Behold...The REAL Black Swan

One evening when I was walking past the pond in Victoria Park (which is in front of the entrance of the University of Sydney) I noticed two black swans! It was truly a rare and magical sight! (Of course, I could not help but think of the Natalie Portman film, Black Swan as well) They were so elegant and mystical looking with their long necks. Whenever one moved around the pond, the other one closely followed suit. I was so disappointed that I did not have my camera on me!

That evening I made a seemingly obvious note to self:

Always, always, always have a camera! There might be things that you see that you may not have the chance to see again.

However, I was fortunate to find the black swans in the pond again one afternoon so I snapped a few shots. At one point, they came very close to me. It was wonderful to see the luscious black feathers and the bright red beak up close.

Black swans can be found throughout Australia and once they pair, they are paired for life. I really enjoyed reading about the black swans on the Australian Museum website. You can read more about them here.
When you come to Australia, I hope you have the opportunity to cast an eye upon these beautiful creatures!

Become a Whiz at Public Transport!

As a study abroad student, you are most likely going to have two options for getting around: walking and public transport. Luckily, in Sydney, many people use public transport on a daily basis. I feel like everybody in Southern California has become so accustomed to having their own car that anything about public transport or walking more than ten minutes is foreign to them (I was included in this generalization). However, after being in Sydney I have been walking as long as 20 minutes to get to one place, such as the grocery store, and I walk all the way back carrying my groceries! At first, this was a difficult adjustment for me, but now I have become adapted to walking to where I need to go. However, if you need to get to a place that is further away, public transport is a nice option.

The Sydney bus and train system is very easy to figure out and utilize. The first time I used the bus was when I went to Coogee Beach, however, I just bought a one-time use return ticket for $4.20.

I have now learned that with concession you can buy a Travel10 bus pass for ten rides for only $8.00! This bus pass has been such a wonderful investment and I always have one in my wallet, just in case I need to catch a bus in a hurry or for a spur of the moment adventure. I really like the bus system and prefer riding the bus over the train, but if you are on a really long trek…the train can be useful. For example, for my photography class I had to pick up my camera from Campbelltown, and Campbelltown is about an hour and a half train ride away from Sydney. In this case, the train was a more practical choice for my transportation.

How do you navigate the bus and train system? How do you know what times the bus comes or which bus to get on? These are all the questions I was asking when I first started using public transportation in Sydney. First of all, you can view the bus schedule at any bus stop. It will have the bus number and the arrival times. I have found a useful resource called “131500 Trip Planner” online. Check it out here. You simply type in where you want to go and it tells you the fastest way to get there by bus or train or a combination of both. Also, at home I consistently use Mapquest. The Australia equivalent of Mapquest is Whereis. I have also found this website helpful to get a map view of where things are.

I hope this post is helpful in easing your fears about using public transport in Sydney. Also, once you get used to it, it is a wonderful resource! You will open up so many possibilities and be able to go pretty much anywhere!

The Art Gallery of NSW

I found the Art Gallery of NSW in a Sydney City Guide that I picked up from the Sydney Airport when I arrived. Entrance to the museum is free and they have a large selection of paintings, artifacts, student artwork and Aboriginal artwork. The Art Gallery of NSW is within walking distance of Hyde Park and St. Mary’s Cathedral. I was excited to explore the gallery because I love seeing artwork and new inspirational pieces. I really liked the student artwork exhibit. Everything was so refreshing and unique. Each piece had its own flair and it exuded originality and personality. I took so many pictures! I wanted to capture everything. Here are some of my favorites…

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The Aboriginal artwork section was very interesting as well. I started to take a picture of a large sculpture and a security guard came running towards me yelling “Hey! Hey! No pictures allowed!” By the time he got over to me, I had already snapped two shots. I guess there was a little tiny sign of a camera and a bar through it delineating “No Pictures” of the Aboriginal artwork, but I did not see it. For my defense, it was a little tiny sign! (About the size of a 4x6 inch photo) Here are the forbidden Aboriginal photographs…

There was also a photography exhibit, but this was the one area that I was disappointed…especially since I have been researching photographers and black and white photography for the photography class I am taking.

The outside of the Art Gallery has beautiful columns and intricate details. Similar to the Victorian Gothic architecture of St. Mary’s Cathedral and the University of Sydney. I absolutely love the architecture!

All in all, I really enjoyed my visit to the Art Gallery of NSW. It is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, without having to pay for anything! It was even a bit scandalous with my illegal Aboriginal photo mishap.

Here is a picture I took on my way to the Art Gallery on a random light post… I liked the irony…

Pancakes On The Rocks

In The Rocks (the area around Circular Quay and where Sydney has its foundations) there is a little place called Pancakes on the Rocks. They have pancakes with every possible topping you could imagine. If you like pancakes, they have a pancake to satisfy your heart's desire. I was overwhelmed with the amount of choices available.

The pancakes are HUGE! I ate pancakes as a desert/dinner because it was such a large dish. It is definitely a place to go if you feel like splurging or you have a craving for some good ol' pancakes. I opted for the "Bananarama" which has buttermilk pancakes, fried bananas, a butterscotch drizzle, and vanilla ice cream. If you are a chocolate fan, you can substitute the buttermilk for chocolate pancakes. Beware, they are rich!

If you are not a big pancake fan, you could also try something off of their normal menu...but their pancakes are definitely famous for something!

Check out the menu here.

Hyde Park – Where do you hide your giant chess set?

As I was walking around Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District) on a random Monday afternoon, I made a stop to roam around Hyde Park. Hyde Park is accessible from St. James train station or if you just decide to roam around the heart of Sydney like I did, you will stumble upon it. One of the focal points of Hyde Park is the Archibald Fountain, which is absolutely wonderful, especially if you are fascinated by sculpture and mythology like I am. The Fountain honors Australia’s contribution in France in World War I; it was donated by J.F. Archibald in 1932. I was particularly interested in finding the Fountain because the lecturer in my religious studies class mentioned it in a discussion of Greek mythology and the Bull of Knossos.

Right behind the Archibald Fountain is St. Mary’s Cathedral. The Cathedral has a brilliant Gothic architectural design and is lovely to see and experience the atmosphere around the Cathedral when the bells chime. I was lucky to get there as they were chiming and it was so welcoming and peaceful. I walked through the Cathedral (unfortunately, I could not take any pictures of the inside) and the stained glass and altars were amazing. I definitely suggest walking through if you have the chance!

I have heard about Hyde Park having a huge chess set (kind of reminiscent of Harry Potter and that one scene in the Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp). I was searching for the chess set but I could not find it! I was so disappointed! I walked through the entire park! I will have to do some research and set forth on a quest to find the chess set. I will find it before I leave Sydney! I will keep you posted ;)

I recommend taking a stroll through Hyde Park and St. Mary’s Cathedral whenever you have a day to wander and explore through the heart of Sydney. The best part is that it is free to explore, and you will experience some of Sydney’s history while you relax and enjoy the sights and the atmosphere.

Just an Ordinary Clumsy Rainy Day

There was a spell of dreadful rainy weather here in Sydney that lasted about a week. One day when I was walking through Newtown to get lunch, I was weaving my way through the crowds and trying to walk quickly through the rain. However, the sidewalks in Newtown are not concrete, instead they are tiled.

Tile + Rain = Super Slippery.

As I was walking past a café that was full of people, both sitting inside and outside, I slipped and fell to the ground. I was relieved that nobody laughed, instead three people came up to me and asked if I was okay. I was super embarrassed, but I was also pleased that people were willing to help and make sure I was okay. I think this is just one example of Australia’s culture; people are so genuine and willing to help without being asked. When I told everyone I was alright and said thank you, they replied with a simple “No worries!” Through my clumsiness, I have learned about Australia’s people and laid back culture, nobody laughed at me, instead they rushed to help. I wonder what would have happened in the exact same situation in the US?

Field Trip to Long Reef

There are some classes at the University of Sydney that have field trips. Yay field trips! The thought makes me reminisce about elementary school. For my Earth, Environment, and Society class, we took a field trip to Long Reef to examine rock formations; Long Reef is an Aquatic Reserve that has unique flora, fauna, and rocks. Unfortunately, on the day of the field trip there was pouring rain and blustering winds, but the professor sent an email saying that the trip would still take place!

Everybody was responsible for their own transportation to Long Reef and the directions on how to get there were quite vague, all I knew was that I had to take the L90 bus from Central station. This bus has limited stops and leaves about every 30 minutes, I had to make it to the bus stop at the right time, otherwise I would be late to meet with the group. At Central station, however, there are lots of bus stands and I didn’t know what side of the street I needed to be on, my worst fear was seeing the bus come and stop on the other side of the road, and then miss it! The worry must have been apparent on my face because an elderly woman came up to me and asked where I was trying to go because I looked lost. She was going to catch the L90 bus as well, so she assured me that I was in the right place. I was so thankful that she came up to me and helped me! One thing I have noticed about Australians in general is that they are always willing to help! This is very relieving if you are in a foreign country and you don’t always exactly know where you are going. The bus ride was about an hour to Long Reef, however, I was excited that the bus ride crossed over the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

I finally made it to Long Reef, and unfortunately it was still pouring rain. My professor was very enthusiastic and insisted that the weather is an important aspect of our environment and that it would be a learning experience. To my dismay, I did not bring any tennis shoes with me to Australia, only two pairs of TOMS, flip flops, and sandals. On the trip to Long Reef, I wore my black sparkly TOMS. They had to endure mud, sand, puddles, walking through bushes, and getting soaked all the way through from the high tides. I was just thankful that I didn’t slip and fall!

Overall, Long Reef was an interesting experience. I wish I had pictures, but I was afraid to get my camera wet. I think it would have been more enjoyable if the weather was clear, but my professor’s enthusiasm helped me through the day.