Sydney – Christmas, Fireworks and McDonalds

It could only be Sydney.

We are in Sydney for Christmas. It's unexpected but welcome nonetheless. Our hotel options were limited on Christmas Eve but we managed to get a 5 night stay at the Sir Stamford at Circular Quay. It's a great location right by the Opera House and the main ferry hub.

Our first ferry jaunt was to Darling Harbour for Christmas carols and an outrageously expensive seafood supper. This was followed by a fireworks extravaganza over the harbour. Prior to this we had had to sit on the boardwalk for nearly an hour and I spent much of this time considering three pontoons of huge inflated Santas strung across the harbour. 

Christmas Eve fireworks in Darling Harbour

Maybe it was the waiting, maybe the faint drizzle, or perhaps the fact that half of South East Asia was crammed in around me but all I could think of, and look forward to, was exploding Santas. Sadly it was not to be; the brief but spectacular firework display issued from two other pontoons that I had failed to see further along the harbour. After this we returned to Circular Quay by a night ferry with some great views of the harbour bridge and the opera house.

A Christmas Day feast

Christmas Day itself was a late start, for the first time in months we slept beyond 8.00am! It felt ridiculously decadent and things got no better when we exchanged $10 gifts, opted to wear Big Bang Theory T-shirts and have McDonald's for lunch. My colon may never recover but it was out of the rain and the only place we could find with free wifi. Sadly the weather took a nose-dive after lunch and we were reduced to coffee shop hopping and an amble through Chinatown before giving in to the rain and flopping in front of the TV back at the hotel. Much like any other Christmas Day, we snoozed.

Boxing Day Sale queue outside Burberry's in Sydney.
Don't they know there's a recession?

Boxing Day weather was much improved so, after Eggs Benedict for brunch, we used the ferry network to explore further around Sydney Harbour. It's not until you see the extent of the harbour inlet and the Paramatta River that you realise how big the city is and how far it has sprawled. 

Mosman Bay, one of many pretty (and no doubt expensive)
bays on the periphery of Sydney Harbour

Every available square metre of river bank or harbour shore is covered in upmarket real estate and some of the biggest houses were amazing, especially the modern ones. And what's really amazing is that Sydneysiders have managed, by and large, to keep the whole area looking so green. We had an aimless but hugely enjoyable day hopping on and off boats and basking in the warm sunshine. We ended the day with a couple of cold beers in a harbour-side pub before returning to base.

It was certainly a different way to spend Christmas but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

Main lobby of the Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, complete with
scruffy Pom and studious wombat.