Today, we flew from Melbourne to Sydney. Compared to Male Airport, Melbourne Airport is a well-oiled machine. The queue for the Qantas counter was short and there were plenty of self check-in kiosks and automated bag check stations available to service passengers.

After arriving at Sydney, we took a taxi to our hotel in Kings Cross and dropped off our bags. After a quick break, we took a train to Circular Quay to view the famous opera house, our first tourist sight. Next, we boarded the ferry to Manly to meet my second cousin Chris. The ferry ride offered great views of the harbor. We arrived in Manly about 2 hours before Chris, so we strolled down the coastal footpath and admired the scenery. Chris picked us up and drove us to a restaurant serving “the best ramen in Sydney”. Afterward, he dropped us off at a gelato shop serving “the best ice cream in Sydney” (which is also the #1 rated restaurant in Sydney) near our hotel.

Later on, we learned that Kings Cross is known for being a red-light district in Sydney. Interspersed with the trendy restaurants were strip joints and soup kitchens. However, on the whole, the area seemed fine and not at all dangerous.

Last night, we went out looking for dinner after the bus returned around 11pm. Unfortunately, most restaurants were closed (either because it was Monday or because it was late). Luckily, we stumbled upon a Pie Face that was open until at least midnight, so we stuffed our faces with meat pies and fruit pies.

We woke up this morning around 11am and went back to yesterday’s schnitzel place for breakfast. Our plan for the day was to take the free City Circle tourist tram around the city and see the sights. After taking the tram around half the city, we got off near Flinders Street Station and walked to the trendy Federation Square. We continued in that direction for a while toward the Memorial Shrine, stopping to take a picture with a statue of Sir “Weary” Dunlop. By the time we made it to the Botanic Garden, the visitors’ centre was closed, so we just wandered around the gardens for about an hour before heading back to the Central Business District (CBD). Unfortunately, the free tram stopped running at 6pm, so we walked up the hill to find some dinner and return to our hotel.