We have approached the two week anniversary of our impromptu move to
Australia. What began as an illusive idea to work abroad, gain career-related work experience and encounter travel on the Southern Hemisphere is now a reality that is falling into place wonderfully. Not wanting to fall into the routine of debt and the hardcore partying that consumes many travellers here, we have so far managed to balance responsibility and fun quite nicely. In between meetings, interviews, training courses and gathering the paperwork needed to work abroad, we managed to fit in several beach days,
Sydney exploration days, and of course drinking days with the mates.
Thoughts on
Sydney so far: It’s a big city without the big city ‘cold’ feel. Australians share our dry/sarcastic sense of humour and are remarkably friendly (even more so than Canadians, though they have the nourishment of the sun to help).
The city itself is clean, cultured, safe, and boasts an abundance of hip cafes, bars, and restaurants. But perhaps the best part about
Sydney is its proximity to beaches - 30 minutes on a bus or ferry gets you to several distinct destinations of golden sand and big waves. That's all I really need.
Aside from the fact that everyone wears pointy shoes here, crossing the road is a life-threatening affair and the constant collisions with passersby (my instinct is to walk right, their instinct is to walk left, and awkward moments arise), Sydney is a great city. I can appreciate the assimilation of big city life, beach life, alternative living, and suburban life is all within the confines of one metropolis. Opportunity is plentiful and pay is great compared to North America, meaning people can really enjoy other aspects of life. Work proceeds next week so I have 5 more days to enjoy unemployed living and find a new home near work. A few photos from our first days here:
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| The only bit of New Zealand we saw |
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| Until the clouds invaded... |
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| Manly Beach |
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| Bondi beach on a quiet Monday |
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| They answered my prayers and extended the Liebovitz exhibit |
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| The pointy shoes of Sydney |
