First Impressions: Sydney

I dig this town. 

It's much more international than Melbourne, and a whole lot more laid back.  Melbourne is trying to be a big city, with it's underground culture and emphasis on the arts (which is in no way a bad thing), but Sydney is like the Big Sister that is just like "here I am, take me as I am."  The people are more laid back, the clothing is more colorful (I began to really dislike the Melbourne Black fashion...), and the city has a bright vibe (remember, this is just the first day).

I went walking around the CBD with my new couchsurfing friend, Peter.  He's a Chinese who has emigrated to Sydney, and lives in a suburb 20 min outside.  He showed me the big sights, and we just kind of meandered around the main area of the city for a while, which was great (I love peoplewatching, as we know).  The Sydney Opera House is more amazing than pictures.  I'm a sucker for cool archetecture, and every aspect of the building is just awesome.  The curves are everywhere, the rooves are actually made with tile (I'm sure some of you knew that, but I'm ignorant... and anyways, I touched it!), and it is just this stunning piece of building that fits in perfectly with the harbor (harbour?).  The bridge is nice, but it's a bridge.  The rest of the city feels like a cleaner, more open version of New York, but a whole lot warmer, and based around the harbor rather than the rivers (or the fact that it's an island).

I've gotten multiple offers of places to sleep, including a guy in the check-in line at the Melbourne Airport who offered me a place in Adelaide, and a couple that wants me to house/catsit for them in Sydney (here's hoping!  I replied, but we'll see).  The Aussies are so amazing to travelers, probably because so many of them do it, and understand the trials and tribulations of moving around the world so quickly.  I guess it helped that I looked like a haggrid backpacker, with my 23 kilo bag of random crap (that I wish I was rid of), and an unshaven face...

Anyways, this is a great place, and when I'm not dealing with airport crap (or hauling my luggage around), every place I stop is one that I could see myself ripping up my ticket for...

Tasmania - Go before you die.

Seriously.

This is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life.  And it's been cloudy a bunch of days.  And I met a girl who lives in Alaska that agrees with me.  If that's not a resounding arguement, I don't know what is.  I'm quickly running out of pictures as well, but even they don't do justice to this place.

The last few days I've been camping around the East coast of Tasmania, and I'm heading down the central part now to get back to Hobart, so I can go to Sydney (last leg of the trip!). 

First of all, the roads are stunning, in both driving and views.  I think if the Top Gear guys came over here, they'd be blown away.  Every road is fun to drive on, although some of them need 4WD, or monster trucks.  If you have that, then you're all set.  But even the paved roads go through stunning countryside, amazing ocean views, up and down mountains, and every kilometer is a blast to drive...except when you get stuck behind a logging truck.

The people are great as well, for the most part.  Alot of people move to Tassie (as it's called), to get away from things, and those people don't want to be bothered.  But the people that do talk are awesome.  I met some divers down on the Tasman Peninsula (Tesselated Pavement, look at a map), and after chatting to them for about 10 minutes, they offered me a wetsuit to use for the week, so I could go into the water.  I didn't take them up on it, cause it was a long drive, and it's cold here (not like home, but still, after tropical weather..), but so many people are like that. 

There's a cheese factory, making cheddar (pretty good, but cheddar is my least favorite cheese...), and chatting with a family for a while, I got invited to stay at their home in Sydney for a few days while I'm up there!  A family from Queensland shared some apples/pears they got at a farm stand earlier on.  A hotel owner in Scottsdale let me use her personal computer's internet for free, because the library was closed (her kids were very cute.  Logan, a 4 year old, grabbed my crotch, and a few minutes later said "You have a big nose!")

Seriously, all that, and the beauty of this place is amazing.  This rugged, untouched, pristine (almost) landscape, and sometimes you feel like you're the only one there (if you find the parts not that touristy, which of course I did..).  My bladder woke me up at sunrise over the Bay of Fires (named so because as the explorers sailed by, there were tons of aborigninal fires on the coast), and it was the first clear day in a while, so the sunrise was amazing (that and my campsite was 20 feet from the beach).

I have no means of showing you all how spectacular this place is, but I can tell you all to put it on your lists.  You won't regret it.  And hopefully, as a large part of the land is a reserve or national park, it won't change for a long while...