With each passing day, however, the chatter didn’t stop. In fact, there were more discussions. The deliberations were getting more serious. Even the visitors from Manila conveyed the same news – a new assignment requiring me to move from Los Angeles in America to Sydney in Australia. There must have been some truth to the report. It seemed by then that it was more reliable than ever. I checked around and verified with office colleagues. They somehow denied the story. But then again, I thought, we all know how denials go.
So I sought an Authority to Travel, took an official leave and flew to Sydney where I stayed for a week. I did the city and how. It was more than just an ocular inspection. It was a step-by-step, component-by-component, module-by-module study and review of "life in Sydney." The results: nothing but the highest of marks – a summa cum Laude of a place !
Since then, I have revisited Sydney several times over. Excuses vary from regular get-togethers with best of friends to extended stop-overs on my way and back to participate in a travel exhibition in Auckland, New Zealand to serving as the sole country representative to an Annual Tourism Conference in Nadi, Fiji and to be present at the wedding of the daughter of a dear chum.
A trip to the city by the harbor does wonders for me for I have allowed her to successfully deprive me of knowing other countries that I have never been to before. This is a violation of my obsession of reaching the century mark of visited countries before the turn of the century. Too late, now! But then again, Sydney is truly an irresistible magnet. Here are some reasons why I keep going back.
1. The made-to-order excellent weather with four distinct seasons – yet none too extreme, just perfectly temperate.
2. Sydney Harbor, the city’s biggest brightest star, the Sydney Opera House , often described as "the most significant building of the last century" and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, "the engineering wonder of our age." Everytime I stand by the harbour and look admiringly at the two celebrated icons, I get blown away by its sheer grandeur and unsurpassed beauty. Then my heart stops.
3. I suspect the city motto is be casual. The inhabitants are. They readily and gladly adapt an informal lifestyle.
4. The genuine friendliness and warm hospitality of the people residing in neighborhoods made up of honest-to-goodness neighbors most of us only dream of.
5. The gift, the ability and the will to blend and compliment the old and the new in everything they have and in everything they do.
6. The restoration of the run-down section in the wharf area and the transformation of old buildings and bodegas into fashionable zones of hotels, apartments, shops and restaurants by gutting only the insides without damaging the facade
7. The choice of transportation is hard to beat – depending on one’s budget, one’s physical fitness or one’s time schedule. It includes ferry boats – they are to Sydney what cable cars are to San Francisco. And how many cities can offer water taxis?
8. The almost-daily evening wash of city streets and its sidewalks. Most buildings do get regular facelifts more often than some vain humans we read about.
9. When sidewalks display "Men at Work" signages, carpets are carefully laid out so the population won’t trip, fall and hurt themselves. How’s that for concern?
10. The Royal Botanic Gardens, a green oasis covering some 30 hectares, showcases an impressive collection of Australian native flowers in a stunning setting. The paths are perfect for leisurely strolls and some open spaces are ideal for picnics. On summer evenings, Shakespearean plays are presented.
11. The Town Hall. Despite the city’s growth, it has not changed its name to City Hall. Its majestic outdoor staircase is the popular meeting place for a rendezvouz. In spite of the ever-present crowd, one always finds whoever they are waiting for.
12. The sounds of the bells at St. Mary’s Cathedral is heard across the metropolis whenever there are weddings and other ecclesiastical celebrations.
13. My favorite structure in all of Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building built to resemble a Byzantine palace which occupies an entire city block. Pierre Cardin called the QVB, as it is commonly known, "the most beautiful shopping arcade in the world." I would say only few would disagree.
14. David Jones, Sydney’s most famous department store, is the city’s answer to London’s Harrods. It is the epitome of old style service and is renowned for its elaborate holiday season decorations.
15. Sydney’s on-the-ball and very-with-it sales assistants whether they work in the corner shop or in better department stores fully understand the true meaning of service. And boy, do they practice what they believe in. Should the trading establishment not possess the desired goods, no one is ever too busy to share some valuable suggestions on where to go and obtain the merchandise in question.
16. World class performers have Sydney as a must stop-over during their world tours.
17. Try to catch a superb production of a musical at the Theater Royal.
18. The talented street entertainers in Sydney Cove all the way from The Rocks to Circular Quay.
19. The Sydney Showboat sails nightly for a harbor cruise with dinner and show.
20. Martin Place, once a street opened to vehicular traffic, is today, a pedestrian walkway with an amphitheater, fountains, sculptures, flower stands and newspaper kiosks.
21. The Mitchell Library in the old wing of the State Library of New South Wales has the largest and most complete collection of Australiana in the world.
22. The entire redevelopment of Darling Harbor reminds me of the waterfront makeovers of Boston and Baltimore. This playground for all offers a theme park, a number of restaurants and nightclubs, over a hundred shops and several museums.
23. The Powerhouse is Australia’s largest and most exciting museum where the visitor is encouraged to participate in interactive exhibits and displays. A participative museum with a difference, it is both an educational and entertaining experience.
24. Taronga Zoo, consistently voted the most spectacular zoo in the world. It serves as an introduction to Australia’s unique wildlife with different kinds of animals, reptiles and birds from all over the globe. Take an Aerial Cabin ride – it’s a great way to witness the zoo’s attractions.
25. Sydney’s waterways. I suspect there are over fifty harbor cruises visiting diverse destinations in addition to the harbour’s lengthy shoreline which includes Middle Harbor, Lane Cove River, Parramatta River, the waters of the flooded Hawskesbury River Valley and Pittwater.
26. Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest commercial wine-producing region is internationally known for its rich full-bodied wines.
27. Paddington, a maze of steep hillside roads and streets of style, has the most number of galleries in Sydney featuring aboriginal arts to contemporary works.
28. Angus and Roberston, the city’s biggest bookshop, for Australian author like Thomas Keneally of Schindler’s List fame and for a wide choice of books on Australia. Gleebooks, with Sunday afternoon readings is a bookseller with a distinct atmosphere.
29. Weekend markets such as Paddington Market, the Rocks Market and the Balmoin Market are colorful, bustling and the ideal places to find bargains.
30. For the monthly markets, nothing beats Kirribilli. I have never been disappointed with my rare finds.
31. Dining out in Sydney is a treat – partly thanks to its multi-cultural city dwellers. Doyles On The Beach has remained the best waterfront restaurant while The Fish Markets have staggering seafood selections. Take-away fish and chips or barbecued octopus are great favorites. I still favor Banc as one of Sydney’s top restaurants while I have always immensely relished all my meals at Hotel Intercontinental’s Treasury Restaurant. How can I ever forget the dimsum locally known as yam cha at the Marigold Restaurant. More than just yummy.
32. The abundance and availability of fresh produce. Though not a vegetable lover, this is one city where I always go for a second serving.
33. The gigantic Tasmanian King crab which can easily be the main fare for a dinner party of twelve guests.
34. An espresso at the Cosmo Terrace Cafe while watching the world go by. This is where the cafe scene began when European immigrants and refugees brought with them their cosmopolitan cultures revitalizing Sydney’s formerly purely Anglicized society.
35. Bar Coluzzi for the best cappuccino in town. But come to think of it, I have not had a cup that I didn’t enjoy no matter where I’ve had it. I am convinced more and more with each passing visit, that Sydney makes the greatest cappuccino in the world.
36. The Vaucluse House Tearooms, the perfect spot for morning tea.
37. Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, an all night pie wagon which has been frequented by starving people-in-celebration for generations.
38. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra – both world class.
39. If I recall my numbers right within the boundary of Sydney, there are over thirty five ocean beaches. Bondi Beach, the venue for watersports activities and events, is the country’s most famous stretch of sand.
40. Antiques in Sydney? I was pleasantly surprised considering the city is rather young and does not have the "hundreds of years" of other European sites. Queen Street in Woollahra is the antique center. Some of the leading dealers are G.L. Auchinachie and Son, Tony Ward’s Printique, Anne Schofield Antiques.
41. I marvel when the entire city completely stops all because of the horse races. But one must understand it’s the Melbourne Cup.
42. The Royal Easter Show is when the "country comes to town" with a grand parade of animals, an agricultural exhibition and fair where they bring out the best and biggest from the harvest of the lands, show jumping and carnival rides, arts and crafts demonstrations and countless side shows.
43. The celebration of Australia Day. The entire place "goes all out" to commemorate the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip and the eleven ships of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on January 26, 1788. They were the pioneers of the European settlement. Day-long-and-all-through-the-night events such as concerts and ferrython and an impressive fireworks display at Darling Harbor. Remember the awesome Sydney fireworks during the turn of the millennium beamed on television and showed around the world? Well, a similar one!
44. Christmas in July. Situated in the Southern Hemisphere , restaurants and hotels host a Christmas dinner every Saturday night in the cool winter months from June till August.
45. The Sydney Festival and Carnival is the annual arts and entertainment event which focuses on the multi-cultural character of its inhabitants.
46. A drive through Sydney’s most exclusive addresses namely Double Bay often referred to by locals as Double Pay and Darling Point, a million dollar real estate with high rise luxury apartments among houses and gardens of splendor many with magnificent harbor views and some with private moorings for sailboats and yachts.
47. Perfectly manicured golf courses dot the city.
48. Koala Park – a one-of-its-kind-in-the-world-where the cuddly creatures live in their natural habitat, yet are tame enough to be fed with eucalyptus leaves by visitors.
49. A visit to Sydney is never complete without an evening with artistic Frankie for laughs, without spending a Saturday morning with huggable Rita who knows where to get what, without sharing delicious home-cooked dinners in more time than once with ageless Olivia, without the twirls and swirls of seemingly never-ending boogie-woogie sessions with workaholic Mary, without tagging along bubbly and full-of-life Maricris as she continuously earnestly discovers Sydney’s other nooks and crannies that I never even suspected existed, without the marathon talkathon spiced up with family updates with talented couple Betty and Joe and without the tour of the city’s newest attractions that was not quite ready on my last visit courtesy of Nilo, a childhood friend whose Dad was my godfather.
50. But one thing is for sure, Sydney will never be the same without Consuelo "Lito" Jones residing in the majestic city which undoubtedly must be one of the most beautiful in the world.