Bussing to Bondi

Awoke this morning to some sore muscles in dire need of caffeine!  Kelly was quick to head down to a small coffee place (Wood Roaster) just around the corner from the Pullman Hotel. It was very good as all coffee seems to be revered here!

Weather is mixed cloud with a 20% chance of rain...  high of 22 forecast.  Our destination is Bondi Beach, famous for sand, sun & surf and some great scenery.

We scoped out the bus trip using our Opal app that has a neat trip planner for various routes and types of travel to get from A to B. It helps makes the trip effortless. 

Our bus stop is a short walk from the hotel to catch the 380 Bus then a 30 minute ride to Bondi Beach. We arrived several minutes early only to see the first 380 bus drive right past us... didn't even go into the bus lane or think about stopping? OK... we consulted the app and another one was 6 minutes away... it stopped and we were off to the beach via many stops! We got off at Campbell Parade at Knotts Rd and then started the famous Bondi to Bronte walk.  First order was food so we ended up at the Crabby Hole cafe (at the Bondi Iceberg Club) for a sandwich. 

Bondi Beach

Iceberg Swim Club with crashing waves hitting the outside lane!

 Next was a gorgeous walk along the “trail” that gave us fabulous views of the rocky shores and sandy beaches. We also grabbed a cache along the way.  The sun was out in full force and I wished I had worn my shorts at this point!

Stunning views with a churning ocean!

Amazing rock formations!

 Below I have left Kelly in the pics to give some perspective of the rock formations.

Must do if you come here!

We returned back to Bondi Beach and checked out the Bondi Pavilion then headed over to grab a cool beverage before taking the 380 north to Watsons Bay. 

On arrival we found a great vantage point to view the Gap Bluff which gave us even more amazing views of the rocky shoreline (no beach here!)

The Gap Bluff

Stunning views!

 We then grabbed the ferry back to Circular Quay via Rose Bay.  It gave us a taste of the small fast ferries that will take us to Manly Beach tomorrow afternoon.  It was a bit cool as it clouded over and I was glad I wore pants! (such was the weather today). The ferry took us past the Opera House providing another photo op for us. 

It's ferry time!

Crew member Kelly prepares to leave Watsons Bay.

Spotted this nice racing sailboat "Ichi Ban"... reminded me of the ongoing Volvo Ocean Race.. which I have been following.

Another view of the Sydney Opera House

Never gets old!

Our ferry dropped us at the Quay and we returned to what now are familiar grounds. Jumped on the train and came out at Museum Station at Hyde Park. We then headed over to Starbucks to purchase the requisite mug with "Sydney" written on it.  :-) (I won't tell Dave how much this one cost! Kris is correct, this is a very expensive country)

We walked back through Hyde Park with it's amazing trees and stopped by the ANZAC Memorial which, unfortunately, was closed for a big upgrade.  

ANZAC Memorial

Back at the hotel it was time to relax and prep for dinner. Thai tonight at a restaurant suggested by Kris.

We cleaned the salt off us and headed for Chat Thai on Campbell. St. just a few blocks away. After walking right past it, we regained our bearings and wer were quickly seated... good thing because the place filled up with a crowd standing outside waiting. The smell was fantastic and we took some time deciding on a couple dishes. It was great and we enjoyed it immensely.

Pork Ribs.... say it slowly!

A quick stop at Coles for some suntan lotion and a couple bottles of Kelly's new favorite wine from the Squealing Pig Winery in New Zealand... yep that is the name!

Back to relax and plan our "move" day as we head over to Manly Beach tomorrow.