If you could be in Australia this weekend what would you like to do? Cuddle a koala, go surfing (with the sharks), pat a kangaroo, visit Sydney, the tropical north, the outback or one of our amazing beaches, rain forests or mountain ranges for instance? What would you do and why?
Looking back, I have been to Australia twice in my life. I visited Sydney in 2009 (that was 15 years ago!!!) and subsequently Melbourne in 2011. Time flies indeed.
If I could be in Australia this weekend, one of the top ideas off my list would be to re-visit Sydney.
Why?
I was simply too young back then. I was still studying in 2009, and back then, planning holidays were so different. Most people (at least in my country) relied on travel agencies to secure their holidays, which included everything from flight tickets to choice of accommodation to the full itinerary. These days, most of us book our own flights based on our preferred timings or even airlines, and choose our hotels based on our preferred location within the city, and customise the places which we would like to travel.
As such, I was brought from one tourist attraction to another during my trip back then. It wasn't a bad thing, but I feel that if I were to re-visit Sydney, I would do some research and customise my own travel itinerary.
Here's some old photos which I took back in 2009. Are you able to guess which landmarks are these? :)
Instead of being rushed from place to place on a tour bus, I might have chosen to spend more time admiring the Sydney Opera House, and chill at a cafe and soaking in the views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or perhaps I could set aside more time to get a tan at Bondi Beach.
And speaking of Bondi Beach, if I had a chance, I would love to visit this place - Bondi Icebergs Club! The swimming pool looks so cool because it's right beside the ocean!!! The homepage of the website says it all - have copied it below!
Of course, I think like most places, the city would have changed a lot over a span of 15 years, so there will be new places to visit and new experiences to try.
All in all, I am not sure if it's an age thing, but as I grow older, I don't fancy rushing from one tourist attraction to another, as though there is a checklist to accomplish. I prefer to experience living in different cities, such as taking a stroll in the local parks or just lazing at the beach for half a day, and that's my perfect "chill" holiday. And because it was something that I didn't get a chance to do during my trip back then under a tour package, I thought I would re-visit Sydney if I could be in Australia this weekend. Hehe!
That's all from me this weekend! Wishing all a belated Australia Day if you are celebrating it!