This is my series about trying to find our footing in Australia. It will no doubt be a series of joy and sadness and struggle... Things will turn out alright? Won't they?

Part 1: Settling In and Adjusting
Part 2: Checking In...
Part 3: House Hunting
Part 4: Best and Final
Part 5: Gazumped!
Part 6: School Worries...
Part 7: We did it!

Wow, it has been quite sometime since I have been down (up???) to Sydney... Now that we have had about two months in Canberra, it is time to head to Sydney for some work, a short pair of projects that blend into each other, starting in Sydney, then back to Canberra, then back to Sydney and then out to Adelaide.

I had lived for a few years in Sydney whilst studying and working with the various groups and ensembles here before I headed out to Europe. So, it is a nice chance to catch with old colleagues... and perhaps rediscover the big smoke again, and perhaps remember what I thought of the place.

Now, the first group that I play with is slightly less well resourced than the second group... and so that meant that I would catch the bus instead of taking a flight. In many ways, I do actually prefer this as it puts me in the centre of Sydney from the centre of Canberra and not at the airports, which makes it much easier to get around afterwards. Plus, I hate going through all the security and rigmarole of flying... which is pretty annoying if the flight is less than an hour anyway!

The travel by bus is only three hours anyway, and that would be a similar amount of time if you add in all the extra travel security and boarding and check-in and all of that that you would need to do for a flight. However, the second part of the travels will be by plane as the distances between Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra are much much greater!

It has been quite a while since I rode the bus on the Canberra-Sydney route, the bus has definitely been upgraded a lot! Apparently, it was stopped during the coronavirus times, and it has only just been restarted again. Nicely airconditioned, with Wifi and USB power (sadly, no mains power like the European fast trains...), it is shaping up to be a comfy alternative to flying. Plus, the departures are regular once per hour, on the hour.

There is a good deal of leg room, and you now have the option to book an extra seat for a small additional price so that you can have a whole row to yourself. Anyone who has travelled long distance on a bus knows how valuable this perk is! I wonder if this will continue as the buses start filling up again as people start travelling again. The bus that I was on was about half full, and I suspect that the extra seat perk is just so that they can get a bit more money for the trip... and if the bus is not completely filled, then you may as well offer that to the travellers.

Something else that wasn't there 15 years ago was the fact that you were allocated seating positions... again, this is a nice change, as I always hated the scramble to find a seat on the bus. Which is much more problematic when you are toting violins/violas and need to find a space where you can stow them without getting in everyone else's way. Sadly, many people use the overhead bins to store a loose jacket and they object if you need to move it to store something that is actually large!

Anyway... arriving in Sydney (which I hadn't seen for 15 years, apart from the short bounces out from the airport) was a strange experience. I had lived here for a few years... and my wife and I were never really fond of the place. We always found that it was too busy and fast for us... hence our desire and choice to live in Canberra.

After a few days here, I'm afraid to say that not much has changed... and if anything, things are worse. Lots of cars, lots of people, lots of noise and lots of pollution... it all makes for a place that I don't feel comfortable in. I don't really mind too much if I'm visiting for work, but I am pretty happy that I don't live here! On the other hand, I know that many Sydney-siders think that Canberra is completely boring as all hell... actually, I like quiet and boring! I hope it stays like that and all the trendy excitement can stay here in Sydney!

Anyway, one more day here and I can return back to my beloved Canberra for a few nights before the next project begins! I will be happy to sleep near to family again... I always find it strange to be away from family, I really chose the wrong job! It is such a pity that I also enjoy my job...

I can also be found cross-posting at:
Hive
Steem
Publish0x

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