From Vacationing Tourists to Working Residents...

So the last few days have been rather hectic, at least compared to the first two weeks. First of all, apartment shopping in Sydney is quite an adventure. The real estate agents show the apartments normally once a week and for only 15 minutes! Literally, people are rushing to get into the apartment before anyone else and if you are seriously interested in renting the apartment of your choice you better have the first week’s rent in your hand with you when you go to see the place. So, after a few busts we finally singled out the apartment we wanted and after various emails and phone calls with the agent we determined when the showing would be. We arrived about ten minutes early and were the first ones there. While waiting in the lobby, we actually thought no one else would show up, but in no time about 20 other people happily showed up to burst our bubble. Keep in mind the renting market is extremely stressful, chaotic and competitive. If you want it, go for it. The first one to hand the agent the money gets first dibs, but no one can give the agent money until they have seen the property and once the agents receives a deposit, they cannot take another. No worries, we had our game faces on and a plan in motion – across the threshold, a quick yes/no sign to each other and if it was a “yes,” Greg was to stuff the money in the agent’s hand and knock anyone else aside! So, onto the elevator went the whole crowd of people vying for the apartment. And wouldn’t you know it, upon the dramatic arrival (nerves were on edge the entire walk down the hall) at the door the agent realized she forgot the key to the place. And she wouldn’t be able to get the key for at least three hours. Not sure what to do, we decided to grab a bite to eat and wait. Once the agent returned we followed her into the building, and luckily for us this time there were only about 10 other people. When we walked into the door and had a quick look around we saw the enormous balcony overlooking a beautiful park and all of the town, we knew this was the place. As planned, we handed over the money and a few days later found out we had gotten ourselves an apartment.

This was actually the easy part. After finding a place to live we had to find furniture and the million other necessities for living. This involved lots of trips to the local department stores, furniture outlets, boutiques, and every other kind of store you can think of. And our main mode of transportation was the bright white mini van we rented to haul everything back. And yes, they drive on the other side of road here, and yes Greg drove on the passenger’s side and Carey navigated in the driver’s side (at least to those in the US). While Carey was quite concerned and uneasy about Greg driving here in Australia (those who have had the pleasure of riding with him the States can certainly understand), surprisingly everything went smoothly with the exception of one unhappy Australian who cursed Greg out while he was trying to park in front of the real estate office where we went to sign the lease. Of course, the horn honking, swearing drama unfolded perfectly in front of Carey and the real estate agents waiting on Greg.

In the midst of all the apartment hunting and furniture shopping we did manage to slip in some beach time and some site seeing. We decided that Coogee Beach would be the next beach to visit. And we may have a second favorite beach (Manly still reigns as number one). Not only is it extremely convenient to get to, it is large, beautiful, and great for swimming. The water is the clearest and warmest we have seen in Sydney and the crowds aren’t quite as large as Bondi, which is much more touristy. After spending a few hours on the beach, we hopped on the train and visited one of the more affluent Sydney suburbs, Double Bay. Double Bay is the location of some of the better views in the city. Many homes rest up on hilltops with views that stretch all the way to the central business district, the Sydney Harbour, and even across the water to North Sydney. Also, it is one of the prime shopping districts of Sydney. For all you DC area people, think Bethesda but on the water. We definitely recommend spending an evening here if you come to visit.

And then it was time for the big move. We said goodbye to our hotel in the Central Business District and hauled all eight of our bags of luggage over to our new home in Potts Point. So far, the neighborhood has been everything we could have hoped for and more - tons of fantastic restaurants and cafes, a great nightlife, awesome markets, and fruit stands, just enough boutiques to keep Carey happy, and to top it off on the way to our first trip to the grocery store we spotted our first celebrity sighting right in front of our building…Adrian Brody! Yes, that’s right Seth Cohen from the OC!

And now that we’re all settled into our new home its time to get back to business, literally. Greg started work Monday and Carey has interviews lined up throughout the week. Hopefully the next phase of our Sydney adventure works out as well as the first phase has. And, of course, we can’t help but look forward to our next holiday time – when we fly off to Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Until then…we have officially transitioned from vacationing tourists to working residents. Cheers!
PS - as usual, there is a new album posted in our photo link