A Day in Sydney

A Day in Sydney

By Cinnamongirl Mariah

To commence our last full day in Sydney before heading to Cairns the cohort started the day by branching off: Everyone could do what they preferred. Some of us went to the mall to take advantage of great deals, while others, including me, went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. 

At this time, the Museum had only one floor open which provided us with ample time to look at all of the unique and colorful pieces without feeling rushed. Memorable works included a cartoon series by Joseph Selleny, images of the Hazara people by Khadim Ali, and oysters by Megan Cope. My personal favorite was a wall where every country was depicted as a room in a floor plan with all of the doors propped open, symbolizing the internationalism countries should adopt. 

After we soaked in all of the wonderful sights, we went to a local cafe and walked around the city. We tried the local version of hot chocolate and common pastries to see what Australians enjoy on a Sunday morning. My favorite was an apple crumble sprinkled with sugar even though it was devoid of the cinnamon I was accustomed to in American apple pastries. Another thing we noticed while walking around was that every alleyway was safe and smelled pleasantly inviting. Even on a chill day, many of the residents still donned chic clothes and designer handbags, as they walked the streets.

After returning from the Westfield mall or the museum, the cohort reconvened to walk to the Central Railway Station. The station looked like a building that could be in London. The train ride to Featherdale Wildlife Park, in the City of Blacktown, about 20 miles outside Sydney’s city center, was extremely smooth and we enjoyed playing games and laughing. 

Once we arrived at the Featherdale Wildlife Park we were all amazed at the freedom of the animals as they roamed right next to the visitors. It was nerve-racking to walk right next to kangaroos as they hopped around, especially with the fear in the back of my head that I would get kicked thanks to Instagram. After seeing parents feel comfortable letting their young children explore without restraint, I adopted the same trust with the calm animals. Luckily they did have a safe space within a fence where they could have a break and enjoy some lunch. Australian birds also appeared to be fearless as they flew around and went into the cages of every other animal in the park, including one of the deadliest birds in the world. The terrain consisted of mulch, trees, and grass in some areas for the animals to munch on. Each girl was given a passport and was able to check off the animals they saw with the stamps provided along the way. Many posed for pictures with kangaroos and a professional photo was taken with a koala. Both animals were extremely calm and remained relaxed even with all the people and traffic around them; this included them continuously being chased by children. 

We explored more and found wallabies, cassowaries, baby penguins, crocodiles, emus, tree kangaroos, and dingoes among other birds. On the way out souvenirs were purchased to document the experience and we went back to the station. While waiting in Blacktown for the whole group to arrive, we met three Black Australian girls who expressed interest in seeing Cinnamongirl expand to Australia! We exchanged information and promised to keep them informed of any future Cinnamongirl plans. After we arrived back at our hotel we enjoyed some quality time with one another and headed to sleep to prepare for our next flight. 

A common theme we’ve noticed in Australia was the amount of attention we attracted from others. It usually involved constant stares but one man on the train vocalized his surprise. “I’ve never seen so many of them in one place,” he explained as he was walking by. While he most likely meant well, that did not stop an awkward silence from descending over us for a few seconds. Regardless of those rare incidents, many Australians have been extremely welcoming and even complimented our intricate braided hairstyles. They appear to be more hospitable than Americans as a whole and it encouraged many of us to consider acting the same once we return home and notice tourists visiting California. This experience has been amazing so far and we are all excited to see what awaits us in Cairns, Queensland.