Unique Places in Sydney

The bookshop Gertrude and Alice on Hall Street in Bondi is one of my favourite places in Sydney. Each time I've gone I've found out of print books, drunk great coffee and eaten far too much. Every city needs a bookstore like this. If you want to engage the brain and stomach and rest your jandal blisters this is the place.

This wishing well never fails to at least draw your eyes to it for just a fleeting moment. The Well features a bronze sculpture of Queen Victoria's favourite pet dog "Islay" and all 4 sides, plaques with words of compassion. I was surprised to see some with Chinese words!

As advised by the Queen Victoria Building website, tens of thousands of dollars have been casted by well wishers into the wishing well and all money goes to the NSW Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.

Location: QVB's Forecourt.

The Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo, is something else. Historically ,it wasa passenger for cruise ships in the early years of last century.It was where a lot of the troops left for the infamous battles of World War 1 and also where a lot of our migrants after the Second World War had their first landing in Australia.After a lot of demo's and protest it has been restored and is now a heritage item
A walk through and around it is really worth while.
The street front has been turne into a luxury hotel calledThe W.
The public areas are worth touring .They have maintained the atmosphere of an old working wharf and yet made it into a very stylish and elegant hotel.
Half way along ,you go down onto the wharf itself as the second half ,(the harbour end) is all very luxurious apartments.Think Hollywood Stars etc.
You can walk along to the end of the wharf passed some fabulous yachts and cruisers and the gardens of the apartments.You can then throw a line off the end of the wharf and catch a fish.I love Sydney's egalitarianism, even millionaires cant forbid public access.
Coming back along the wharf there are several excellent restaurants where the beautiful people love to be seen.
Across the road is The Woolloomooloo Bay Pub. They serve wonderful beer battered Fish and Chips for a very reasonble price.
100 mtres along the road is Harry's Cafe de Wheels,a real Sydney institution.
After lunch a walk around the restoration of old Woolloomooloo is again well worth it. The central area is all public housing,carefully restored, keeping its Victorian character, after many violent protests from developers in the 1970's
This is surrounded by very expensive private property.Woolloomooloo is well worth exploring.

One of the most famous and advertised views of Sydney can be had from "Mrs. MacQuarie's Chair". (See my separate "to do" tip on the subject) Millions of tourists have snapped photos of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, as viewed from the chair.

But, what about the scene from the other side of the looking glass? The accompanying photo shows the pleasing greenery of Mrs. MacQuarie's Chair/Point, as photographed from the edge of the Sydney Opera House.

So, going Humphrey Bogart on Mrs. MacQuarie's Chair, "here's looking at you, kid".

Well, I could not go all the way to Australia and not check out those Aussie fire fighters!!

They had the engine bay door open when I "happened" by. I snap a quick picture of the rig (engine) and was going on my merry way when one very cute fire guy poked his head out and said, "G'Day". Acccck, I have to talk now and be coherent?

Well I told him I was from the states and what I used to do with our local fire department. He offered me a tour of the station and then *RRIINNGG" the fire alarm went off and they had to go.

Rats! I was this close to scoring a N.S.W. firefighter T-shirt!!

This is a nice park that lays on a beautyful bay behind the neighbourhood of Kings Cross.
The park, tough not very big, is perfect for jogging or play football or rugby (there are open fields to play).
Beautyful view aver the hundreds of little boats that are parked in the bay in front of the park!
In few words enjoyable at all!

I was suffering from my craving for the Hillwood Strawberry Wine, so i decided to ring them up from Sydney and asked whether i could dig out any wine shops selling it. Bingo! There's a Tasmanian Travel Center at Carrington Street and they sell Tasmania goodies!!

I bought 3 bottles and finished them within 2 days.

So if you are at Sydney, you can pop by this friendly tassie shop to take a look! The shop staff are very friendly. =)

When most people thinkk of Bowls, they probarbly think of a sport played by people over the age of seventy. For a totally new bowling experience try the Paddington Bowling club in Sydney. The crowd is young and flash, the alcohol flows and while the game is important the main emphasis is on having a cracking time. There is a barbecue running for your typical Aussie tucker, which also helps in soaking up the alcohol. Then when the light starts to fade the bowls get packed away and out come the decks and then the party really starts to kick.