Upstairs, Downstairs! First Trip on SIA's New A380 to Sydney: SQ221/232 SIN-SYD-SIN

[yflyer]

The romance of travel still shines through in your TRs. Even in Y! Well done!

Thanks, 9V-SIA!

I will be on SQ 232 in a couple of hours. Can't wait.

Enjoy yourself, zilchster!

[9V-JKL]

THIS is the DEFINITIVE Trip Report!

[yflyer]

THIS is the DEFINITIVE Trip Report!

Haha...thanks 9V-JKL...we shall see ...

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

I was very impressed with the new automated immigration system at Sydney Airport (The same appears to have been installed in Melbourne Airport too.).

This is available not just for Australian (And NZ) passport holders, but many other nationalities too, including Singapore passports. I urge you to try the automated system out. It works great.

There are many self service kiosks by the corridor as you approach immigration. You simply scan your passport and answer a few simple questions on the touch screen. The machine then prints a cardboard slip for you to bring to the automated immigration gates.

The queues at the automated gates are far shorter than the regular queues...and you simply insert the card, and have your photo taken by the machine. If the system recognises your face, you are through. And that is that!

Simple! No messing around with fingerprints like the Singapore automated system, which is a little fiddly if you are a newbie. Just make sure you look like the person in your passport photo (Not as easy at it sounds......one cabin crew member I was chatting with onboard said he could never get the camera to recognize his face...and so had to use the manual queue...).

I was through immigration in 5 minutes, even without an Express Pass. And at the customs check, where they usually profile pax who are trying to bring in non-approved food items, I was let through without any secondary inspection, and found myself in the Arrival Hall minutes later.

CNY decor already up in the terminal...

[yflyer]

These days, I am a fan of the Sydney Airport Train system. Sydney Airport is still one of the few international airports which are very close to the city centre. Downtown Sydney is just a short train ride away, and is a relatively inexpensive option, since taxis in Sydney are very pricey.



The double decker commuter train I rode was quite crowded, as this was the morning rush hour, but it was not a long ride, and I didn't mind.



Several of the stops are underground, but the train emerges briefly above ground at Circular Quay...where you could catch a glimpse of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and any docked cruise ships, out of the (Occasionally dusty) windows of the train.



On today's ride, my train was an older model double decker...



...but there are sleek new ones as well...



I continued a couple more stops and ended my train ride at Town Hall station, very close to the Hilton.



I arrived in the city center at the stroke of 9am, as the Town Hall clock tower showed -- an impressive door-to-door timing for a scheduled 7.40am flight arrival time into Sydney!

I would spend the next few days in Sydney before my flight home on SQ232...

[yflyer]

The Hilton is one of my favourite hotels in Sydney, in a perfect location in the heart of the city.



The rooms are not large, but they are modern and stylish. The other reason I stay here is the Glass Brasserie, one of Luke Mangan's restaurants. Mr Mangan has restaurants in Singapore too, but I find that I still prefer dining at the Glass Brasserie in Sydney.

Ironically, I realized, to my dismay, that the Glass Brasserie was undergoing renovations at that moment, and would only open for full restaurant operations the day I was due to depart. Oh well.

The lobby...



My room on the 26th floor...



A compact, but very elegant and stylish room, with a modern ambience I liked very much.



A large work top, with good wifi connectivity.



Bathroom with shower stall (No tub...)





George Street is now closed for vehicular traffic, as they are reinstalling tram lines along this thoroughfare.

The Hilton is right across the street from QVB, the Queen Victoria Building, a newly restored building that is now an elegant shopping mall...



The interior of the mall is all light and space...



Complete with wrought iron staircase and old style elevator...



And also nearby, a Woolworths supermarket, with shelves stocked with meat products less commonly found in Singapore...

[yflyer]

The weather in Sydney was warm and pleasant when I was there.



That evening, I headed out for a run, along what must be one of the most scenic running routes in any city.

My run started at Hyde Park, a large park just two blocks away from the Hilton.



This is a wonderful public space in the heart of Sydney. Here is a picture of the park a couple of days later, during lunch hour, when many people were just out relaxing and sitting on the grass...



I began my run at the Park, and headed along Macquarie Street towards the Sydney Opera House...



At the 1km mark, I arrived at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a large park to the north east of Sydney, and headed inside...





This is a very scenic park, with great views of the harbour and the Opera House and Harbour Bridge...



I paused to watch Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas pass under the Harbour Bridge as it departed...



I followed the coastline past Mrs Macquarie's Chair, and caught a glimpse of the Australian Naval Base across the water...



...before doubling back towards Farm Cove...



...for even more spectacular city views....

[yflyer]

There was an outdoor film festival taking place that month...



...which meant that part of the coastal path was closed in the evening...



...but there were alternative footpaths further up the hillside, and a lot of the coastal paths remained open, especially those leading to the Opera House.

It was a great day to be out in the Botanic Gardens...



My running route along the waterfront took me right up to the Opera House...



At the Opera House itself, you could do a "Rocky"-style run up and down the stairs...



...before making a loop round the Opera House itself...







I continued my run past the busy eateries near the Opera House towards Circular Quay...

[yflyer]

I continued my run towards the Overseas Passenger Terminal and the Park Hyatt...



The Park Hyatt must be one of the nicest hotels to stay at in Sydney...a quiet, scenic spot close to the Harbour Bridge, yet not too far from the city centre.



The footpath continued under the harbour bridge...



It was only then that, looking upwards, I noticed that there was actually a walkway on the Harbour Bridge, and there were pedestrians and cyclists on it!



Why wasn't I aware of this before? I made a mental note to plan for a run across the bridge on my next trip to Sydney!



I headed past Dawes POint.

At this juncture, my plan was just to continue my run along the wharf, and go on, until I couldn't, before doubling back and heading to Darling Harbour along one of the city streets.

But I found, to my delight, that it was possible to continue my run all the way round the pier, and the Barangaroo Reserve and Port area, right to Darling Harbour. This full circular route was previously not as easy to do because of the restricted port area at Barangaroo, but these have since been moved, and there is a path all the way to Darling Harbour, making it a spectacularly beautiful running route, especially as the sun set...



I continued my run along Pier 1 and Pier 2/3...



...and along the park and path at Barangaroo Reserve...







Just a few bike-share bikes along the way...and over here some of these bikes came with helmets...



Just a little ongoing construction as we approached the King Street Wharf eateries and entertainment district, but there were clearly marked paths for pedestrians and cyclists...

[yflyer]

And finally, I jogged past the eateries along Wulugul Walk, along the wharves, towards Darling Harbour...a lively area packed with eateries and nightlife...



...past the Sydney Sea Life aquarium...



Note that the previous Four Points Sheraton is now the Hyatt Regency Sydney.

I continued my run under the Pyrmont Bridge and rounded the waterfront to the Darling Harbour Jetty...



...and ended my run by jogging over the Pyrmont Bridge...



...finishing my run close to the Sydney Tower, and the Hilton.



Total distance that evening, a very satisfying 13+ km right round downtown Sydney...



One of the most satisfying city runs ever! Highly recommended if anyone wants a good run in Sydney.

[yflyer]

The week I was in Sydney, hotel rates and availability varied during the week, so for two days, I shifted to the Sheraton on the Park to take advantage of good rates on those days. Moving between the Hilton and the Sheraton is no great hardship...they are just 2 blocks apart, and you can cut through the shopping mall in between them for a very direct route from one to the other.

The Sheraton is a superb hotel, located in a great spot overlooking Hyde Park.





My room at the Sheraton was very large and beautifully decorated in warm tones. The room decor had a sophisticated, elegant and timeless vibe, one of the nicest rooms in Sydney that I have stayed in.



It looks to have been recently remodelled, with everything looking brand new and elegant, not to mention warm and inviting.





My particular room had a small alcove with a window and lounge chair, which was a great spot to sit in, especially when the sunlight was streaming in.





Very large bathroom, with both tub...



...and shower...


Le Grand Bain toiletries...



Walk-in wardrobe...

[yflyer]

For SPG Platinum, the Sheraton Club Lounge on the top floor was also a a very nice place to spend time...



One of the most distinctive lounges I have visited, with large circular glass panes providing great views of the park and water...





There are small balconies as well, if you want to enjoy fresh air, and the view...





A very tempting light breakfast is served daily, as well as evening canapes and snacks, as well as wine and liquor in the early evening...



Overall, a wonderful hotel...

[yflyer]

Sydney has great food. I have yet to have a poor dining experience in this amazing city. This time round, I visited old favourites as well as new restaurants.

My go-to place for steak in Sydney is the Rockpool Bar & Grill. I most recently ate their miraculously delicious steak at their Melbourne branch, but could not resist heading to their outlet at 66 Hunter Street in Sydney on this occasion either, and ordered pretty much the same steak -- it is THAT good. Forgive me for posting what amounts to a carbon copy of my steak last pictured in my recent Melbourne TR.







I ordered the Cape Grimm 36 month old dry-aged ribeye on the bone, and it did not disappoint.



I paired it with a Torbreck "Cannonau" Barossa Valley Grenache, a delicious wine...



But where was the accompanying horseradish sauce, I asked?

"I am very sorry,"...my friendly waitress replied..."...but we make the horseradish sauce ourselves from scratch, and it has been very hot this season...the horseradish was not of good quality, so we did not make any."

Now that's obsession with quality!

[yflyer]

That was not the only steak I had on this trip. My colleagues and I also headed to the Meat & Wine Co., in Barangaroo, the same waterside location I had jogged past earlier in the week...



This is a popular restaurant, with branches in both Melbourne and Sydney, offering Australian and African inspired cuisine. While not at the same exalted level (Or price point) as Rockpool Bar & Grill, this was plenty good, and made for a great evening out, with very good food (whether the steaks or the impressive looking skewers) and wine...

I ate their signature Monte New York Strip, and picked hot African chilli sauce as the accompaniment...



Very good!

I was also very intrigued by a section of their menu named liquid dessert...



I was quite full after the steak, but there was definitely space for this Cognac "dessert"...



But the real restaurant find of the trip was Cipri, an Italian Restaurant, located just outside the CBD, in Paddington, where my cousin, his wife and I had dinner one evening...



This was just a few kilometers from the city centre, but the atmosphere in this neighbourhood was completely different. A much quieter, more laid back, part of Sydney...



And some of the most inspired and finely prepared Australian/Italian cuisine I have eaten, with warm friendly service to match...



The menu...





A bottle of Sicilian Red to kick things off...



A very satisfying beef carpaccio...

[yflyer]

This was followed by an amazing dish of finely sliced calamari, so tender and delicious that it almost tasted like "mee pok" with an intense yet delicate seafood flavour...



Our friendly waiter had started mixing it up before he noticed me trying to take a photo, so the ingredients are a little mixed up on the plate...

And after he mixed up the sauces, he gave each of us a portion of this delicious dish.



Then it was smoked eggplant ravioli with cod...(They were kind to split the ravioli into 3 portions for us to share...)



...and thyme pappardelle with duck and mushroom...



These inspired pasta dishes were followed by our main: twice cooked suckling pig...



After that incredible feast, we somehow found some space for Tiramisu...





As mentioned, this restaurant is not in the city centre, but is just 10-15 min away by taxi. Well worth a visit!