early movers to the country were the Italians who brought with them 2 things which has become an integral part of Aussie life - Coffee and Gelato !! I had good experiences of both throughout the trip. Few standout names that come to my mind are Riverno Gelato (Sydney Darling harbour), Anita Gelato (Bondi) , Toby's Estate coffee (Sydney) and Brunetti cafe (Melbourne).
Australians are proud of their wine and believe it to the best in the world. I may have had one-too many bottles in my trip so don't want to disagree. I understand wine is one of the key commodities being discussed for a lower tax regime under the ongoing free trade agreement between India and Australia so we could see more Aussie wines on Indian stores shortly !! Cheers 🥂 to that!
(6) Few must-dos while in Sydney in no particular order:
Firstly the Ones I managed to do:
(a) Roam around the Sydney Opera House. The area is quite lovely with a good promenade, lots of food options and an absolute stunning view of the Harbour Bridge.
(b) Walk/ Run by the ocean promenade from Sydney Harbour to Botanical Garden/ Mrs Macquarie's chair: It's approx 2 km stretch with Pacific Ocean on one side and lush beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens on the other side.
(c) Darling Harbour and it's restaurants
It's a lovely waterfront presinct offering various attractions & dining options to suit every taste and pallate. Unfortunately it was a rainy evening so we didn't enjoy much outdoor time and focused more on the Italian food at Casa restaurant.
(d) Bondi, Coogee beaches
I was told that once the summer season sets in Oct/Nov, these beaches tend to get full of crowd - both locals as well as the Northern hemisphere tourists escaping the winters. It was almost empty when I visited these beautiful stretches of white sands.
Things I missed doing, but recommended when you are here for 1-2 days:
(a) Take the public ferry from Circular Quay. These boats are a lifeline for many who live in the suburbs and come to work on the central business district. For $1, the ferries take you from the CBD to the various designated stops, few of them being Manly Quay (popular for its beach) and Sydney Zoo.
(b) Sydney zoo to see some kangaroos, koala bears etc.
(7) Few must-dos while in Melbourne in no particular order:
(a) Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
MCG is not just a stadium, it's an emotion and that too not just for ardent cricket fans but also venue for popular sports events like Australian Football League. I took a 75 minutes tour of the stadium and it was simply a magnificent experience. All the guides look 70+ years old, but they will make you walk fast as they try to take the group through MCG's rich history, hosting famous events including the Olympics 1956.
(b) Botanical Gardens, Alexendra Gardens in the heart of the central business district - Good options to run/walk here
(c) Explore the banks of Yarra river by foot, cycle or by rowboats too!!
