Category — Australia

Overview

Perth is the capital of Western Australia which is supposedly the richest state in Australia thanks for the mining boom in the north of the state. It is also a region of recent settlement with about 180 years of history. Everything is very new and modern.

We got a pleasant climate, and even catching a few moments of rain, the temperature was always around 20°/68°F degrees dropping a little at night. The summer is very hot and dry and the winter is cool and rainy.

The topography is mainly plane with a great river dividing the city in south and north. The city is very widespread, with neighborhoods distant from each other, spacious houses with big gardens, large parks and areas with the typical vegetation of the region, with many eucalyptus trees and bushes in a bright red soil that tends to dye houses and sidewalks.

The public transport is good, with trains, boats and buses, but unfortunately has a bad coverage, the boulevards are wide and almost everyone uses car to get around the city and apart from the center, it’s difficult to see someone walking in the street.

Even modern and structured, Perth maintains a rustic atmosphere of a small town, where people have more time, speak slowly and like a chat in a very friendly environment. We felt that Amanda and Roberto were well received and hosted by the city and are enjoying an excellent quality of life.

Arrival

The arrival in Perth was a little strange, landed at an airport in reforms, it was as if we had land on a construction site. The bags come in different places and take at least 1 hour to find my cousin Amanda, who was nicely waiting for us, she lives there with her husband Roberto there for almost 2 years. It was great to stay with them, not only by the VIP treatment (thanks Amanda and Roberto), but also for tips and stories about the city.

From the airport went straight to a famous brewery city, Little Creatures in the artistic suburb of Freemantle. There we updated the conversation and took what they say is one of the best beers in town, in addition to the place has a lot of personality, which is basically rustic with some sophisticated details.

[Read more →]

I’ve got some friends who came to Sydney and have fallen in love with the city. They weren’t one or two, but a number of them who lived in Sydney or just spent holidays there and came back telling that the city is amazing. I can not say that I think differently than any of them. Sydney is really wonderful.

The four days that we spent in Sydney were a change of views and thoughts all the time, it was funny to see how since the first minute we were trying to form our concepts about the city, but in the following minutes that concept used to be replaced by another and it was like this until the end of the fourth day. Perhaps because Sydney is not only one city, but several cities in one.

At the first moment we thought it was quite similar to New Zealand, the streets, the shops, lifestyle and culture of the people and didn’t understand the amazement of our friends. After the first “day-tripper” day we realized that yes, the Australians are really New Zealander’s brothers, but Sydney is the oldest sister, successful, dizzyingly beautiful, the kind of sister that the smaller sisters want to be when they grow up.

If Sydney can be a four times amplified Auckland, as I said in the previous post, it is if only when it is seen from above. Looking from the inside the two cities are very different. Sydney is immense. There are points of the city centre that reminded us of Sao Paulo. But it is clean, organized and secure.
It’s got the sea all around, as Auckland does, but it’s got water inside it too, it’s got water everywhere, what makes it even more beautiful and that also allows each suburb to seem like a small town with its markets, its beaches and its inhabitants. And I think it is precisely these people who distinguish Sydney from Auckland, although much larger in size and importance, people are on the streets of Sydney, in boats, buses, trains… Both the centre and the suburbs we saw  many people walking on the streets, going to work, to school, or exercising, the streets are always full of people. The city is not made for cars. I was very impressed with the public transport system, you can go from anywhere to anywhere by using the ferries, trains and buses of the city, it’s impossible to get lost there, and walking around is a delight.

[Read more →]

First Impressions

Sydney is a modern city, vibrant, clean and organized, cosmopolitan, with a beautiful architecture, and also an excellent public transport system. Many people walking on the streets, of all ethnicities, speaking several different languages, tourists, executives, beggars, urban athletes, Aboriginal people playing dijeridoo. The geography is also one of the strengths of the city that has lots of water and despite the size has several deserted little beaches, many boats, and many houses with beautiful views.

Day 1 – City Centre

Getting there
Our first day was a bit of a rush, our intention was to take an overview of the city centre and see some sights. We had breakfast, got our day packs and walked to Manly Warf to catch the ferry. There we bought a day tripper ticket which is one day pass for how many trains, busses and ferries you want and costs AUD 16 per person. The ferry from Manly to the City Centre takes around 30 minutes and we spent most of this time watching the beautiful scenery of Sydney.

The Rocks
Our first destination in the Centre was The Rocks, the historic part of the town. There we saw a bit of colonization history and old buildings. It is a very well preserved area.

Opera House
The Opera House is the symbol of the city. It is almost impossible to come to the centre and don’t go through here. It is probably one of the most important architectural projects of the world and certainly the most important of Sydney. The curious thing is that the entire surface covering the Opera is made of ceramic tiles.

[Read more →]

Acordei domingo às 7:15 com o sol entrando pela janela, olhei pra fora e já tinham alguns veleiros na baía, um vento bem fraquinho.. depois de  uma semana de intensos frio e chuva, Wellington nos trouxe um maravilhoso domingo para se despedir.

Felipe já estava acordado há tempos, trabalhando no computador.. “são 7 da manhã, você acordou cedo hein?! está ansioso?” … “um pouquinho”, ele respondeu.

Depois de deixar tudo arrumado em casa para só pegar as malas e partir, fomos caminhando pela beira-mar com Sven, Lagi e Cam (que veio nos encontrar pra dar um último tchau) até uma cafeteria deliciosa que fica a uns 20 minutos de casa para nos encontrarmos com Carine, André, Lina, Dulce e Decarlos para o café da manhã e depois seguirmos para o aeroporto.
Enquanto estávamos lá uma surpresa: Lagi e Sven nos presentearam com lindos colares de Jade, com pingentes em forma de Koru, que na tradição Maori significa o ciclo da vida, reinício. E um cartão que deixamos pra ler no aeroporto. Na volta pra casa, seguindo as crenças Maori, fomos até o mar para a Lagi benzer os colares e ter a certeza de que vamos voltar para a Nova Zelândia. Thanks darling.

Voltamos pra casa também caminhando, conversando e admirando a paisagem. Nos despedimos da Carine, do André e da Lina, pegamos as malas. Dei uma fitinha do Senhor do Bonfim pro Cam, que está indo para a América do Sul no fim do mês pra passar 1 ano, com os 3 nozinhos e 3 pedidos. Carregamos o carro do Decarlos com as malas e pranchas e fomos de carona com o Sven e a Lagi até o aeroporto. Como é bom ter amigos como vocês! Obrigada mais uma vez!

A caminho pro aeroporto comentários de como o dia estava lindo e como é difícil descrever a sensação desse momento. O coração batendo mais depressa e a cabeça um pouco tonta. A casa, o caminho para o trabalho, os amigos, as lindas paisagens, o inverno, a rotina ficando pra trás. O aeroporto, os próximos destinos, as novidades, o desconhecido, a realização de um sonho chegando mais perto a cada minuto.

On Sunday I woke up at 7:15 am with the sun entering by the window, I looked outside and there were a few sail boats at the bay, a light breeze… after a week of intense cold and rain, Wellington brought us a beautiful Sunday to say goodbye.

Felipe was already awake some time ago, working on the computer .. “it’s 7 in the morning, you woke up early, aye? are you anxious?” … “a little bit”, he replied.

After getting everything tidy at home and ready to only pick the bags up and leave, we walked by the beach with Sven, Lagi and Cam (who came to meet us and say a last goodbye) to a delicious cafè which is about 20 minutes from home, there we met Carine, André, Lina, Dulce and Decarlos for breakfast and then from there to the airport.

While we were there, a surprise: Lagi and Sven gave us beautiful Jade (greenstone) necklaces, with Koru shaped pendants, which in Maori tradition means the cycle of life (being very brief). And a card that we kept to read at the airport. When we were going back home, following Maori beliefs, Lagi got the necklaces to the sea to have them blessed and be sure that we will return to New Zealand. Thanks darling.

We went home also walking, talking and admiring the landscape. Said goodbye to Carine, André and Lina, got the backpacks. I gave a little traditional (supersticious) Brazilian gift to Cam, who is going to South America at the end of the month to spend 1 year over there. Decarlos’ car was carried with our bags and boards and we got a ride with Sven and Lagi to the airport. How good is to have friends like you! Thank you again!

On the way to the airport comments on how beautiful the day was and how difficult it is to describe the feeling of this moment. The heart beating faster and I was getting a little bit dizzy. The house, the path to work everyday, the friends, the beautiful landscapes, the winter, the routine, staying behind us. The airport, the next destination, the news, the unknown, a dream becoming reality, in front of us, getting closer at each meter.

[Read more →]