Exploring New Places

It is hard to believe that three weeks has already gone by. After a week of exploring and finding a lot of new places, the third week has to be the best week yet. We started off the weekend at a 4 story bar called Ivy. While it was a very eventful night, I highly recommend Ivy, due to it being a unique place to meet a lot of different people. I have never seen or experienced a bar as large as Ivy, so it was definitely a night to remember.

After a night at Ivy, we had a 8 mile coastal walk the next morning, which was rather difficult due to the pouring rain and steep stairs. This coastal walk was from the Spit Bridge to Manly beach and is a hike that I highly recommend. Despite the rain at first, the weather turned out to be great and we were able to see the beautiful nature and landscape of Australia. After hiking on about 4 hours of sleep, we were all exhausted, but it was definitely worth the early morning.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to explore the Taronga Zoo, which is located not too far from downtown Sydney. Being from Memphis, there is a certain bias surrounding the Memphis Zoo and how it is the best zoo, but the Taronga Zoo did not disappoint. From the seal show to standing a few feet from a tiger, we were all very impressed with the Taronga Zoo and had a great time. We also had the opportunity to see numerous animals that one can find in Australia. There were koalas sleeping in eucalyptus trees and wallabies sleeping right next to where we were walking. I also had the opportunity to pet a kangaroo, which was very cool. Saturday was a very long day, but we had a great time exploring and looking at the many animals that Australia has to offer.

The last place that I want to mention is a Australian speakeasy that is called The Soda Factory. When you walk up to the location it is rather confusing. The bar first looks like a small hotdog/ fast-food restaurant called Bobby's Boss Dogs, but there is no one working at the front. You then walk up to the drink machine and pull on the handle, which opens up a door to a large dim lit room that is playing nothing but 60's soul. In the middle of the room there is a bar, where you can order drinks or browse the menu of $1 hotdogs. The Soda Factory is definitely a place that I highly recommend and is so far one of my favorite places in Sydney.

This past week was really an adventure. With school picking up and finals approaching, it is good to take an occasional break around the city to explore the many unique places around Sydney. From the Soda Factory to watching the Vols beat Kentucky in a nearby sports bar, there are an endless number of places to check out and relax at throughout the city. I am excited for the many more weeks to come and I look forward to the many other new places that I can find.