Hello, Sydney!
Welcome to one of the most beautiful sights in the world! It’s Sydney, Australia of course, and the gorgeous Opera House – one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, along with Sydney’s iconic Harbor Bridge…
I am launching a new series called “World Travel A – Z”, highlighting places I’ve been as well as places I want to visit! I’m beginning with the letter “A” and that means Australia!
Let’s begin with a few facts about this incredible country – and continents!
- Australia is a continent and a country. …
- The Capital of Australia is Canberra. …
- Kangaroos only exist in Australia. …
- The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest reef system in the world. …
- Australia is split into six states. …
I visited Sydney and Melbourne and I took a lot of pictures…Sasha Grey hosted a show that we filmed in Australia, so we got the chance to check out many of Sydney’s most beautiful locations like the Opera house…
You can walk along the water in Sydney – a huge park that leads right to the Opera house – and you find numerous opportunities to film these two iconic images – the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge – in what is a beautiful, and very relaxed city…
One regret is that we didn’t get the chance to tackle one of Sydney’s most exciting tourist attractions: what you see below are people on Harbor bridge – you can actually climb the outside of the bridge to the top, which would certainly offer a unique view…
Aboriginal Music!
We passed a native Aborginal, playing a didgeridoo, a beautiful, haunting sound that is impossible to replicate, although I did buy one and have it shipped home…it showed up safe and sound…and still unplayed…
Welcome To Paradise – Courtesy Of Bondi Beach!
Perhaps the world’s most beautiful beach, Bondi is one of many stunning beaches on the coast…
“Bondi” is an Aboriginal word meaning water breaking over rocks or noise of water breaking over rocks. I love the way that sounds!
Bondi is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 4 miles east of the Sydney central business district, and it’s a bit of a crowded drive, as Bondi beach is VERY popular…
While I was busy take pictures, Sasha went to grab some caffeine before she took her very first surfing lesson there!
And, while discussing some behind-the-scenes footage that Sasha shot herself the day before, she got a bit of a “gummy” reception…
Lose The Gum, Battle The Surf!
After our gum adventure, we headed down the beach to film Sasha getting surfing lessons…while there are better places to surf in Sydney, Bondi is iconic…
The beach is crescent shaped, surrounded by small cliffs with hiking trails, and of course, lots of apartments with perfect views of the ocean…
Sasha was eager to take her first ever surfing lesson…and if you go to Bondi, know there are many surf shops lining the beach that offer instruction as well…so you can show up to Bondi in the morning and be surfing within hours…
One thing we forgot to mention to Sasha was just how cold the water was…so as I was filming her, this happened:
Yes, the Pacific Ocean is cold! But she still went out and surfed – and we also took her to Melbourne which was another incredible adventure:
It’s an absolutely gorgeous city with the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere! Click here for a view from the top!
Back to Sydney: one morning, I headed to Sydney’s fish market to see what type of unique fish they had for sale…and I wasn’t disappointed!
Sydney’s Bugs! – Welcome To Sydney’s Fish Market
Sydney’s fish market is one of the largest in the world, with a nice commercial area to eat and shop, and to explore some of Australia’s most unique species…
Moreton Bay Bugs!
Have a bug! That’s right, this is a unique species to Australia – a “bug”, kind of a shrimp’s body stuck on a smashed Lobster’s head…and it takes like it! Delicious!
As you can see by the sign, they aren’t cheap… although since these prices are in Australian dollars it actually might not be that much…can’t remember the exchange rate…
Beautiful Sydney!
The entire team had a great trip to Australia – the weather was gorgeous, the people were amazingly friendly, and the food was great!
I shared this story as well, about the very dangerous “Outback Way:”
Click here to see just how dangerous and remote the center of Australia is!
I also love that Australia cherishes its past, like the “big pineapple”!
Want to know more? Of course you do, so click here!
I love to read travel books that are filled with unique facts and insight – like this one from the legendary writer Bill Bryson:
This book is filled with great adventures…see some of what I discovered here:
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I will be sharing the next country in the series – beginning with a “B” – next week!
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Categories: Art, Australia, Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Well, my comment actually comes from Australia, about 100km south of Sydney – am a northern European who has lived here since WWII! So I kinda should know a little about it? Thank you for your visit and photos . . . but, may I smilingly say, your picture of us is a very touristy one . . . we very definitely are not just defined by the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Opera House . . . in Sydney you are getting closer going to the Fish Market where Balmain Bugs are an infinitesimal part of the offerings! Do come back and get some real Aussies to show you who we are 🙂 !!!
As far as the ‘big things’ go – most of us turn our heads away at the stupidities of others whilst driving past . . .
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A few hours later – have actually reposted your post to a number of friends and fellow-bloggers around the world – saying roughly what I have stated here 🙂 ! Did not have your business email to send a courtesy copy to you . . . sorry!
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Thank you – planning a return trip as I barely scratched the surface of your incredible continent!
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I understand: if you come to New York you go to the Empire State Building and Times Square…I do plan to come back and explore much more I promise!
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*huge smile* To each their own! Methinks I had been to NY at least twice ere I got to Times Square (???) – the wonderful museums, especially the Modern Art, the opera and theatre, theatre and more theatre and food, food, wonderful food of kinds not well known to us plus business and many friends awaiting kind’of took care of the time . . . hope you do come. . . real Australiana may take some time to understand .. .
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I am eager to return for fun – I was there for work and that meant we hit the well known spots to highlight…the fish market I did on my own early one morning before we filmed! That’s how I like to explore and we will do so – what a unique and beautiful place to visit!
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An interesting post about Australia, John. Some entertaining videos too.
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Thank you – not close to what it looks like you are experiencing right now! Wow!
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😀💛, I’m all hiked out
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So many cool shots John. Looks like an amazing trip. Minus the gum of course. Yes, I’m jealous. Love Australia. Several years ago, I worked with a couple of folks from Oz and they used to have so many great stories about Sydney (and Melbourne too.) B, hmm? Belgium? Bahamas? Belize? I’m in . . . Ha, ha.
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Thanks for the comment! I’m going to feature countries I haven’t visited as well as those I have…if I haven’t I will include all the things I want to see…so for B you mention 3 and I’ve only been to one…hmmmm…which B was it?
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Australia is someplace i would love to visit. I have friends in Perth and Brisbane. As a side note, Hubby’s nephew just asked his girlfriend to marry him while they were at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge! I don’t think she’ll ever forget that. (She said yes!)
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Wow! That’s so cool! Thanks for sharing that! I sent a young Producer over it (she agreed) with one of our Hosts – and based on the experiences I gave her doing travel shoots she got hired on the TV show “The Amazing Race!”
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I have never been, and probably won’t get there now. But there are so many Australians in London, it can sometimes feel like being there! 😊🦘
Best wishes, Pete.
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I really enjoyed this post, John, and look forward to more on this new series. I didn’t know Australia was both a continent and a country. Wonderful photos!
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I love Australia, one of my sons in law is an Aussie so I’ve been lucky to have had a few trips there. it’s such a unique place and it never gets old.
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One of the guys in my Friday morning, Men of Faith group is from Australia. He’s been telling me all about his native country and it sounds so awesome. Combine that with my love of Crocodile Dundee and Quigley, I sure hope to make it there myself someday. Very nice article, John.
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Thank you for reading and commenting it was very fun – and a work trip so paid for too! Double win!
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Beautiful. Love this new travel series! I’ve never been to Australia, and would love to see it someday, though, I wouldn’t be sad to miss that bridge climb!
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Great trip, it is a unique country in lots of ways.
Australia likes big models of things from sheep to pineapples, my sister likes finding them in her travels.
When our parents took us out to Australia in 1964 the big controversy was the building of the opera house! Like all iconic buildings it was ‘costing too much’ was going to ‘look awful’ ‘why was it needed’ and ‘will it ever get finished?’
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That’s always the case, right? From eyesore to icon! Happy 2025 to you!
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