Chris Khalil’s Musings

(See pictures of the journey to Manly)

I finally feel like I’m settling into Sydney life! It’s definitely a much warmer place than Melbourne (in Winter at least). I’ve been really keen to get to the beach for a couple of weeks now, and finally made it yesterday!!

Considering it’s the last week of winter the temperature was an incredible 24C. Strolled around the city for a while before boarding the Manly Ferry.

It really is the only way to travel. As you leave the city on the 30 minute journey, you leave stunning views behind you of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, the botanical garden and the soaring skyscrapers of the city.

Manly itself is a great place, vibrant and with plenty of choice on the bar/restaurant front. We arrived just in time for a few glasses of wine and a seafood lunch on the seafront. Simply delightful. Full with great food and experiencing a mid-afternoon lull, we rested on the sunkissed beach looking out to the twinkling ocean and catching a few rays. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking, playing frisbee and generally failing to believe we all actually lived in such a beautiful place!

As the afternoon ebbed into early evening and we watched the sun descend over the horizon, we set back from Shelly Beach to Manly. As we followed the winding beach path, a strange blue light caught our eye to sea. It was for such a brief amount of time we thought our eyes were playing tricks on us. Then, once more, a wave crashed to the shore aglow with a neon blue light emanating through it. This was all very surreal, but it appeared there was some algae or material washing ashore that was phosphorescing. It really was the most incredible site, as we approached Manly more and more waves swept into shore, glowing an eerie blue in the ink dark night.

It was a magical moment. Sadly I was unable to catch it, as the fates weren’t smiling and both my camera battery ran out and the memory card screwed up!

Anyway, did manage to get some decent pics of Sydney itself

After 2 fantastic years in Melbourne, it is with great sadness that I leave that amazing city and move on. A brilliant job opportunity at News Digital Media arose in Sydney that I just couldn’t resist. So, after a stressful few weeks of packing and saying my goodbyes, I got in the car and did the long and reflective drive to Sydney.

So here I am, I’ve managed to find somewhere to live in Pyrmont (see some pics), a few minutes walk from the new job and am slowly adjusting to my new surroundings. Sydney is a truly beautiful city, but it has its downsides. Transportation seems a bit less efficient than Melbourne, and the bars seem to close early (maybe I’ve been going to the wrong places!). Anyway, it’s early days yet, I’m hopeful that it will come to feel like home.