Day 11-Sydney

Sydney on A Shoestring

Alhamdulillah..selamat!..The Qatar Airways plane touched down on schedule.We landed safely at Sydney Airport at 1616.We were not as anxious as the first time we arrived at Sydney.The customs checking went smoothly and uneventful.We didn't carry any food items other than Cadbury chocolates that we bought in Dunedin.(Oh yes..we did declare them in the declaration form.)

 

The first thing that we did was...buying a  prepaid simcard (1G data) for 10AUD at Vodafone shop at Sydney airport. Walaupun cuma 2 hari kami di Sydney..rasanya perlu jugak ambik prepaid ni.

Then we bought an Opal card for each of us,with starting values of just 10AUD for adults and AUD5 for children.Opal card ni fungsinya macam MyMulti 2 & MyMulti 3 yang sebelum ni Sydneysiders & travellers pakai whenever they use public transportation in Sydney.

Opal card ni fungsinya macam kad touch n go.It's a smartcard ticket that you load value onto it.Jadi..kami beli 3 kad Opal dewasa dan 3 kad kanak-kanak.The minimum cost is AUD10 for adult cards and AUD5 for child cards.

 

 



Bagusnya Opal card ni ..

 

Maximum adult fare of $15 per day or $60 per week (Mon-Sat Opal travel week).Maksudnya,kita boleh travel ke mana-mana samada dengan bas / train / light rail atau feri menggunakan Opal card ni...dengan caj maksima AUD15/person untuk adult dan AUD7.50 /child.Selepas AUD15,kita masih boleh menggunakan Opal card ni...tapi tidak akan ditolak lagi value dari kad tu.Walau macamana pun,still kena touch kad tu bila naik apa-apa transportation.

 

Untuk hari Ahad..lebih special..sebab caj maksimum adalah AUD2.50 /person.Hah..jadi,kalau bijak..trylah adjust datang ke Sydney pada hari Ahad ye?

Kami tak berkesempatan nak try shuttle bus 555 yang free tu..sebab commencing from 4th October,the service was discontinued due to light rail renovation .

Kami kemudiannya menanti kedatangan Nisa,Malaysian student yang ditugaskan untuk jemput dan hantar kami ke Zahid Bed and Breakfast.Nisa ni  sedang buat master Town Planning di University of New South Wales.

Di Sydney,kami menginap di Zahid Bed and Breakfast (we found this BnB by chance..while blogwalking & bloghopping).Seperti konsep BnB ...kami sebenarnya tinggal bersama tuan rumah,Puan Kamariah dan suaminya Zahid.It is a modest and humble apartment rented by this couple with their 3 kids di Jauncey Hillsdale (suburban Sydney).Kami menyewa 2 dari 3 bedrooms mereka.Rate untuk our family of 6 adalah AUD165/night...untuk family CikNy (4 orang) AUD85/night.Much cheaper than Malaysian Hall Sydney.Masa kami pergi tu,Malaysian Hall masih dalam renovation (sehingga date blog ini ditulis).

Owner tak benarkan kita memasak..tapi kita boleh order makanan dari BnB ni.En Zahid ni chef tau?

 

Luar apartment Zahid Bed n Breakfast

Dinner pertama kami (pre ordered) di Sydney..prepared by Chef Zahid & wife..
 

 

Dinner yang enak!

COMBO SPECIAL FOR 5 PEOPLE-43 AUD

Nasi putih for 5 people

Kari kepala salmon for 2

Ayam kicap for 2

Telur dadar

COMBO SUPER FOR 4-38 AUD

Nasi putih for 4 people

Daging masak kurma for 2

Ayam paprika for 3

Telur dadar

Additional nasi putih 3 AUD

TOTAL  84 AUD  for 10 of us(average AUD8-9/pax).Kira murah sangat-sangatlah kalau kat Sydney ni.Al maklumlah,Sydney ni serba-serbi mahal..terutamanya makan kat luar.Sekurang-kurangnya AUD6-9 untuk one simple dish..jangan harap nak berlauk-pauk macam ni..Lagi pun,2 hari jerk at sini.Dah penat dah memasak sepanjang 10 hari di NZ...so,nak merasalah air tangan orang lain pulak..

 

Kalau berminat..boleh email kay.abubakar@gmail.com

Dengar khabar,Puan Kamariah is finishing her PHD programme this year..tak sure la bila

Malamnya kami tak ke mana-mana..tak de apa pun nak di buat kat sini.Kedai-kedai pun dah tutup pukul 5 atau 6 petang..Lainlah kalau Sabtu malam Ahad..ada lah VividSydney Festival!
 

Breakfast the next morning

 

Inclusive dalam package..kan namanya Bed and Breakfast?

Esoknya kami cuma berjalan-jalan sekitar Sydney.Kami pergi tempat yang free jer..

Since we were already physically (and financially..huh!) drained from our long days tour in NZ,we tried not to craft an itinerary with too many activities in Sydney ...a  surefire way to turn any vacation into an epic wreck ! Expectations set too high could be bound to cause disappointment. So,we decided to stick with the old cliche: less is more...

Here are a few things that we did (on Day 1) to kick off the fun on a dime (or an Aussie 10 cent piece!)..

Oh ya...untuk all modes of public transportation in Sydney,sila refer here.Very informative (siap bagi instruction berapa minit travel (termasuk jalan kaki) & landmarks)
 

Bus station..near Zahid BnB...10 mins walk



Homestay to Circular Quay

 

Jarak homestay dari Circular Quay adalah 12.4 km (49 mins naik bus)...homestay ni kan kat suburban area..Dari homestay .....jalan dalam 8 minit ke nearest bus stop..at Bunnerong Road..naik bas no 392 dan turun kat Circular Quay,Young Street,Stand D.Opal fare is AUD4.50/adult.Kanak-kanak separuh bayaran.

 

Enjoying Circular Quays and its surrounds..

 

 

Arriving at Circular Quay..

Tourist la sangat..kan?

 

 

Metallic man...ingatkan patung..



Kena bayar AUD1 untuk bergambar



Amik few snaps...for AUD1..nasib baik bukan AUD1/pic



Golden Man sitting or floating?

  Walking around history-laden The Rocks

 

Admiring city's great icons-Sydney Opera House & Sydney Harbour Bridge

Picnic at Royal Botanic Garden



Had our lunch prewrapped by BnB





Garden next to Opera House

Dari Circular Quay ke Manly Beach

 

Naik ferry kat Wharf 3...rujuk jadual berlepas ferry.Kalau terlepas,kena tunggu another ferry lagi 1/2 jam.Opal fare is AUD7.18 / adult.Kanak-kanak separuh harga.Yang kami naik ni government ferry-dalam 30 minit pelayaran.Boleh jugak naik Manly Fast Ferry-15 minit pelayaran..tapi mahal lah sikit dan tak covered by Opal card.Ferry akan berlabuh di Manly Wharf.

 

Cruising on ferry to Manly-the best scenic route

From Wharf 3 Circular Quay to Manly Wharf

 

Get ready with Opal cards!

Strolling around Manly Beach

 

The Manly Beach vs Bondi Beach has been debated over the years on the Sydney forum.The locals prefer the queit,peaceful Manly..the tourists opt for the more happening Bondi..

We chose Manly..as we had to take different route to go to Bondi..We could not give vedict which one is better,as we didn't go to Bondi..

Tapi,bagi kami Manly Beach ni biasa-biasa je..pantai kita banyak lagi yang lebih cantik..

 

Mineral water AUD 2-3 / 500ml bottle...mahal!So..refill air kat drinking tap jer!

 

 

Dari Circular Quay ke Paddy Market.

Kami naik train dari Circular Quay Train Station,platform 2.Train selama 22 minit..4 stops.Opal fare is AUD2.36/adult .Kanak-kanak half the fare.Turun kat Central Station,platform 23 dan jalan ke Paddy Market's Light Rail for 14 minit(sepatutnya lah)..tapi dah tersesat..ada dalam 25 minit baru nampak Paddy Market.

Gambar membeli dan blah tak de...sebab dah keletihan masa ni..

Selesai bershopping ..ala kadar..dari Paddy Market,kami terkial-kial mencari Museum Station,Liverpool Street,Stand A (1 km dari Paddy Market).Lepas 40 minit,baru jumpa...naik bas no 392 balik ke BnB..journey dalam 50 minit.Opal fare is AUD4.50/ adult.Hoi..penat sangat dah masa ni!

Petang tu,minta Nisa drove us to La Perouse Beach.AUD10 / trip..one way

Watching sunset at La Perouse beach







 

 



 

I believe I can fly....





Very windy & cold here..

The beach is only 10 mins drive from BnB.
 

Penat di La Perouse Beach,kami pulang untuk berehat di BnB.Menu malam ni... nasi putih,sotong masak lemak ,ayam kari,telur dadar,daging masak kurma dan ayam paprika...kemain lagi kan?Total 84 AUD.Kami merehatkan badan untuk malam kedua..esok departure day back to Malaysia!Homesick dah ni..