Up high Down Under

For an embarrassingly long time, I thought ‘barbie’ (in Aussie slang) referred to the iconic doll girls go crazy about,” says my friend Eric over a cuppa and sanga at Gloria Jeans one chilly arvo at Westfield Mall in Burwood, Sydney.

“So my jaw dropped when my sister announced she was preparing barbie for dinner on my first day in Australia,” he adds.

A registered nurse who’s based in Sydney with his wife Edel for 15 years now, Eric recalls that embarrassing moment when I inquired how long it took him to master Aussie slang,  which can be quite confusing.

  “You’ll get used to it especially if you go out a lot, watch TV or listen to the radio,” explains Eric, who filed a sickie (sick leave), when I told him I’d be in town for a week.

Australians love abbreviating as many words as possible — barbie for barbecue, cuppa for a cup of tea,  sanga for sandwich, brekkie for breakfast, mobes for mobile phones, remi for remote control, webby for webcam and arvo for afternoon — and it seems anything goes.

Well, abbreviations are nothing new to us Filos (Filipinos). So when Eric asked how’s life back home, I hastily replied: “Well, in Manila everything unli — from rice, to texts and calls — sells; we love taking selfies; and enjoy going on short vacays via ro-ro (roll on, roll off) or budget airlines like CebPac (Cebu Pacific).”

“So CebPac now flies to Sydney?” Eric asks.

Yer, mate, four times weekly.

Sydney welcomes Cebu Pacific

I was part of the media group that joined Cebu Pacific’s inaugural flight to Sydney last September. At the send-off ceremonies at NAIA Terminal 3, Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei shared the importance of operating four weekly flights between Manila and Sydney, Cebu Pacific’s first destination in Australia.

“First, it allows us to reach adventurous travelers who can discover the paradise that is the Philippines, and contribute to the nation’s tourism agenda. We have long believed that the Philippines can rival the beaches of Bali and Phuket. Now, with Cebu Pacific’s launch, there’s an affordable option for fun-loving Australians to discover this for themselves,” explains Gokongwei.

“Second, it allows us to serve the growing Filipino community in Sydney and New South Wales when they come home to the Philippines for business or leisure. This is consistent with our commitment to serve Filipinos wherever they may be,” he adds.

On board the brand-new Airbus A330-300, it took us about eight hours to get to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales (NSW). Despite the 436-seat configuration, the aircraft was both roomy and comfy. It smelled good, too!

Upon touchdown at Kingsford-Smith (Sydney Airport) at 10:56 a.m. on Sept. 9, Cebu Pacific’s inaugural flight to Sydney (SJ 7295) was greeted with a water-canon salute. The water glistening on the windowpanes looked like tears...of joy. It felt surreal and  truly unforgettable.

Let the Aussie experience begin

Our group was billeted at the historical Grace Hotel, where General Douglas McArthur set camp during the Pacific War. Located near Circular Quay, The Rocks, Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, the hotel is a design marvel which is inspired by the Chicago Tribune building in the US. Grace Hotel’s original features — including light fittings, elevators, stairwells, marble floors, high-pressed metal ceilings and decorative ironwork — were retained and highlighted when it underwent extensive renovation and restoration during the 1990s. The Art Deco-style interior complements the old-world charm of its exterior.

Grace Hotel is also minutes away from the the architecturally splendid Queen Victoria Building (QVB), a late 19th-century edifice, which used to be a marketplace.

Built in the 1890s, QVB underwent remodelling and suffered decay until its restoration in 1986. Today, it is Sydney’s most prestigious shopping center, which boasts the finest fashion boutiques and jewelry shops. It would have been such a pleasure shopping at QVB if only I earn in Aussie dollars. Australia is such an expensive city to live in. And I wouldn’t be able to get something unless I refrain from multiplying everything by 40. Thank goodness, Woolies (Woolworth supermarket) is right across the street, and TimTams were on sale.

Walking is a good way to explore the city especially in springtime because the air remains fresh and unpolluted regardless of the many cars you see on the road. Here, one can safely cross the street because the pedestrian lanes work.

There are so many things to see and do in Sydney, both in the CBD and further afield. At the Darling Harbour alone, you’ll find several attractions like the Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussauds and fine-dining restos. The Chinatown is always interesting and a great location for quick, cheap shopping (Paddy’s Market) and tasty chow.

If you’re traveling with kids, a visit to the Taronga Zoo is an experience not to be missed. The zoo is home to thousands of exotic and native species, including native animals such as kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian Devils, platypus, wombats, wallabies, quokkas and emus.

But to better appreciate the entirety and the beauty of the Land Down Under, there’s no other way but “up” — on top of the Sydney Tower, the Harbour Bridge or even on the mast of the Sydney Tall Ships. It’s another way that Sydney makes you weak in the knees.

Our amiable tour guide Douglass Hocking of Destination New South Wales took us to the highest point in Sydney — the Sydney Tower Eye — for a Skywalk to remember.

Clad in blue overalls and safety belts (with metal chains attached to the steel railing), we slowly inched our way 268 meters above Sydney one chilly and windy evening. Skywalk is Sydney’s highest open-air attraction (twice the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge) with the city streets directly beneath your feet. Standing on the glass floor of the view deck, the guide directed our attention to the sights and landmarks of Sydney, but we just couldn’t figure out which is which as it was nighttime and we were dead cold. Still, the flickering lights of the modern city were enough to calm and soothe the senses.

We also got to experience the thrill of cruising the Sydney Harbour onboard the Sydney Harbour Tall Ship. The two-hour boat ride not only cruised past all of Sydney’s biggest attractions, it also offered a different kind of adventure for adrenalin junkies: climbing the tall ship’s mast while cruising to get a better view of the harbor!

Watching JG Summit Holdings Inc. corporate communications manager Viveca Singson romancing the rope made me seasick already, so I just sat there, enjoyed the view, the cool breeze and the Champagne brunch as the 1850s-style wooden ship passed through the Harbour Bridge one last time.

* * *

Cebu Pacific operates four weekly flights between Manila and Sydney, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight departs Manila at 12:15 a.m. and arrives in Sydney at 10:05 a.m. The return flight departs Sydney at 11:35 a.m. and arrives in Manila at 5:30 p.m.