It took a while but we finally arrived in Sydney, Australia!
Flights
Our initial flight from Vancouver (YVR) to Guangzhou (CAN) was smooth and uneventful. (as much as a 13.5 hour flight can be!)
However, what was meant to be a 3 hour layover in CAN turned into a 7 hour layover as my flight to Sydney was delayed due to maintenance problems. I ended up spending a few hours in the Premium lounge in the international departures relaxing before trying to find out where my new boarding gate would be. (If you’re interested in finding out how I got lounge access, I’ll be writing an article on this soon)
I hadn’t slept on the first flight and was hoping to get a good nights rest on this flight (hoping to fight jet lag as much as possible). However by the time I was in my seat, I had been delayed for 9 hours and had been awake for over 24 hours. I passed out right away and didn’t wake up until a few hours outside of Sydney. With the city in sight, fatigue turned to excitement and within a few hours I was on the ground and settling into my accommodations in Sydney.
Exploring Sydney
My friend “Photos” has family in Sydney and we were able to crash at their place in Bondi Junction. I took a quick shower, and headed into city center. I met up with Photos and our local friend “Physio”. Physio is currently living in Sydney pursuing an education in physiotherapy. He is one of the main reasons why we decided to visit down under.
We started exploring Sydney and Darling Harbor before sitting down at a Malaysian restaurant called Mamak that Physio recommended. Sharing some Roti bread and fried chicken, it certainly hit the spot!
Sydney Opera house at Night
We explored downtown Sydney and parted ways with physio.
We then returned to the Opera house to do some night photography. One of the benefits of travelling with a professional photographer is the knowledge and experience you can draw upon. While I’m an amateur, our desire to shoot and experiment meant we were out for a good amount of time.
When we decided to call it quits, we were a bit hungry. We searched up late night Sydney eats and found a cool Taiwanese place called “Hot Star“. They serve these large fried chicken patties that we ended up getting and was very satisfied! (albeit guilt inducing!)
Overall it had been a long journey and a great day of exploration. If today was any indication, we’d have a few full days ahead.