June 6th: Sydney Day 1

Today was our travel day from Melbourne to Sydney but the day wasn’t wasted by flying as our program coordinator “Dougo” scheduled us to wake up before the crack of dawn to get on a plane and make sure we had a full day to explore Sydney. 
Despite everyone being tired, the whole group was buzzing with excitement at the opportunity to see a new city, especially one with so many amazing landmarks. 
Once we arrived at the airport we got right on a bus and began a guided driving tour of the city. We got our first glimpse of Darling and Sydney Harbors as well as an opportunity to get out and take pictures in front of the world famous Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge. From there we walked around the Sydney Harbor area and got a peek at the botanical gardens. 
Next, we were off to mouth of the Harbor to an area called Watsons Bay for some amazing views and photo opportunities. We hiked along the cliffs and were able to see some whales breaching out in the ocean below us. 
Our final stop of the day was the Bondi Icebergs Swim Club. The Swim Club is located right on Bondi Beach and the pool is fed by the saltwater of the ocean. Celebrities and laborers alike come to this place to relax, swim, and dine and all it costs its $35 per year. Now right now you may be saying to yourself, $35 a year for membership into a club favored by celebs from around the world? What's the catch? Well, that's very astute of you because there most certainly is a catch, a very cold one. In order to be a swimming member (and qualify for $35 a year membership), you must participate in three Sunday swim competitions per month for five years. Okay, you might not be thinking that going out for a nice Sunday morning swim three times a month is that tough but the swim season in Australia is from April until September, their winter months. This begins to explain why there are only 1000 swimming members at Bondi and over 6000 non-swimming members. 
In order to test out just how much willpower it would take to maintain three Sunday swims a month for five years, a few of us decided to hop in the water. Let's just say they don’t call it the Icebergs Club for no reason. 
After a delicious lunch at the club overlooking Bondi Beach, it was back to The Great Southern Hotel for our first night in Sydney.

Peter-Owen Hayward

 Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge

Watsons Bay: the mouth of Sydney Harbor

Bondi Icebergs Pool



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