The only thing I knew about Australia before I decided to take a trip there was that its modern history began as a European penal colony, and that it is known as one of the most naturally beautiful destinations on the planet. I suppose I also knew I’d see kangaroos, but we’ll come back to them later. To get to Australia, I’d taken a morning flight from Denver, Colorado, thus landing me (with one short layover) in Sydney around 11pm local time. Because of this, the view from my 20th floor room in a downtown hotel the next morning nearly shocked me out of my already jet-lagged skin. I knew that Sydney was a large urban center, and that it was Australia’s capital, but I was unprepared for the stunning cityscape displayed before me, flanked by one of modern architectures greatest triumphs, the Sydney Opera House just at the edge of the Sydney Harbor.

Naturally, my first instinct was to explore Sydney. With my guidebook, which I’d bought on the internet about a month ahead of time, a small traveling backpack, and one of those tacky traveling wallets that all the "smart" tourists seem to use in order to prevent being pick pocketed, I set out to investigate. Getting to my hotel from the airport the night before had been simple, so I didn’t bother looking up bus routes – I just walked to the nearest stop (they are well marked, and the concierge at the hotel kindly pointed out the closest three stops for me on my pocket map) and within two or three minutes was on a bus heading toward the city center, or rather, cross-town toward Kings Cross. Since the public transportation system in Sydney is integrated much like that of London, Boston and New York, a single ticket works for nearly all busses, trains, and ferries, making it a rather simple process to move about within Sydney. Although the Sydney airport does offer a wide selection of car rental services, unless your travel plans necessitate a private vehicle, it is wiser, cheaper, and simpler to make use of their infrastructure.

Once I arrived in the Kings Cross area, I’d started to get hungry, having only had a cup of tea and a scone at my hotel that morning, so I headed down to Coogee Bay Road to a bayside fish ‘n chip joint appropriately entitled "A Fish Called Coogee". This little establishment sells fresh seafood prepared just about any way you’ve taken a preference to, and I picked up an order of freshly battered and fried calamari to go. No tables were free, but the beach had plenty of room to sit and eat, so I plopped down in the sand by the bay and enjoyed my lunch. Because it was mid March (autumn for the southern hemisphere), the sun was out, but even at about 12:30pm, it was only about 75 degrees out, making it comfortable to enjoy just walking along the bay. I lingered for a while, but soon decided it was time to get down to sightseeing. I sauntered back to the nearest street and hopped another bus to get to the world famous Sydney Opera House.

Once I was standing in front of the Opera House, one of the most well known edifices in the world, I could scarcely believe how gigantic it was, and how elegant. Of course, I’d seen about a hundred thousand photographs of it before, but in real life, it was even more stunning. Outside, a jazz trio were playing a saucy latin beat, and I decided that I would see a show that evening, regardless of the cost. It was a good thing that I made my decision before I approached the ticket office, because once I got there, the price did seem rather steep, however, I remembered that the exchange rate (Australian Dollars were worth about three quarters of an American Dollar at the time) would make the cost slightly more manageable. The desk worker was friendly and informative, pointing out to me with a thick and endearing Aussie accent where each price range would get me seats, and which she recommended. I wound up purchasing a mid-level ticket for about $175 Australian, which translated to about $120 American, for that evening’s showing of the Wagner opera, Faust, which was, coincidentally, one of my favorites. Since it did not begin till 7:30, I still had some time to see the city and grab dinner before the show.

Deciding between the Art Gallery of NSW (New South Wales) and the Botanical Gardens was tough, but I soon found myself on a bus heading south toward the art gallery. Although the traditional art in the building was interesting, by far the most enjoyable for me was the permanent exhibition of Aboriginal art. The art gallery was free of charge except for the temporary exhibits which change seasonally for the most part. After spending an hour or two enjoying the gallery, I left and headed back toward the bay area for dinner. Ending up just short of the Opera House, I wandered for a while before deciding it was too close to the show (the clock was rounding about six pm) for me to putter around much longer. My guide book had indicated that the Guillame seafood restaurant right at the Opera House was incredible, so I stopped in for some beautifully prepared and presented French cuisine. The wine list featured several high quality Australian wines which my server kindly allowed me to sample before ordering a half bottle, and although the price was expensive, it was not exceedingly so.

The rest of my evening was a beautiful haze of colorful costumes, high flung arias, and spinning dancers, culminating in me falling asleep before my head hit the pillow when I arrived back in my clean hotel room. In short, it had been a wonderful day.

Of course, Australia is not known for its cities, but for its rugged natural landscapes and dense jungles that spread over its expansive outback. Here is where the kangaroos come in: I hopped a charter bus that would take me north from Sydney to the Gold Coast, but which would first take a slight detour west. While this detour was great for seeing the landscape, it wasn’t so great for traffic: in Australia, cars don’t cause traffic jams, Kangaroos do. They are so numerous, that some provinces in Australia have actually put game bounties on them, so if you bring in proof that you’ve killed one, they’ll pay you! And actually, as a side note, some of the best steak I’ve ever eaten was a Kangaroo steak I had later that week back in Sydney.

After getting to the Gold Coast, I spent the week in this super-developed tourist trap, learning to scuba dive, fishing in the ocean, and attempting to learn to surf but failing miserably. If I went back to Australia, the only thing I’d change about my travel plans would be to see more of the western outback. Regardless, anyone traveling to this marvelous continent will find no end of sightseeing (both natural and man-made) and no end of activities and recreation in which to participate from early morning to late at night.