10-13 April – Easter Break in Sydney
April 23, 2009
The XPT train to Sydney departed Southern Cross Station in Melbourne at 8am and we arrived in Sydney Central Station at 7pm, the train ride was 11 hours long. Thankfully it was far more comfortable than an airplane (more leg space!). Since the ride was during the day, we had the opportunity to see all of Australia on the way to Sydney. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see… vast plains, some trees, and many cattle farms.
The glorious Sydney Harbor Bridge looms above us. It is a mighty structure boasting bolts as large as my head which anchor down an extraordinarily large mass of solid steel. We had planned to climb the beast (you can actually see some people atop it in the photo between the two flags), but unfortunately the it was raining pretty hard and a few of us were unwilling to pay the steep fee of $190 AUSD to climb in the wet.
Not too far away was the famous Sydney Opera House, an international icon. It was a marvel to behold and much larger than I had envisioned. It is truely unlike any other structure in the world.
As for the city central… I must admit, I am a far greater fan of Melbourne. Sydney is to Seattle, as Melbourne is to Portland. And I love Portland (just don’t tell my Washingtonian buds). Sydney is a city–when you’re walking around in the city central you get the vibe that the hustle and bustle, move it or lose it mentality is very prevalent. Melbourne has a more relaxed feel. Did I mention that the public transportation is lacking? Where are the trams? I only spent three days in Sydney…perhaps that is not enough to constitute a valid arguement of the superiority of Melbourne over Sydney (there, I said it).
