First week in Sydney

Enjoying the sun at Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour

I’ve just finished my first week in Sydney and have been adjusting to life down under. There are many small differences down here that I did not expect and have adapted to.  For example, as everyone knows, Australians drive on the left hand side of the road, but they also walk and run on the left hand side of the sidewalk. Escalator etiquette is the opposite as well.  People are meant to stand on the left and walk up on the right.

Last Sunday, Kate, a fourth year med school student who is staying at my godmothers’s house, and I ran/hiked from my godmother’s house in Mosman to Manly beach.  The two and a half hour hike has the most amazing views of the harbor. I promise to bring my camera next time I go and post some pictures of the views.

One of my favorite things about where I live in Sydney is that you can see water and sailboats from almost any point.  The harbor has all of these beautiful inlets and bays. Mosman is even hillier than Ridgefield, but the hills are what give you the views of the water. 

I ran to Balmoral Beach on Tuesday, which is only two miles from my godmother’s house. It was the last day of winter and was 70 degrees out. The beach is much less commercial than Manly with a few quaint cafes and a really nice stone boardwalk. The northern beaches like Balmoral and Manly are supposed to be some of the nicest beaches.

I started my job on Wednesday and have been mastering the public transport system slowly.  I am working in North Sydney, which is only a half hour commute from Mosman.  Everyone at work seems really nice and I had a good first few days, despite many technology issues.  

Today Kate and I spent the afternoon in Darling Harbour with a few of her friends that we went to dinner and drinks with last night.  Darling Harbour is surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops and is pretty touristy.  It is always bustling with people, but was especially crowded today because today was Father’s Day in Australia.