SYDNEY INTERNSHIPS (www.sydneyinternships.com.au)

Always look on the bright side of life

2012-02-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

G'Day!

Last weekend was beautiful. Perfect weather for the beach. However, I spent it in bed. On Friday some friends and I went out for a night of fun and karaoke. Before we started the night someone suggested to have some Thai food. So we went to Chat Thai at Westfield Mall in the city. The service was great, the place was popular and the coconut milk brilliant. But the food was too hot for me.

simply beautiful

I started eating and suddenly my mouth was burning. If you like spicy food this is the place to go. If you are more like me and enjoy milder food then think twice about it. I couldn't taste anything for two days. My stomach was upset so I stayed in bed on Saturday. Around midday I felt better and decided to go for a little walk.

On Sunday I woke up early to be at the fish markets when they opened. When I was younger my Dad used to take my siblings and me to the fish market in Kiel and it was just a loud and crowded place of fishmongers screaming out their prices. The Sydney Fish Market is not like that at all.

Fish Market Hall

outside the market

It is more like a small mall with a food court. But the fish and chips are excellent and absolutly fresh.

Next weekend we will visit The Hunter Valley to try some of Australia's wines. If you are interested to join me please sign up!

Until then...

Hiking and Movies

2012-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I hope everyone found their way home last Monday. It was great to meet many of you at the intern meeting. I always enjoy listening to your experiences, tips and travel plans. After we finished dinner we walked down to the Opera House. The walk was as much fun as sitting at the Opera House and enjoying the night atmosphere.

On Friday I didn't really know what to do as we planned a big trip for the weekend. I decided to walk to Maroubra Beach and from there the Coastal Walk to Coogee Beach. At Coogee Beach I visited one of my favourite places, Wylie's Baths (you need to understand that I am to afraid of the Sea). Wylie's Baths is located just 100 meters south of Coogee Beach. The entry fee is about $4.50. The 50 yard rock pool is a perfect and safe place for swimming or just hanging out. To get there take bus #372 or 373 or 374 from Central.

That black bird ate my lunch

Saturday morning a friend of mine and I left for Gordon as we planned to visit a friend. I can't stop being amazed about Sydney. At Bondi Junction we got on a train to Town Hall and from there we took a train to Gordon (platform 4).

Our friend picked us up at the train station (we would have been lost otherwise). After we arrived at his place we started our hike. The trail we decided to do was named "The Founders Way". It is believed that the first settler walked on this track.

I just love being out and exploring Sydney's National Parks. The trail led us cross a stone platform from where you could look over the endless scenery of the Ku-ring-gai-chase National Park. That is a view I cannot fully describe as you have to experience it yourself.

We came across huge hollowed out stones. Ancient remains.

After a steep hike down we had to cross a creek. Unfortunately there wasn't a bridge. We were lucky that the creek's level was not high so that we could cross using the rocks.

We also met some nasty animals. If you go hiking in wet and humid places watch out for leeches. They seem to be everywhere. And the spiders seem to be bigger than the ones you find in the city.

After that exhausting hike we had a BBQ and got attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. That's life in the Australian Bush!

On Sunday we took a train back to the city. Just in time for the Tropfest.

The Tropfest is the biggest short film festival in the world. Unfortunately it started raining heavily half way through and almost everyone left. But the winner was "Lemonade Stand".

Unitl then...

Surf Weekend - March 2012

2012-02-20T20:30:00.001-08:00

We have another surf trip booked and would love for you to join us!!

Date: 30th March - 1st April
Website: Surf Camp
How to book:
Step 1: select 'Ultimate Surf Weekend - $345'
Step 2: select "March 2012 Friday, 30 Mar 2012"
Step 3: enter how many people you are booking for
Step 4: enter promotion code internsurf
*On the following page you will see that the price has reduced from $345 all the way down to $295

Please contact intern@sydneyinternships.com.au
or
+61 2 9386 5441 if you have any queries.
This trip will book out fast!!!

Trip Calendar - Updated

2012-02-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

As some of you already noticed we had to made some changes on our Weekend Trip Calendar. Discount Codes stay the same.
Here are the new and correct dates!

Sunday 3rd March - Hunter Valley Wine Trip
Sunday 18th March - Blue Mountains
Friday 30th March - The Ultimate Surf Weekend
Sunday 1st April - Jervis Bay

The weekend day trips will also be announced in the weekly newsletter and include all the necessary information. Sydney Internships participants enjoy the advantage of a 15% discount when using promo code sydintern15.

The trips give you a great opportunity to escape the busy city for a day and see some of the Australian beautiful countryside. I hope to meet many of you on our trips.

Ku-Ring-Gai-Chase National Park

2012-02-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hi!

Last week I went for Chinese food. I have had Chinese food before but it was more a western style of Chinese cuisine. The restaurant we went to was located on Anzac Parade at Kensington and lucky me, my friend could actually read the menu which was all in Chinese. On Anzac Parade there are many authentic Chinese restaurants and Asian shops. It is close to the New South Wales University and the majority of the students are Asian. It was a delicious experience for a reasonable price.

On Saturday I started the day early by catching a train to Lindfield which is to the north of the Sydney City. It took me 40 minutes from Bondi Junction to Lindfield station. First thing that happened of course was that I got lost. I asked several people how to get to the entrance of the Two Creek Track but unfortunately nobody could tell me. After a while of looking lost, an older lady approached me and asked whether she could assist me at all. Thankfully she knew where I wanted to go even though she had never done the walk herself. From the station I followed Tyron Road to the Lindfield Oval cricket field where the track started.

Eventually I found the entrance which was hidden behind a cricket field. The track started and immediately to an unsuspected turn along some tennis courts followed by some stairs which were on the left hand side. These lead down to the main track and after that it was simple to find my way around.


the entrance

Two Creek Track starts of in the Garigal National Park

trees as far as your eyes reach

The Two Creek Track is part of the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. The environment is very different from the other National Parks which I've visited because of the unique tree species. It is very similar to a rain forest. There were also many streams which were an ugly brown colour due to the recent rain.

first glimpse at the creek

nasty brown colour

The streams are known to be a perfect breeding ground for sharks. Swimming is certainly not recommended.

Some nice pictures I made on the way:

Palm Garden

Opposite the Two Creek Track is Davidson Park, a popular picnic area. Davidson Park with its nicely cut and trimmed gardens is surrounded by "untouched" bushland which is quite wild.

Davidson Park


Davidson Park

Initially I planned to extend the hike but when I reached Roseville Bridge I figured there was no way to cross the bridge without walking on the road. The road had six lanes in total and a speed limit of one hundred, so I 'upset the apple cart' and walked to Roseville train station.

By the time I opened my door it was raining 'cats and dogs'. A good thing I did not go further.

If you want to see more pictures of the trips, check out flickr our new picture platform.

Until then...

Dolphin Watching Cruise

2012-02-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hi!

The sunny weather this weekend made people leave their couch and go to the beach. On Saturday morning I left the house for Double Bay. I walked from Double Bay to Rose Bay as I thought it would take me right along the coastline. The walk took me away from the coast. I passed quite a few nice places such as the exclusive suburb of Point Piper & the quaint Woollahra Library on New South Head Rd, which I fell in love with. If there is a chance of rain this weekend I will spend the afternoon in the library enjoying the view down to Double Bay.

Point Piper

If there is a chance of rain this weekend I will spend the afternoon in the library enjoying the view down to Double Bay. From Double Bay I continued to Rose Bay where I had lunch.I then continued my walk all the way to Watson's Bay.

By the time I arrived at Watson's Bay it was amazingly hot and I didn't bring anything to go swimming because as I left the house in the morning it was still cloudy and windy. My walk took me six hours in total to get from my place to Watson's Bay and back to Bondi Junction via Old South Head Rd.

On Sunday some Interns and I went on a dolphin watching mission to Port Stephens. We caught a cruise and went out in the port.

Port Stephens

Port Stephens Headland

Port Stephens

Unfortunately we did not see any dolphins because the heavy rains had made the waters very murky and the dolphins had left the port. Dolphins have a hard time seeing in murky water which makes it difficult to feed and stay safe. Sharks on the other hand have bad eyesight but they hunt with their nose. For sharks it is easier to hunt under those water conditions as they can smell the dolphins.
It was sad we didn't see any dolphins (or sharks) but we had lots of fun hanging in the net and being pulled through the water.

After we came back from the cruise we drove to Anna Bay and Stockton Beach. Anna Bay reminded me of a desert. Sand dunes as far as your eye can see and believe it or not there was also a little waterhole. A real African feeling. Just missing the giraffes, lions, zebras,...

What you did find, were camels!

To sum it up a fun day out with friends, which I can only recommend and maybe you will have more luck than we did with the dolphins.

Until then...

Long Weekend

2012-01-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hi!
Welcome back. I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. First, let me remind you that we had to made some corrections to the Weekend Trip Calendar. Port Stephens will be this weekend and Jervis Bay at the begining of April. I know that it is all short notice but I hope to see many of you on the Port Stephens trip.

Australia Day was great. In the morning I went to Bondi Beach to see the Thong Challenge. I woke up pretty early and caught a bus to the beach. By the time I arrived at Bondi Beach it was already crowded. People didn't seem to mind the weather.

I, however, did and left to meet a friend at Bondi Junction Mall to grab something to eat and head for Darling Harbour as the rain cleared in the afternoon. It was quite packed but we found a good spot. First they had a parade of the oldest sailing ships and then the police demonstrated what they could do.

I also went to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. It is a very peaceful and beautiful place in the middle of the city. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is located within the Darling Harbour Entertainment Area. Entry fee is approx. $6.

The day I decided to go there they were filming for a cooking show. There were a lot of people wearing aprons and it smelt very good. If I were asked to describe the Chinese Garden in one word it would be "Oasis".

After I left the Chinese Garden I walked on the Foreshore walk all the way to Circular Quay through the Botanic Gardens to Boy Charlton Pool. The scenery on the walk from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay reminds me of a disused port.

As you enter the Rocks there is a red car crushed by a stone. On the foreshore side there are beautiful refurbished buildings on former piers reaching out to the water.

From Circular Quay I continued to walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Last time I went to the Royal Botanic Gardens it was spring and everything was blooming. Still some flowers were blooming but most of the plants were green.

I did the rainforest walk which I was afraid to do initially as I thought that the animals were scary & poisonous.

First you walk on concrete ground before you take a turn and enter the rainforest.

Then I walked passed Mrs Macquaries Chair to Boy Charlton Pool where I went for a swim.

Sunday night some friends and I went to Town Hall to watch the Chinese Twilight Parade. Somehow we thought that the parade would start at 7 pm and not at 8 pm. We were a bit early but we found a great spot. There was also a light show at the Town Hall. I tried to take pictures but my camera does not work well at night.

Until then...

Palm Beach & China Town

2012-01-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I was glad to see so many of you at last weeks Intern Meeting. It was my best night out last week so thank you all for that. I enjoyed chatting with you and listening to your Sydney experiences. I made some great new friends to hang out with and discover Sydney and surrounds.

Steak Special

For everyone who couldn't make it we will meet again in February. I do not know where and I do not know what day but I'll let you know soon.

On Friday, eventually I managed to go to Palm Beach since I had to cancel last week due to the weather conditions. A friend of mine and I met at Wynyard Station and took the bus #190 to Palm Beach. I expected the beach to have a promenade with some small cafes and be packed with people...I was wrong. The beach is not developed and is very quiet. A nice change so close to the city. Aside from all the houses the headland is more like a national park.

As we walked to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse we saw what we thought was a plastic bag on the beach. When we walked closer we soon reaslised it wasn't a plastic bag but rather a beached fish looking very sad.

Sad fish

The lighthouse walk is a loop. So you can either take the stairs or the steep pavement. We decided to take the pavement as I considered climbing up stairs would be harder.

Barrenjoey Headland belongs to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park which I intend to visit this weekend as the national park offers great hiking trails. From the Barrenjoey Lighthouse there is a magnificent view over Palm Beach. There is also a sign indicating that you can watch whales if it is the right season.

On the way down we took the stairs. Some of them were quite old and slippery. We had to be careful not to slip and fall.

I was surprised about the different trees and vegetation which we saw throughout the day. Although it's only an hour from the CBD, the plants were all very different to what I've seen already.

After we spent some time at Palm Beach we headed for Avalon which is seven km's from Palm Beach. The track was quite disappointing as we mostly walked along the street.

Last weekend I also went to Chinatown and Paddy's Market. I enjoyed walking through Chinatown and trying food and pastries I have never seen before. There were also some 'dragon dancers'. To watch them is incredible with all their bright colours and flashy moves. They must have spent so much time practicing every move as it was so smooth. The Chinese New Year Twilight Parade will be on Sunday 29th January from Town Hall to Chinatown. I'll be there for sure on Sunday night...it's a date!

Until then...

Weekend Trip Calender

2012-01-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

The new weekend trip calendar has finally arrived.

Saturday 5th February - Jervis Bay
Friday 17th February - Sunday 19th February - Surf Camp
Sunday 3rd March - Hunter Valley Wine Trip
Sunday 18th March - Blue Mountains
Sunday 1st April - Port Stephens - Dolphin Watching

The weekend trips will also be announced in the weekly newsletter and include all the necessary information. Sydney Internships participants enjoy the advantage of a 15% discount when using promo code sydintern15

The trips give you a great opportunity to escape the busy city for a day and see some of the Australian beauty. I hope to meet many of you on our trips.

Australia Day Office Hours

2012-01-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

Australia Day is on 26th January.
It is a celebration of everything Australian.
Australia Day is a public holiday and most businesses will be closed.

Sydney Internships Office Hours:
Thursday 26th January - CLOSED
Friday 27th January - 10am to 1pm

We wish you a happyAustralian Day!

A night at the Domain

2012-01-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I received several emails over the past week to say that the discount code for the upcoming Surf Trip was not working. We solved the issue and it should work now. If any further complications occur then please let me know. I hope many of you will go on this trip as it's a fantastic experience. Learning to surf in Australia is a great opportunity and should be a must on your 'to do list'.

Don't forget that we will meet this week on Wednesday 18th January at the Dolphin Hotel at 7pm. For all of our new interns, the intern meeting is held every month to give you an opportunity to meet new people, make friends and exchange experiences. I hope to see many of you on our Intern Meetings.

Last Friday I went to the beach to do a sailing trip with some of my friends. We left Sydney Harbour and went out into the blue. It was really nice to get out onto the habour after spending so many days and weekends walking around it and taking in views. On the water it there was a nice chilly breeze but I couldn't get out of my mind the idea of coming across a shark...even though I was on a boat. Maybe I've watched too many shark attack movies.
Afterwards we had a little BBQ and relaxed at Tamarrama Beach.

(This is not us, I just like the picture. I forgot to take the camera with me.)

Saturday morning the weather was nice so I went to Nelson Park and Vaucluse House to meet friends for a late breakfast picnic. Vaucluse House is a nice peaceful area and ideal for sitting in the shade of a tree with friends or on your own and reading a book. I walked around the gardens of the house before I went back home.

Vaucluse house

Vaucluse House

At night we planned to go to The Domain to see the free concert which is part of the Sydney Festival. It was raining slightly as we left the house but I thought it would pass by quickly. After the opening act played three songs it began to rain and everyone tried to hide under their umbrellas or to find a tree to stand under. Eventually after half of the concert The Domain emptied and only a few true fans stayed till the end, so I was told. Aside from the rain, the atmosphere was great and I enjoyed listening.

The bad weather continued so I decided to start working on my term papers for university. There wasn't much else to do. At noon I decided to go to the mall to watch a movie and stroll around. Not such a good idea as it was quite packed.

Let's hope next weekend will be better and we'll have a great day at the intern trip to Canberra. Make sure you sign up soon through Colourful Trips website and quote the promo code of sydintern15.

Until then...

Holiday Break

2012-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Eventually my holiday break ended and I am back in the office to organize events and meetings. By the way, we are planing a Surf Trip for February and this weekend we will go to the Hunter Valley to taste some wine and have a BBQ. If you would to like to sign up for the Hunter Vally Trip read this week's newsletter.

Also, if you would like to go on the Surf Trip on Firday 17th February don't wait too long. The Surf Trip is quite popular. On Friday night a bus will take us to Gerrora at Seven Mile Beach. This is a great beach for learners as the tide is low and the surf is gentle. The Camp is located within a camping area. The barracks are comfortable. There are six beds to one room. All linen is provided. You only have to bring your bathing clothes and a towel. The first lesson is on Saturday morning after a big breakfast which meets everyone's taste. The second lesson is after lunch. At night we will have a BBQ and party. Don't go to bed too late because on Sunday we will be on our surfboards again. You see it will be a great surf experience which you should not miss and if we are lucky we will surf with the dolphines. What are you waiting for, sign up!

My festive season was fantastic. However, it was a bit strange without any snow. I celebrated with some friends at the beach and on the 26th we went to watch the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. From the lighthouse we had a great view.

Between Christmas and New Year we planned to go to Jervis Bay. Sadly, it did not work out. Instead we went to the Royal National Park again to do another hike.

The hike took us right along the cliff edge. Not for people with fear of heights. At various points the track got quite challanging and we had to climb up some steep slopes.

It was quite an adventure and we had a lot of fun. At Marley Beach we rested and some of us went for a swim. The surf was amzing and strong.

The sun was really hot that day but due to all the snakes which I expected to see, I wore long trousers. Not such a good decision. On the other side I wasn't sun burned at the end of the day as some of the others were.

Eventually, I managed to do the Spit Bridge to Manly Scenic Walk.

I really enjoyed the ever changing environment around me and the magnificant views. Lucky me, I walked from the Spit Bridge to Manly because vice versa I would have had to walk uphill and had the great view behind me.

On the way I met several goannas on the path. I did not know that they could grow to be that big. This picture is of a small one!

Last Saturday I went on the Beaches&Boomerangs trip. It was a long day but worth it. First we stopped at the Nan Tien Temple. The biggest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. I liked the peaceful atmosphere and the light smell of citrus grass.

A really colourful adventure. After the Temple we went to Kiama to see the Blowhole. We weren't lucky to see it blow. At Seven Mile National Park the Aborigional Outdoor Workshop took place. It was interesting and exciting to learn about the Aboriginies. Our guides told us about weapons and plants. At the end we tried to throw and catch the boomerang. Nobody caught it again. Before we drove back to Sydney we stopped at Fitzroy Falls. The falls are 80 meters high.

I hope you had a great holiday season, too and I will meet you at the Intern Meeting on Wednesday, 18th January at the Dolphin Hotel. If you would like to join me on any of the upcoming trips sign up ASAP.
Until then...

Surf Weekend - March 2012

2012-01-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

Please contact intern@sydneyinternships.com.au
or
+61 2 9386 5441 if you have any queries.
This trip will book out fast!!!

opening times

2011-12-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Due to the hoilday season we will have limited opening hours
Tuesday 3 January to Friday 6 January we will be open from 10.00am to 12.00 midday.
Have a great Holiday.

Surf Camp and Christmas Feeling

2011-12-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

This week was amazing. To be exact, it was "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". There is no other word to describe it.

To get a bit of Christmas feeling we went to the Paddington Night Christmas Market. After we strolled around and tried all the free chocolate, we decided to walk to the Town Hall and St. Mary's Cathedral to see the light show. If you haven't been there yet, hurry, it is worth it. The light shows start at about 8:30pm. I also finished all my Christmas shopping which is great so I don't have to worry about buying anymore presents.

By the way, just a little comparison. This is Christmas in Sydney...

... and this is Christmas in Germany.

Friday night some of the interns and I took off for a weekend of surfing, sun and fun. On the way we stopped at a burger place. The burgers were so tasty! We arrived at about ten o'clock at the camp. There were a total of 80 people and I made some great new friends from Canada and Iran. Lucky for some of us, we were upgraded into a separate accommodation. To be more precise, a hotel on the camping ground. We enjoyed real beds and our own bathroom, unlike those in the cabins who had to put up with possums scratching on the roof throughout the night.

Once we had breakfast we put on our wetsuits and headed off to the beach to learn how to surf.

The first hour we spent on the sand warming up with a little running race and some surf techniques.

Finally they handed us a board and off we went. Lying on the board was fine, keeping our balance was a slight problem and paddling was unbelievably hard. I swallowed more salt water than any dietary requirement would recommend.

After two hours of trying to surf we went back to the camp to have lunch. Everything was freshly prepared and the kitchen team was ready for any extra demands. Once we'd all had enough to eat, we then put our wetsuits back on and entered the water for part two of our learn to surf mission.

It was amazing how fast time ran by while we were in the water trying to stand up on our boards. The instructors were also on boards in the water and would catch the same waves as us and film as we tried to surf. I spent most of the time falling off the board but eventually I was able to stay upright and even managed to do a difficult right turn. I was so excited about it that I slipped and fell.

At night we had a BBQ and went up the steep hill to the only pub in the area. It was a pub, restaurant and gaming venue all in one, there was also a one man band for entertainment. The man stopped playing at about midnight and we headed back to the camp to have a tiny bonfire.

The next day I was very stiff and sore. Some of the others, however, had a hard time moving at all and the English guys quit surfing ten minutes into the lesson.

The surf instructors were so funny and crazy. They actually woke up at 5am to go surfing, then taught us till 5:30pm and partied all night. All of them were really nice and assisted all the time. Usually there were two instructors in the water and one on the beach watching out for us. They told us which waves to catch, held our board and pushed us onto the waves. They also checked whether we surfaced after falling. I felt so secure that I forgot all about sharks, jelly fish and other scary things that could happen.

To everyone who is interested in learning to surf, I would recommend to go on this surf camp. The lessons are intense, there is more than one instructor watching out for you and there is a lesson on safety and etiquette which I considered very important. The camp is also a short drive from Sydney which leaves more time for surfing. Aside from all the surfing I enjoyed the time at the camp, the atmosphere, making new friends and hanging out. Food and accommodation were also excellent.

Check out the youtube channel

What are you waiting for? Make sure you sign up for the next trip in the new year!

This is my last blog for 2011. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to see many of you next year on our trips and at the intern meetings.

Until then...

Sold Out Surf Trip

2011-12-13T16:33:00.001-08:00

The surf trip for this weekend is now full.
A new trip will be organised in the new year.

Have a great weekend!!

Hermitage Walk, Picnic and Blue Mountains

2011-12-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hi!

With the changeable weather lately it is quite difficult to plan any day trips. It is best to be brave, take the risk and just leave the couch and hope for the best. On Friday I went to do the Hermitage Walk from Rose Bay to Watsons Bay.

The Walk started at the end of Bay View Hill Road. To get there catch bus 324 or 325 to Kambala School and walk down the road which is quite steep.

The Hermitage Walk offers a great view of Sydney Harbour and passes Hermit Bay, Strickland House, Nielsen Park and Vaucluse House. If you continue towards Watsons Bay Wharf you will also see Parsley Bay Reserve and a number of hidden harbour beaches.

Harbour Views

Strickland House

The walk is well maintained and sometimes I felt like I was in the middle of a rainforest, and not in a major city.

The one thing I noticed were the countless stairs but these were quickly forgotten by the uninterrupted view.

On Saturday the intern picnic took place at Tamarama Beach. The morning's weather looked a little doubtful but it fined up and we went ahead. It was a lovely afternoon and it was great to get to know some new interns. We were lucky enough to have a BBQ at the beach and sat around chatting. We then made our way along the coastal walk back to Bondi Beach where we heard there was a wine tasting event on at the Beach Rd Hotel. We spent a little time there but I couldn't have a late night as the Blue Mountains trip planned for Sunday was a very early start.

As was the case on Friday, the stairs seemed to appear in front of me again on Sunday on the Blue Mountains Trip. The first walk we did on the Blue Mountain trip on Sunday was walking down to the Scenic Park. The walk was great but it was a bid muddy due to the recent rain. I had a hard time taking pictures as I was too concerned about not slipping on the stairs or in the mud. The Blue Mountains is covered in trees as far as the eye can see. It is amazing and I am definitely going back for another look before I jet back home.

To everyone who hasn't been there yet, make sure you catch the next train or day trip. There is so much to do and see. Remember to be careful as the Blue Mountain National Park is home to some venomous snakes over the Summer and always carry enough water with you.

The surf trip is this weekend!!

Until next time...

Watsons Bay

2011-12-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

G'Day!

As I left for Watson's Bay on Friday morning everyone was telling me that it will rain and I should find something else to do. Honestly, I didn't come to Sydney to stay indoors despite the weather. So I left anyways and it was a beautiful sunny and windy day.

I took the 325 bus from Edgecliff to Watson's Bay Wharf (Single: $2) and started walking. First I climbed up The Gap in Sydney Harbour National Park. The view is amazing.

I took the track to my left and followed it all the way up. After a while I got to a parking lot with the first sign of the South Head Heritage Trail that would lead me to the lighthouse. It is not mapped very well so at one point I felt a bit lost but just kept on walking and got to the entrance which looked like this:

The actual track is not very long but worth it. It is a beautiful little walk on the cliff on your left side. On your right side is a fence which cordons off an Australian military base. In fact you find a lot of ancient military remains on the trail since Watson's Bay is the entrance to Sydney Harbour it had the function of protecting the city from enemies.

The lighthouse that marks the entrance is painted in bright red and white so the seaman could distinguish this one from another one that was only 1km further south. At the lighthouse it was so windy that I moved my picnic to the principle lighthouse keeper's cottage.

And then I did the Coastal Walk all the way to Bondi Beach via steep stairs and great cliffs.

Coastal Walks are generally a cheap way to spend a day and you can explore so many beautiful sides of Sydney.

I hope to see many of you on Saturday at our Christmas Picnic and the Blue Mountains Trip on Sunday. Hopefully the weather is kind to us. Further information can be found in the newsletter.

Until then...

Welcome from Hannah

2011-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

My name is Hannah and I took over from Nathalie on Monday. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them as well as possible. I hope to meet many of you on our trips and events we are organising in and around Sydney.

My first week in Sydney was a bit strange. I thought I would arrive and it would be HOT summer. Lucky me, it was raining. Still I managed to get sun burnt somehow. Since then I don’t leave the house without sun creme.

The first thing I noticed about Sydney was that there's so many parks. I had enough picnics to lose count. The Royal Botanic Garden impressed me the most. Everything is blooming and beautiful.

The Royal Botanic Garden

Hundreds of bats sleep in the trees there during the day which is a great spectacle. They fly off to the suburbs at night.

Aside from the beauty of the park, it is also the location of the Government House which is a great place to go to learn about Australia’s history. Entry is free.

This weekend a friend of mine and I went to Darling Harbour for the Santa Water Spectacle. There was a Santa Clause on water-skis, on jet skis and boats. A great event ending with the lighting of the Christmas tree and an amazing firework display. I am sorry I couldn’t take any nice pictures. My camera isn’t that good.

The next day we went hiking in Bundeena Royal National Park which is an hour south of the City. A trip I can highly recommend. We took the train to Cronulla ($8.20 return) then from Cronulla we caught a little ferry to Bundeena ($11.60 return) and started our bushwalk until our mud forced us to turn around.

Muddy Track

The Jibbon Head Trail took us along the coast as well as through the bush.

The view from the cliffs was amazing and we saw a few crazy surfers.

We have arranged the next month's calendar of activities which can be viewed in this week's newsletter.
I will also post information about this on the blog in the coming days, so make sure you check back soon.

Until then...

Surf Trip Details

2011-11-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

We have another surf trip booked and would love for you to join us!!

Date: 16th December - 18th December
Website: Surf Camp
How to book:
Step 1: select "The Weekender Surf Camp (2011) - $345"
Step 2: select "December 2011 Friday, 16 Dec 2011"
Step 3: enter how many people you are booking for
Step 4: enter promotion code internsurf
*On the following page you will see that the price has reduced from $345 all the way down to $265

Please contact intern@sydneyinternships.com.au or +61 2 9386 5441 if you have any queries.
This trip will book out fast!!!

Mixed Emotions

2011-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this will be my last post on the blog. Hannah will take over the blog and keep you informed about her adventures.
On Friday I will leave to Cairns and travel down the coast to Sydney. I am already very excited about the trip but also I am sad to leave Sydney and all of my friends.

My last weekend was very good. Thursday night was a fun night out at the Ivy. Thursday is free entry which is always nice.
The next day a friend visited me and we went together to Bondi Beach to do the coastal walk and to see the sculptures by the sea. The sun was out and and we rested at the end of the exhibition on Tamarama Beach. The sculptures were beautiful but the paths were very crowded.

Sculpture by the sea

Sculptures by the sea

In the evening I went out with some friends to a restaurant in the backstreets of Paddington. It is a very nice area to eat and relax but the resaraunts can get very busy, even during the week. I highyl recommend you either book a table or turn up early.

We loved Paddington so much that we went there again the next morning to sit outside at a cafe to have breakfast.

Paddington

After that we walked through Paddington Market and tried to catch a bus to Bondi Beach and go for a swim. Unfortunately there were too many people who had the same idea. The buses were packed and didn't even stop to let people on.... I have learnt to be very patient here in Australia.

Paddington Market

When we finally reached the beach we were so glad just to relax and to jump into the refreshing sea.

In the evening we had a farewell party for both my friend and I. It was an extraordinary night with highly mixed emotions.

Sunday was a recovery day, the weather was bad so we didn't go out for too many adventures only short walk to the beach and back.

The new intern, Hannah and I are already very excited to meet many of you tonight at the intern meeting at Grill'd. She will take over the blog and the newsletter next week.

Looking forward to tonight. I wish all of you who can't join tonight a great time in Australia. For me it was awesome and I will never forget all the unique experience I have had.

Until then...

Melbourne Roadtrip & Learn to Surf Weekend

2011-11-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

Long time no see via the blog... I've been a little bit busy the last two weeks which means there is too much to update you all on.

The week before last I went on a road trip to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road with some friends for a couple of days. It was simply awesome!! It was the second time I have visited this lovely city but there was still plenty of exciting things to see and do.
We hired a car in Sydney and drove all the way down to Geelong to the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. It was the first time I have driven on the left hand side of the road. The first couple of minutes/ hours it was a little weird as I always wanted to grab the hand break on my right side out of habit. Luckily, in the end we arrived safely at our destination. If you think about doing a road trip to Melbourne I highly recommend to take breaks every two hours. It is very dangerous to carry on driving too long as the Highways are very straight, boring and tiring.
We saw loads of kangaroos and koalas (not always alive). We stopped anywhere and everywhere we wanted to. Unlike a tour bus it was great to have no restrictions.

Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road was amazing to drive and the beaches and rock formations are breathtaking. The sea water is a little bit colder than in Sydney but people in our group jumped into the sea without thinking twice.

Twelve Apostles

Apollo Bay

When we arrived in Melbourne we had a bit of trouble at the beginning with the traffic and the famous 'hook turn'. You need to move into the left lane if you want to turn right...very strange! Parking in Melbourne is horrible which is why we parked our car a little outside to save money. At night we went to the casino and had a couple of drinks. Unfortunately we didn't win the 'big money'...


Melbourne at night

We also went to St. Kilda at night and watched a lightening storm over the bay while in the back there were some people with a guitar. It was very nice.

As we started our drive back to Sydney I really felt like we were on our way 'home' (even though my real home is a 24 hour flight away). 15 hours later we arrive back in Bondi.

Last weekend I joined the learn to surf weekend with Surf Camp Australia which traveled to Seven Mile Beach on the South Coast. It was an amazing experience. We arrived Friday evening in the camp after a 2 hour drive and were told instructions how about the weekend. Everyday we woke up at 7am and dressed up in our wet suites and headed to the beach. After some instructions on the beach and with the help of the instructors in the water, it was great to be able to stand up and successfully SURF! By the last day we could catch the waves on our own and ride them all the way to the shore. What a marvelous feeling!!
The pain in our muscles wasn't so marvelous as we couldn't move for the next day. It was probably from the surfing but it also could have been because we went out for some drinks with the group on Saturday night...

Surf Camp before the lessons

Surfcamp Australia

Surfing with dolphins at 7 Mile Beach

The next surf weekend has already been organised!!
When:16th December
How to book: click here
Discount promo code: internsurf

I highly recommend it!!!

I also want to let you guys know that the venue for our next intern meeting has changed. The new details are:

Date: Tuesday, 22nd November
Time: 7pm
Where: Grill'd
Venue: 141 Crown St, Darlinghurst (short walk from Oxford street)
What to expect: delicious burgers!!

I'm already excited to see many of you at the meeting!

Until then...

Collection

2011-11-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

We have put together a collection a video of our favourite snaps from the social meetings and weekend trips.
So many good times and fantastic memories........

Halloween and a horse race

2011-11-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well, unfortunately I was sick last week so there won't be as much to talk about in this blog... but even though I was feeling bad I forced myself out of bed so that I didn't miss too much.

Sadly I also went to some farewell parties last week. I said goodbye to some really good friends of mine but it was also very good to see them again and wish them all the best. I never thought that I could make such good friends in a relatively short period of time. I will definitely miss them.

Saying goodbye to good friends is something you need to deal when living abroad but on the other side it's fantastic to welcome new friends. There are always people coming and going.

After resting in bed with tea, lemon & honey the entire Saturday (because of my cold), I forced myself out of bed in the evening. I met some friends and we had a couple of drinks (or as for me Aspirin) at their place. We played Halloween games, which I had no idea existed... For example, there was a pot of water with apples in it and you needed to get them out of the with your mouth. It was very funny! Not sure why it related to Halloween but it was good fun anyway.
After the games we dressed up for Halloween and went out to Kings Cross. Everybody wore fancy clothes which reminded me of carnival in Germany. It was a fun & fancy night!

Kings Cross

Sunday morning I was feeling much better...I went to the lovely Queen Street for lunch with some friends and after that to the beach. I lounged there for the rest of the day watching Bondi Beach life. What else could make you feel better if not that!!

Afternoon at Bondi Beach

Yesterday was the Horse Race that stops a nation. Such a crazy day for Australians! The important race was at 3pm and I felt as if the work life in Sydney stopped for about half an hour to watch the race, and of course, to place the last bets...I also went to a pub with my colleagues to watch the race and to bet. Unfortunately I didn't win anything but it was fun anyway. In the evening you could see all of the women wearing the beautiful hats or just a feather decoration and they also dressed up which was very interesting to watch.

I have seen that some of you have signed in for the Surf Weekend on 11th November. I'm so so so excited for that weekend and look forward to seeing you guys there!!

Until then.....

Jervis Bay - really fascinating!

2011-10-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our intern meeting in the Fringe Bar. I really was surprised but also glad to see so many of you there. It was a nice evening with a pretty good steak for dinner. It's always good to meet new people and talk with them about their experiences in Sydney. After the meeting in the Fringe Bar some interns and I went together to the Bondi Road Hotel in Bondi Beach. We had a few drinks and danced to the sounds of some live bands who were performing. All in all it was a perfect Wednesday evening in my opinion.

Intern Meeting in Fringe Bar

Friday was a beautiful sunny day and that's why a friend and I decided to go to the beach. We packed all of our stuff and took the nice walk from Bellevue Hill to Bondi Beach. The midday sun is very aggressive and hot, so we sat under one of the many shelters on the grass behind the beach and had a yummy lunch. With a full belly we continued our way to the sand and looked for a good place to rest. Even though it was during the week, the beach was packed because of the perfect weather. Finally I dared to get in the sea for the first time in Sydney... It was very refreshing and once my head was under the water it didn't feel that cold anymore.

Bondi Beach on Friday midday

The evening we had a delicious BBQ at my friend's place with an after party there. Later on we all went together to the Ivy. It was a fun night again.

The next day I met up with some friends at Tamarama Beach. This beach is a lot smaller then Bondi and not that packed. The beach has a completely different character than Bondi Beach. It's interesting to see how different the Beaches are. On our way home we also passed Bronte and it was different again than Tamarama. There were masses of young people making BBQs, playing games and just enjoying them selves. It almost looked like on a youth festival.

Yesterday we made our trip to Jervis Bay with Colourful Trips. It was amazing! The three hours drive from Sydney were definitely worth it. Our first stop was at Fitzroy Falls where we had a magnificent view of the rain forest and the river that ended in this beautiful waterfall.

Fitzroy Fall

The next stop was Jervis Bay and it was fantastic. First the weather was as good as it could be and then we had this gorgeous view of Jervis Bay.

Jervis Bay

We went on board a boat and enjoyed ourselves on the top deck with some 'compulsory' biscuits and coffee. Suddenly the captain said that we were about to see some whales and that was exactly what happened... There was a mother whale with her calf playing in the water. We saw them jumping, splashing and waving with their fins. It was really fascinating and also rare to see them acting like that, as our captain told us.

Whale's fin

After the long boat trip we had some lunch in the small town where our bus stopped. We then drove to a really beautiful beach. It wasn't crowded at all at that beach which was very surprising for us as we are used to the packed beaches in Bondi. The sand was so soft that it even made squeaky noises when we walked. The very bright sand was surrounded by the quiet sea which had a comfortable warm temperature probably because of the bay. The beach formed a little lagoon where you could just watch the beautiful scenery and enjoy the sunny afternoon. Unfortunately we needed to leave this place too soon which was sad as we have liked to spend longer there. We couldn't be late for the bus. The tour guide told us in a joke that he actually preferred Germans as customers because they were always on time. Trying to break this rule he always brings them to this place because it's so magnificent and nobody wants to leave...even the punctual Germans were always late.

Beautiful beach at Jervis Bay

one of the lagoons

I really can recommend the visit to Jervis Bay to all of you who couldn't join the trip. And I guess all of you who made the trip would agree with me???

Until then...

Whales and Dolphins....tick!!!

2011-10-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

It feels like summer is coming. After many disappointing cold and wet weekends, finally it was lovely!
For the first time in Sydney I saw dolphins at Bondi Beach. There was a pod of them swimming and playing around in the sea not too far away from the sand. They were jumping out of the water only a few meters away from the surfers. It was absolutely fantastic to watch them.
Believe it or not, I also saw a whale's spout from my balcony...very lucky!! It would shoot up a few metres into the air and then get taken away in the wind. It was so amazing and will be in my memory for a very long time!


Dolphins at Bondi Beach

On Saturday the sun was out called for us to get out of bed early. Some friends and I made our way to the Fish Markets in Pyrmont.
The walk from Darling Harbour to the market is very nice, especially when the weather is as beautiful as it was on Saturday. We became a little bit lost on the way and stopped to ask directions from an old lady. Her response was "follow the smell". So we did and found ourselves at the heart of the fishy smell. The market is very impressive. There are huge (and for me exotic) fish and they are much cheaper than in the supermarket.
We had a delicious seafood mix and found a space in between the crowds of people who were sitting on the waterfront enjoying their meal.
For the first time in my life I tried an oyster... It was alright but I still prefer other seafood.


Fish Market

The rest of the afternoon we enjoyed the sun at Darling Harbour watching the people, chatting and having ice cream. It was a wonderful Sydney Saturday!


Darling Harbour view to the Monorail and CBD

In the evening we had some drinks at a friends place and after that we all went to Kings Cross to party. We had a fun night at the Kings Cross Hotel until the early hours of the morning.

Sunday was again a beautiful day and as soon as I got up I went down to Bondi Beach along with the rest of Sydney. After a little walk over the Bondi Market which is really lovely, some friends and I had a nice relaxing afternoon at the beach. The warm sand under our feet felt so good and to hear the massive waves while we relaxed on our towels made us feel like we were in paradise. As soon as the sun goes down, which is fortunately not that early any more, it becomes a bit chilly and too cold to sit on the beach.

This Wednesday (19th) we have our next intern meeting at the Fringe Bar on Oxford St from 7pm.
I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there.

Until then...

Beach Life

2011-10-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have just realised that I have only a bit more than one month before I leave Sydney...so so sad! Life here feels very good.
I love being able to see the ocean every day and listening to the exotic birds in the trees while walking among palms beautiful flowers. These are things you can not experience in my home country of Germany. I already know that I will miss the Sydney life.

The view from my apartment out to Bondi Beach

Last week I have discovered Cooper Park. It is really close to my place but on first impressions wasn't anything special. It is actually very beautiful. You can wander through an area which looks almost like a rainforest with a creek, small waterfalls and waterholes. There are also tennis courts and some open parks to play sports.

Cooper Park

When I went home I got attacked by Magpies!! I know it may sound funny but it's really scary. Watch out for them! They always attack in Spring if you are close to their nest.

On Saturday I had a friends birthday party. We had a delicious meal and some drinks and it carried on into the evening. Some guys jammed with a guitar and a ukulele which was very nice.

Later on that night the party moved to the Golden Sheaf Hotel in Double Bay and we partied on.

Fortunately the weather wasn't as bad as expected last weekend so on Sunday some friends and I went to Tamarama Beach. The walk from Bondi Beach to Tamarama is not that far and is very beautiful. The sun was shining which made the coastal view breathtaking. We settled down on Tamarama Beach and enjoyed the beautiful day while collecting shells, chatting and trying to get in the very rough sea. Although we only tried to get our feet wet, with the size of the waves, we ended up getting soaked.

Tamarama Beach


Afternoon view of North Bondi

I hope to see many of you at the intern meeting next week:

When: Wednesday, 19th October

Time: 7pm

Where: Fringe Bar (Unicorn Hotel), 106 Oxford St

Special: $10 Steak

Let me know if you will be there as we need to book a table.

Until then....
(feel free to make any comments or suggestions on my blog...I want to hear from you!!!)

Why all the terrible weather???

2011-10-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

As Colourful Trips needed to cancel the Trip to the Jervis Bay I had to make other plans for the long weekend.

On Saturday I tried to accept the cloudy weather and some friends and I walked down to Bondi Beach and discovered a very tiny but also very interesting and comfy bookstore at Bondi Beach named Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore. You can have a nice cup of Tea or Coffee and read a good book surrounded by books no matter where you are in this shop. You also can bring your old books to the shop and get some money for them.

Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore

Everything you do depends on the weather. So we decided to go to The Rocks Discovery Museum on Sunday. You can visit this museum for free and explore Sydney's history. It was perfect for a rainy and cloudy day like we had on Sunday.

The Rocks Discovery Museum

After this visit we wandered through the Rocks Market which I really can recommend to everybody who hasn't been there yet. You can get nougat, jewelery and much much more. Definitely worth a visit!

The Rocks Market

Christmas article on the Rocks Market

The bad weather and the sightseeing made us hungry so we looked for the Pancakes on the Rocks Restaurant. When we finally found it, (it's not hard to find) we were so lucky to just get in and sit down at a table. This place is very famous and that's why it's very busy too. The pancakes were absolutely fantastic!! They are huge and so Yum.

Pancakes at Pancakes on the Rocks

As the weather improved a little bit on Monday I went to a friend's place and we had a BBQ there enjoying ourselves.

Upcoming Trips

2011-10-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

The trip to Jervis Bay on Sunday 2nd October has been postponed to Sunday 23rd October. You can already sign in for that date with the promo code sydintern15

Other upcoming trips are:

Saturday, 15th October:   Hunter Valley
Sunday, 23rd October:     Jervis Bay
Saturday, 29th October:   Canberra
11th to 13th November:    Learn to Surf Weekend

Hope to see you on the next trip...

Cancelled; Jervis Bay Update

2011-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately due to a poor weather forecast, the Jervis Bay trip which was planned for Sunday 2nd October has been cancelled.
We will reschedule this again in the coming weeks.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Until then...

Jervis Bay Trip

2011-09-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

As promised in yesterday's blog post (read below), the details of the Jervis Bay trip have been finaslised:

When: Sunday, 2nd October 2011
Where: Jervis Bay is approximately 3 hours south of Sydney
Price: $115 ($98 with discount)
Discount: Enter the promo code sydintern15 to receive 15% discount.
Booking: Visit Colourful Trips website or phone 1800 670 610
Description: Discover what's known as 'The Jewel of the South Coast', a nationally protected marine park and national park containing the whitest beaches in the world and home to dolphins and wild kangaroos. You'll jump on a cruise to relax and appreciate a truly stunning environment as well as walking on the world's whitest sand!

Email me if you plan on coming

Hope to see you there!!

Until then.....

Wet weekend!

2011-09-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

I never thought that it could rain in Sydney as it did last weekend. It was my first experience with Sydney rainy weather and I hated it but even though the weather was bad there were a lot of things to do.

It all started on Friday with a perfect sunny day, you wouldn't have believed that there was any rain coming. I met up with a friend at Bondi Beach to enjoy the summer breeze. There was almost no wind which was not good for all those surfers but fantastic for us. It looked almost like summer was here as you could barely find a good place to sit on the sand because of the huge crowds. The water is still very cold so we didn't dare get in but instead had a splash with our feet.
In the evening the storm started and we were lucky to get home earlier than the crowds of people who left the beach in a hurry.

Bondi Beach

The next day I had to cancel the picnic we organised because of the poor weather. Instead, we met up in Bondi Junction and went to Max Brenner chocolate restaurant. We all enjoyed our delicious chocolate fondues, pizzas and waffles...Yum! I was glad to get to know some new interns. I hope all of you will join our next intern meeting as well. I will organise the picnic for another day and I hope the weather is going to improve soon.


Max Brenner at Bondi Junction

Sunday was the worst weather ever. I thought I was in a monsoon. We already knew that the weather was not going to be good that day but it was worse then I could have imagined. Thankfully I planned to go to the Australian Museum that day with a friend. It is very interesting to see Australia's biological and geological diversity. This museum isn't boring at all. There are also some living animals to see and an interactive section.

Australian Museum

We also planned to go to the Fish Markets after visiting the museum but this was physically not possible because of the rain. Instead a friend visited the markets with her car and picked up the fish. We made a magnificent sushi platter at a Japanese friend's place and enjoyed the Asian flavours in a nice dry flat.

Sushi

I hope the weather is going to improve over the next few days and we can enjoy the trip to Jervis Bay on Sunday with Colourful Trips.
I'll post further details about the trip on Wednesday.

Until then...

Important Wet Weather Arrangement

2011-09-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

!!Picnic is cancelled!!
Unfortunately the weather is poor and not a great day to be outside.

We will cancel the picnic for today and have another one on a future weekend when the weather improves.

We have made new plans for today instead and hope you can join us.

When: Today, 24th September
Time: 3pm
Where: Meet outside the Westfield Apple Computer store on Oxford St, Bondi Junction.
Plans: We will meet at the Apple shop and then once everyone has arrived we will go into Westfield and sit down at Max Brenner Chocolate Cafe for some sweet goodness.

Feel free to phone me if you are lost or need more information (0406 865 273)

See you soon,
Nathalie

Picnic on Saturday

2011-09-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening some friends and I went to a Brazilian Restaurant/Club called Vivaz which is down in The Rocks. We started with a real Brazilian meat plate and a few glasses of sangria followed by some salsa dancing. It was so much fun with a great atmosphere!! The club also has such a perfect view of the Sydney Opera House and the Bridge.


Dinner at Vivaz

Sleeping bats

If you haven't noticed already, Sydney is full of bats. At night there are hundreds of them flying over the bridge and the City, whilst in the day they sleep in the trees at the Botanic Gardens. It's quite scary as they are huge but they are harmless!! Look out for them.

The next day was very good weather and I met up with some friends in Queen Street, Woollahra. This is a nice place to have breakfast or lunch with very fancy shops and huge houses. Although it sounds silly, there is a famous butcher in the area named Victor Churchill. It sounds strange but it's a unique experience to go in there. It's not an ordinary butcher but you will have to see this for yourself. Definitely worth a visit.


Victor Churchill butcher

We bought yummy fish and chips and headed in to Centennial Park to enjoy the sun. The park is huge!! It's 4km's all the way around. The park contains ponds filled with bird life, and even some eels. There is the possibility for so many activities in the park such as renting a bike, riding a horse, jogging, roller blading, picnicking or simply relaxing and enjoying the beautiful park as we did. On the weekends it's very busy.

Centennial Park

Sunday was also good weather again and I followed the flow of people to Bondi Beach. The beach and surrounding shops are crowded on beautiful days but it creates a fantastic atmosphere. A special treat for all the girls: there was a big Revlon promotional truck. They were offering a free manicure and nail polish!!! So watch out for this truck next time.

Many of you have already signed in for Saturday's picnic and BBQ at Tamarama Beach. I hope the weather will stay fine. If not, remember to check back to this blog on Saturday for alternate arrangements or call me on 0406 865 273.
I'm looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Until then....

Blue Mountains...amazing

2011-09-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Life in Sydney is fantastic!!
The city has so much to offer and I'm enjoying every single week in a new way. I'm starting to feel like there isn't enough time to see all the beautiful places on my list. Now that the weather is improving there are even more things to see and do.

This weekend I went to the Blue Mountains with Colourful Trips.

The mountains are amazing and are essential for anyone traveling to Sydney. We were picked up at 7:55am from Circular Quay by the bus and our first stop was Featherdale Wildlife Park. There we could take pictures with a cuddly koala while little wallabies were hopping around us. It was so cute!!


...so fluffy!

The next stop was at a view point out over the breathtaking Blue Mountains and huge waterfalls.

Waterfall in the Blue Mountains

After that we headed on to the famous Three Sisters. We had a tour guide throughout the day and he explained the Aboriginal story about 'the sisters'.

Three Sisters

We took a walk through the rainforest where there were so many cockatoos flying around and screeching. We also took the world's steepest railway back to the summit. It was very exciting. Instead of driving back the same way we came, we took a ferry along the Parramatta River to Darling Harbour. There we had a couple of drinks at Cargo Bar with the tour guide and some other people who joined the trip.

On Tuesday evening we had an intern meeting at The Dolphin Hotel in Surry Hills. It was a nice evening and I was glad to see so many interns!

Intern Meeting at The Dolphin Hotel

We have organised a picnic/bbq for the intern meeting.
When: Saturday, 24th September
Time: 2pm
Where: Tamarama Beach
Meeting Point: Next to the children’s playground on the grass behind the beach
Wet Weather: Phone me on 0406 865 273 if the weather is looking doubtful. I will also post on the blog any alternate arrangements so check back here on the day if it's raining.
Getting there: Bus from Bondi Junction is the best option. Catch the 361 bus to Pacific Av/Tamarama Marine Drive at Tamarama Beach. The bus leaves Bondi Junction at 24 minutes past the hour once every hour.

Bring your own food, drinks, blankets, footballs and anything else you desire.
I will bring a big Australian flag so you can't miss me.
Please let me know if you will be there by commenting below or emailing intern@sydneyinternships.com.au

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!

Until then...

Is that a whale over there or just a wave...?

2011-09-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm in Sydney for almost a month I can say that I really enjoy everything. I live in Bellevue Hill which is located between Bondi Junction and Bondi Beach. I can walk to the Beach and to Bondi Junction. Several times a week I jog down to the Beach, I prefer the sunny mornings when everything is fresh and not that busy.

Last week some friends organised a 'Bavarian night' at their place. We made 'Kaiserschmarrn' which is a Bavarian specialty. It could be described as thick sugared pancakes with raisins cut into pieces and served with stewed apple...Yum! :-) It was a delicious evening which made me think of home.

'Kaiserschmarrn'

It was Annika's last evening in Sydney on Thursday so some of her new friends and I shared some farewell drinks at Opera Bar which is shadowed by the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. We had a few drinks at the open air bar and took in the marvelous view of the Opera House and the city skyline. It is so beautiful at night and the live music at the bar creates a fantastic atmosphere. What more do you want? :-)

Opera Bar at night

Friday I said a sad goodbye to Annika and travelled with her to the airport. We took a bus (#400) from Bondi Junction to the airport. I think this bus is the cheapest way to get there. It's just $4.30 one way and takes about 45 Minutes. So if you want to get there on the cheap and you are not in a hurry I really can recommend the prepaid bus.

On Saturday I decided to start planning what I will do in my three weeks once I have finished my internship with Sydney Internships. I went with some friends down to the travel agency called Peter Pans which is at Bondi Beach. It took a few hours for all of us to determine where we wanted to visit and the agency was very patient. We found that if you book the whole trip with them then it's possible to get a good discount. They have offices all over Australia and the service there was really good.

In the evening some friends and I went to a bar in the City. We also caught up with another intern who visited our office on Friday and we swaped phone numbers. I have no idea what the name of the bar was but after some drinks we went on to a karaoke bar and had fun singing songs until the early hours of the morning. ( 4.00am!!)

Sunday was Father's Day in Australia which is hard when you are away from home...it's strange that Father's Day is in May in Germany and in September over here. Some friend and I put on our hiking shoes and walked from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a lot of amazing views of the ocean. We saw remarkable rock formations. You could tell that spring is coming because there are already so many flowering plants and flowers. I love spring :-) If you are lucky you will see some dolphins or whales in the ocean but unfortunately we didn't...next time hopefully. When we finally arrived at Coogee we rested in a nice cafe near the beach and had a coffee.


One of the beautiful beaches along the walk

a good place to picnic- Bronte

Coogee

This Sunday I will join the trip to the Blue Mountains with Colourful Trips I hope to get to know a lot of you as there are already some interns signed up for the trip. If you can't join the trip I'm looking forward to seeing you at the intern meeting next Tuesday.

Until then....

Welcome from Nathalie!

2011-08-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

My name is Nathalie, I'm 23 years old and from Germany. I study Economic Education in Saarbruecken and I started my internship with Sydney Internships last Monday.

Me :-)

From today I will send you the weekly newsletter and you can also read my blog...become a follower!!
I' m looking forward to reading all of your comments ;-)

To graduate from University I need to complete a three month internship in an English speaking country. I chose Australia because I wanted to see the unique landscape and culture but more importantly I have always wanted to learn how to surf at the famous Bondi Beach :-)

I arrived in Sydney at the beginning of August and stayed for three nights in a hostel in Kings Cross....It was loud, busy and a shock to the system.
I wanted to get over my jet lag but I ended up partying each night. I can really recommend this area if you want to have a fun night out!

After the three days in Sydney I flew to Adelaide to join a six day bus trip to Alice Springs.
The tour included a visit to The Flinders Ranges, Cooper Pedy, Ayers Rock, the Olgas and Kings Canyon. It was simply amazing to see all those places! There is way too much to write about each place so I'm going to leave it up to you to explore on your own.
We drove through the outback and I was very surprised to see so many wild animals in such a dry environment. It was awesome to watch the eagles circling and we even needed to stop on the highway a few times because there were wild horses, camels or emus crossing the road.

Ayers Rock at sunrise

I also went to Melbourne for a couple of days and I really enjoyed a trip along the Great Ocean Road and to Phillip Island. On the island I saw hundreds of penguins waddling out of the sea which was absolutely incredible!
Melbourne itself is a beautiful city which has loads of street performers playing music and singing. There are also so many nice places to sit back and enjoy the city vibe. If you get the chance to visit this city you will definitely enjoy it.

Free City Circle Tram in Melbourne

Back in Sydney I experienced my first weekend. Annika introduced me to some of her friends and we all went to Echo Point Karaoke Bar. We had an awesome karaoke night! On Friday Annika and I caught a ferry to Manly to enjoy a beautiful day on the beach eating ice cream.

Manly shopping mall

Manly Beach

Some friends and I went to The Rocks market on Saturday where I really enjoyed the atmosphere. So many tourists but so many great stalls. Also the weather was fantastic so it added to the experience. On Saturday night we went out partying at the Ivy. It was so much fun! I really recommend this club if you want to party in an awesome location with an open air dance floor but you need to be an early bird if you don't want to stand in the queue for ages.

Rocks Market

On Sunday the focus was on relaxing :-) We went to Bondi Beach and simply enjoyed watching the sea and the surfers. There was also a festival on called the Orange Festival. It displayed all the products from this area which is located close to the Blue Mountains. There was wine, cheese, fruits and thankfully we could sample many of the products. It was a nice surprise to our day and was really enjoyable. We also had a short walk through the Bondi Market where there were interesting second hand clothes and much much more! :-)

Bondi Beach

Bondi Market

I' m sad to say goodbye to Annika on Friday but I bet she will follow the blog and comment on my posts to let us all know that she is enjoying being back home! :-)

Until then, I will use her sign off.....

YUMMY!

2011-08-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that this is my last post to the blog. My time in Sydney has gone so so so fast. I would love to extend my stay so I can travel around Australia but I'll have to save it for next time :(
I'm sad to leave but I'm also excited to see my family and friends back home. My time in Sydney has been amazing and I can really recommend doing an internship abroad. The experience will be beneficial for your future working career and overall personal development.

Anyway, lets talk about what I was up to for the past few days for the last time.

Last week I was on a trip in Melbourne with another German intern named Magdalena. We traveled the Great Ocean Road and were lucky to have sunny weather the entire time. It was simply amazing to see the Twelve Apostles. There were loads of people throughout the drive who were all very camera happy taking hundreds of pictures.

Loch Arch

Twelve Apostles

Before we arrived at the Twelve Apostles we were lucky enough to see some wild koalas sleeping in the trees. They spend all day and everyday eating and sleeping...perfect life!!!

We also had the chance to feed some parrots. They were sitting on our hand and eating the corn that we gave them. After an awesome day on the Great Ocean Road I had no trouble falling asleep very early.

Colorful Parrot

In Melbourne's CBD we caught a free city circle tram to get an overview of Melbourne...It's a nice city.
There are loads of sculptures around the city. Melbourne has a European atmosphere but I still prefer Sydney.

Melbourne has a nice beach area named St Kilda. Magdalena and I spent our last day in Melbourne walking on the beach promenade. If you are lucky you can see penguins in St Kilda but unfortunately we didn't see any. The trip to Melbourne was definitely worth it.

Skyline Melbourne

St Kilda

Back in Sydney my flatmate and I took advantage of the sunny weather and climbed the Harbour Bridge Pylon (only $6.50). Once at the top we enjoyed a spectacular view over Sydney's Circular Quay and Opera House. When we were at the top of the Pylon a girl overheard me speaking in German to my friend Nadine and also started speaking German to us. We shouldn't have been as surprised as we were because there are loads of Germans in Sydney.

Opera House

Circular Quay, Sydney Skyline

On Friday I booked the Essential Tour through the Opera House. They gave me interesting information about the building's history and the architect Jorn Utzon. What an amazing building!

The weekend ended with a visit to the Rocks Market. The best stall is the handmade nougat...yum!! Unfortunately is was very windy so a few of the stalls weren't there. We decided to go to Max Brenner. Any excuse to go there!! Max Brenner is a chocolate restaurant that you can find all around Sydney. We ordered chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows. YUMMY !!! With a very full belly we went home and had another early night.

Chocolate fondue before....

after...

On Monday our new intern named Nathalie started her internship with Sydney Internships. From next week I will hand over the blog to Nathalie. She is very exited so tell you her adventures in Sydney and get to know as many of you as possible.

Until then.....

What a beautiful rainbow!

2011-08-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

My weekend started early on a Friday with a relaxing day on Bondi Beach. Since I arrived in Sydney, it was the first time that it was warm enough to wear swimming gear. I was very excited to finally go to the beach and lie on the sand. Unfortunately It was still too cold for a swim but sunny enough to get burnt. It's unbelievable that the winter temperature in Sydney is similar to summer in Germany...I would love to have a winter like this back home! I was relaxing on the beach with a huge fruit smoothie. Australia has the best fruit smoothies I have ever tasted!

Beautiful Bondi Beach

On Friday night I went out with some friends. We had a fantastic night at karaoke in the City. We booked a room for about 3-4 hours and enjoyed spending the night singing thousands of songs. I also got to know loads of new people from England, Mexico, Finland and America. It was very weird when the guy from England started to speak in German to me but he explained that his grandmother is from Germany and taught him the language.

On Saturday my friend and I went out shopping. We went to an outlet centre not far away from Sydney City called Birkenhead Point. We found loads of bargains on clothes. There are many discounts available at this time of year....winter sale! The day ended with me crashing on the couch and having a relaxing movie night at home.

Birkenhead Outlet Centre

Back in Germany I would never think of going for a long walk but in Australia it's different. I have already done loads of nice walks in and around Sydney. On Sunday we did the scenic walk from The Spit Bridge to Manly. It's a long walk lasting about 10km which hugs the coast. Unfortunately it started to rain heavily in the middle of the walk but afterwards there was a very clear and colourful rainbow above the ocean. The walk goes through the bush, on the beach and on coastal tracks. I would really recommend everyone to do it on a nice day as it's such a nice walk with amazing views.

Opera House

This coming weekend I will fly to Melbourne. I'm very excited to see the city and to take a trip along the Great Ocean Road with Colourful Trips!

Until then....

What's that Aroma coming from the Rocks??

2011-08-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Where do I start......

Last Wednesday we had the intern meeting at the Fringe Bar in Paddington.
We all had a few drinks and took up the offer of steak for $10...bargain!!
It was great to meet new people and finally put some faces to all the name I've been emailing.

When I first arrived here in Sydney I moved into a homestay and made a friend named Sabrina. We were living together for the first few weeks but then I chose to move out to a furnished apartment. This was Sabrina's last intern meeting and I know I'm going to miss her.
She has finished her internship and is now travelling up the East coast. Currently she is sitting on the beach in Byron Bay while I am sitting here writing ....I hope she doesn't get too sun burnt.

Intern meeting at the Fringe Bar

On the weekend my friends and I soaked up the sunny weather in all parts of Sydney. It was very warm despite it being Winter. My nose even got a little bit sun burnt!
It was simply wonderful to lie in the Royal Botanic Gardens with a perfect view over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The Gardens were full of families having picnics and enjoying the outdoors. I even saw some people hand feeding the cockatoos.
I'm still really scared of all the bats hanging around and screeching in the trees.

Opera House and Harbour Bridge

On Thursday, a new intern named Jasmin arrived in Sydney. She came straight to our office to pick up the Sydney Internships welcome package. We started chatting, went for lunch together and exchanged phone numbers. On Saturday morning we met up and went to Glebe markets. It is an alternate market with jewellery, clothes, food and various other things.
Jasmin really wanted to see the famous Bondi Beach and as it was a warm day, we caught a bus down to the beach. Just to let you know, my apartment is a 2 minute walk from Bondi Beach...not bad!
We spent a few hours sitting on Bondi Beach having a delicious smoothie and muffin. I can't stop eating chocolate muffins...yummy!!!
I'm so excited to go swimming in the coming weeks when it starts to get warmer. The funny thing was that normally you can see many surfers but on this beautiful day there weren't that many because the waves weren't big enough. It's amazing to watch how easily they slide across the waves.

We then decided to go to Watsons Bay which is near the south head of the harbour. I hadn't been there before so it seemed like a good opportunity to make the trip.
It's such a beautiful place, make sure you have a look at my pictures! We saw many dogs jumping in the water, families having picnics and there was even a wedding going on.

The Gap

Sunset in Watson's Bay

The Rocks Aroma Festival

As planned I went to the annual Rocks Aroma Festival. My friends and I had been looking forward to it all week and thankfully the weather delivered. The festival was great and there were so so so many people.
I tasted delicious sweets, chocolates, rice pudding which I really miss from home, nougat and of course coffee.
The entire area in the Rocks and Sydney Harbour was full of people who joined in the festival. I haven't seen so many people in the one place while I have been in Sydney.
There was even a stage with some shows. One of the shows included a fantastic belly dance...by a man!!

The Rocks Aroma Festival

Chocolate

Dips

My favourite kind of fruit...chocolate

Many varieties of tea

Male Belly Dance

I regularly go for a run down at Bondi Beach at the end of the day. I'm dreaming of the time when the weather warms up and I can also have a swim.

Until then......

Catch Up

2011-07-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am.....
My name is Annika. I’m 21 years old and from Germany. I’m studying International Tourism and Event Management in Bielefeld, Germany.

!!Me!!

When I enrolled in my University course I knew that there would be a requirement to complete a three month internship abroad. When it came time to make a decision on which city I wanted to complete my placement it didn’t take me long to decide....SYDNEY!!

I always wanted to travel to Australia because of the beautiful countryside and more specifically I always wanted to see Sydney's Bondi Beach. When given the opportunity, I accepted an internship in the office of Sydney Internships.

I arrived in the middle of June '11 and now it’s almost August. The time is running out so fast.
When I first arrived I was living in a homestay with a family which was perfect to get settled. I stayed there for three weeks and then moved into an apartment at Bondi with a friend that I met over here.

In the initial week I needed to arrange a sim card and internet access. I ended up going to a Vodafone store and they helped me with both...too easy (no worries mate)!

Unfortunately I can’t travel throughout Australia after my internship because I will fly to the UK for a semester abroad which starts in September. On every available weekend I try to do as much sightseeing in Sydney and the surrounding area. I love it!

So you can catch up on what I’ve covered so far, I’ve put together a little summary:

Blue Mountains

I spent a nice day in the Blue Mountains with a few friends. We decided to use the discount with Colourful Trips through Sydney Internships. The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region about 100km from Sydney CBD. While I was up there I did a walk through the rainforest and took some great pictures. There are many breathtaking views in this beautiful area.

Three Sisters

Waterfall at the Blue Mountains

Featherdale National Park

On the same day as the Blue Mountains, I also visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park. It is located close to the Blue Mountains. I saw cute koalas, kangaroos, dingos, colorful birds and many other crazy critters....
We even patted a koala and fed a few kangaroos!!! This was on my ‘must do’ list for Australia.

Sleepy Koala

Me feeding a Kangaroo

Palm Beach

We spotted dolphins

Beautiful Palm Beach

On a sunny Friday my friend and I caught a bus to beautiful Palm Beach. It is a small peninsula in the north of Sydney. We spent time on the beach and took a walking track to the lighthouse where we had an amazing view over the ocean. We also saw dolphins swimming with the surfers about 20 meters from the beach.
These are moments when you realise that you are on the other side of the world and not in Bielefeld, Germany.

Whale Watching

During the months of June/July there are many humpback whales in the ocean off the Sydney coast. So my friends and I booked a Whale Watching Cruise. Not only did we see whales but we also spotted dolphins which were jumping close to the boat. The trip was very funny because the boat was wildly bouncing and rocking on the water. It was a bit of a windy day.

Whales!!

Sydney City

In Sydney you can visit loads of nice places. Of course I saw the Opera House and Bridge which was my first highlight in Australia. Over the past month I’ve been going out at nights with friends. We regularly go out for dinner, drinks, and out to pubs & clubs. It’s easy to meet new people out at night in a relaxed atmosphere. All the people that I’ve met have been very nice and friendly and we’ve shared our experiences and adventures.

This weekend I’m looking forward to the Aroma Coffee Festival in the Rocks. I’m expecting to drink endless amounts of caffeine and not being able to sleep all Sunday (and possibly Monday) night.

Until then.......

Welcome!!

2011-07-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

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