This is the official blog of my Study Abroad Trip to Australia and New Zealand. I'll be leaving December 26th and returning home February 2nd.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Day 3: How about that ride in? I guess that's why they call it Sin City..

Day Three has come and gone and has been a tiring one but very enjoyable. We woke up bright and early as usual, took our test on the book we had to read for this class and then we started our excursion to the Sydney Olympic Park. We took a bus, rode two trains, and did a little bit of walking to see the astounding architectural structure that hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics. Here's a couple pictures as we were walking in:
ANZ Olympic Stadium

 The stadium is a massive steel and concrete structure that is really cool to see and appreciate the sheer size and the work that went it to making it. Its construction began in 1996 and finished in 1999 with the capacity to hold about 110,000 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Australia. In 2003, designers added to build the coolest part of the stadium in my opinion: adjustable seating that opens up the roof. 
Just standing on a pole. Parkour possibly?

Crazy Fountain
It brought the seating down to 83,500, dropping it to the second largest stadium in Australia, but the amazing engineering feat attracts fans of all kinds. The stadium is used currently for Australian Rugby Matches and Cricket matches (which we will be attending at the end of January).

The Oasis Theme Park/SportsFirst

After the festivities at Olympic Park, we grabbed a little Big Mac snack and headed over to the Sydney Olympic Aquatics Center, which was huge and highly entertaining considering one of my favorite hobbies, people watching. There were what seemed like thousands of people in this SportsFirst/White Water Theme Park/Olympic Diving and Swimming Lanes facility. The number of unnecessary Speedo's was astounding. Check out a couple pictures.

Hot Tub Party! With WAY too many grown men in close space.


The diverse population at this pool was crazy. It seems like 80% of the people I have seen or encountered in Sydney have been of Asian decent. I am having a tough time so far discerning what a true Australian looks like. My mind would typically stray to the stereotypical Crocodile Dundee bloke, with a safari hat and an 18 inch knife in his teeth, but it's obviously much different than that. Sydney is a huge mash-up of all types of cultures and backgrounds and that's one of the reasons I feel so comfortable in this city. It's great.

Finally, towards the end of our day, we hopped on a ferry and observed some of the most beautiful scenery I have experienced in my entire life. We rode the ferry from the Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach on the other side of the bay. Here's a couple shots of the ride there.
View from the back of the Ferry

I'm going to post a daytime shot and nighttime of this view just to show you the dramatic difference of this breathtaking landscape. The boat ride took about twenty minutes and then we explored the Manly Beach wharf where we ate dinner and got to stick our toes in the sand for the first time since we've gotten to Sydney. It was awesome. Didn't see any sharks, yet.

Manly Beach
Manly Beach Harbor
























Well, I think I've rambled enough for one day but I'll leave you with the two shots from the Ferry ride back the Sydney Harbour worth all the money, traveling, and preparation so far. Take a look. War Eagle!

















1 comment:

  1. wow! the scenery is amazing! and love the night shots! your dad loves "people watching" too, while i love... talking to people-surprise! ;) keep up the entertaining blogging/pics! -mom

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