I HEART Sydney!

Sydney and the folks who live there are amazing!  What a wonderful surprise to me, Sydney being the largest city in the country with 3.5 million inhabitants and growing.  People walking down the streets and waiting at traffic lights are so personable, with a wide range of smiles and humour on most faces.  This is a far cry from most big cities I have visited; with Chicago, Liverpool, and Dublin being other surprising exceptions.  But Sydney beats all!

So I had a one-night layover in Sydney after I left Brisbane, on my way back to NZ to transfer Miss Millie the Magnificent Van to her new owners.  (Brief parenthetical:  even though the sellers’ market is fierce this time of year (winter), Millie was sold – albeit for $1400NZ less than I paid for her - through an internet car market in less than 24 hours because of my glowing report of our travels together and the marvelous pics of her with spectacular NZ in the background.  And more than 15 interested buyers continued to contact me after the sale was made.  Totally rad, as I was a tad bit worried I would not be able to sell her because there were so many vehicles on the market!)  I arrived in Sydney at 9pm on the evening of my birthday, so of course I was going out to see what Sydney had to offer!  It just so happens the 2011 Art of Lights Festival is in full swing:  there are artistic light designs on several buildings such as the Sydney Opera House, and in the waterfront park at night.  Lots of people were strolling around admiring them, as I did.  Pretty cool.

On my way back to the hostel, I passed the first social establishment with live music and just as lively dancers I had seen all night. Of course I couldn’t walk by without exploring this Irish Pub’s contents! Within 5 minutes, I had 10 new Sydney pals (in 3 separate groups!) who were eager to help make my birthday a great one.  J Lots of dancing to mostly American music, even some country – very typical of both AU and NZ.  Well, at 5:00am two of those very friendly and welcoming locals were still rarin’ to go, but for the first time in a long while I wasn’t the last one to call it a night. Must be getting old!  ;) Nah…for the record, it was because I had a flight to catch early the next day, and the thought of a few hours’ sleep was mighty inviting. 

I love ya, Sydney!  Way to make my nearly last impression of OZ a very special one!