Chaise lounges, gas grills and dining table outdoors overlooking the bay.

When we went back and forth via email for a vacation home in Sydney for the 40 days we discussed in yesterday’s post, we were relieved and excited to have wrapped up this time frame later in the day.

Of course, dealing with Aussies is always delightful based on our past experiences. Oh, dear…am I stereotyping Australians as outrageously warm and friendly? 

View of the North Harbour and Manly Cove, from the property. A view, WiFi, a clean and updated property is all we need. No screens? We’re used to it by now.

I suppose in a way it may be a stereotype of a nation of people but it’s utterly irresistible to avoid doing so when they, like Kiwis, are some of the most friendly people on the planet.

No doubt there are exceptions, but we’ve yet to experience anything other than pleasant and memorable interactions after spending approximately six months in their presence after arriving in the South Pacific on June 11, 2015. 

Walk out from the kitchen to the beautiful yards and gardens.

We spent three months in Trinity Beach, Australia, a month on two Australian cruises, and now over two months here in New Zealand, giving us ample time to make such a general assessment, albeit it is biased after having such great encounters.

And yesterday was no exception when we pinned down the lovely apartment in an oversized bed and breakfast type house overlooking the bay with a private fully equipped apartment. 

Additionally, there are two separate bed and breakfast bedrooms with baths, common areas, and daily continental breakfast. 

Modern kitchen with everything we’ll need.  No dryer.  No dishwasher.  No big deal to us!

Overall, prices for vacation rentals are high in Australia especially close to Sydney, as is the case for this property.  At AU $200, US $152, NZ $224 per night, this is the highest price we’ll have paid in our travels to date with the exception of hotels and short-term rentals of less than two weeks.

We perused hotels with kitchen amenities such as a small fridge, microwave, and coffee pot but prices were even higher.  Adding the cost of dining out if we stayed in a hotel, we’d easily have spent over AU $394, US $300, NZ $441 per day, well over our budget.

Based on the fact that this property we chose in Sydney, actually Manly Beach, has not only excellent public transportation but there’s also a free shuttle close to the property that travels to the local shopping areas, beaches, and restaurants which we certainly use frequently.

Master bedroom in apartment.

As a result, we won’t need a rental car which once we made all the calculations we discovered this property makes it possible to stay within our budgetary guidelines. Having made this determination, we proceeded to confirm the 40-day reservation with peace of mind and enthusiasm.

With a wide selection of walking trails and paths close to the property, we’ll be able to get out for exercise and to absorb the many beautiful surrounding areas and attractions. 

An easy bus ride will take us to downtown Sydney, the Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House where hopefully we’ll be able to see a performance, a must-do in this city. 

The lounge where guests mingle might be a fun spot to meet other travelers.

The performances for the Opera House aren’t yet posted for 2017. I made a notation on our online calendar to book something as soon as the upcoming performance becomes available.

Sydney has a wealth of tourist attractions we’ll surely visit. We’ll put on our “tourist” persona and go with the flow, seeing everything that appeals to us while living in this amazing city, sharing photos and details here each day.

We’ll arrive in Sydney on a cruise on that particular occasion on March 13, 2017 (more Sydney layovers will follow for many upcoming cruises) departing on April 22, 2017, a little more than a year from now.

From there, on April 22, we’ll take a 24-day cruise from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, Washington, USA for another cruise to Alaska and then off to Minnesota and later Nevada to visit family. 

Whew! We’ll be busy. We love it all!

May all of you stay busy and entertained doing some of those things you also love!

Photo from one year ago today, March 20, 2015:

A year ago today, we posted this photo of Tom and our dear friend Richard who recently passed away. We’ll always miss him and the amazing times we had together during our four months in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.