Sydney: Bondi to Bronte

I have never been a fan of hotel in-room coffee makers; the coffee is generally awful and cleanliness of the machine is always an issue. This is not the case at the Park Hyatt in Sydney. I present to you an in-room espresso maker that makes perfect, crema-topped, espresso - every time. It is miraculous.

While I enjoyed my espresso, APL enjoyed his bath.

We decided to do the coastal walk that was recommended to us by numerous people: Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach. After consulting with APL, it was clear that we were to take a train to get there. We walked the 5 minutes to the train station, spent a few minutes trying to figure out their system, and then found the train. APL was pretty thrilled; we were on a train in Sydney!

It took us no time to get to the Bondi station. Unfortunately, just as we arrived, the heavens opened up and it began to pour – and when I say pour, I mean it was literally raining cats and dogs. And not just house-cats and Chihuahuas; it was raining Neapolitan Mastiffs and ligers. Fortunately, the Bondi train station is also a giant shopping center. So we hit some Aussie shops, had lunch, bought APL a fireman set, and waited for the rain to clear.  We then made our way to the beach, crossed our no-more-rain fingers, and ventured out along the Aussie coast.

Beautiful walk.

APL and his crew had a fantastic time.

When we arrived at Bronte Beach, we broke out the fireman set and APL created a really elaborate fire-rescue scenario that involved Papa not touching any of his fireman equipment. At one point he said, “Papa, you can use the pen you have in your pocket.”

It was a great hike. If the weather had been better, we would have definitely brought bathing suits for a swim at Bronte Beach; it was so inviting.

After a couple of hours of play at the beach, we made our way back to the hotel.  Just after we settled back into our room, this spectacular boat pulled up to the dock opposite our room:

We spent some time watching the crew secure and then clean up this beautiful sailing yacht.

Check out the gear at the top of the main mast.

Following some in-room relaxation, we headed to the rooftop pool for a dip.

We had a great time in Sydney. APL saw it, loved it, and is still talking about it.



(Tasha: Too stylized?)