My time in Melbourne had come to an end, and it was time once again to get on a big silver bird to whisk me away to Sydney. Fortunately, this was a quick 1 hour flight. It turned out that the entire professional rugby team, the Melbourne Storm was on the same flight as me. I ended up sitting next to their massive Prop whose one thigh was as large as both of mine. I had paid for an exit row and needed every inch of it as it was tight quarters, especially with my giant seat mate.

The flight was fairly calm (nothing like my previous legs) and soon enough, we were landing at the Sydney airport. After grabbing my bag, I headed downstairs to the train that went into the CBD and very close to where I was staying. It was a double decker train and the bottom level was empty so I was able grab a seat both for myself and enough space for my bags. The train was quick and a mere 15 minutes later I was at the Wynward Station, my stop.

While Sydney has a similar transit card to the myki (the Opal) it was also connected via Apple Pay so all I had to do is tap my phone to be charged and exit the station – very cool. I dragged my bags up a small hill and landed at my destination – The Amora Jamison Hotel. Normally when I travel internationally I prefer to stay in Airbnbs unless the options aren’t great. This was the case in Sydney. Plus, in this case, I had found a really good deal. The location was also great, being right in the heart of the CBD. Plus, the room and view were pretty sweet.

Funny enough, my next destination was the yellow building to the far left, which given my overall state of wear and tear, was just about as far as I was eager to venture out. The Shell House had been recently restored to become a multi-level dining destination. While the various options all looked intriguing, the Sky Bar was the winner for me.

Located 14 floors up, the chic and stylish Sky Bar featured a wrap around room with nice views of the various office buildings that surround the CBD. I had made a reservation and requested a table versus a bar seat, wanting something a bit more comfortable. They gave me a great spot looking out both at the main part of the bar and the patio area which was full of the after work crowd.

This seemed like the kind of place to get a strong cocktail and chill so I did just that, choosing The Made Man – Rittenhouse 100 Rye, Wild Turkey Rye, Cherry Heering, Chartreuse and Fernet Branca, This was DANGEROUS. The various alcohols had essentially tempered their initial kicks into a smooth, potent combination. I made sure to drink it very, very slowly. I had heard about their burger being the thing to get and soon was presented with this slightly strange (but delicious) Wagyu cheeseburger with pickles and caramelized onions. As the picture indicates, the actual burger was buried under the melted cheese but was nice and juicy.

As night fell, the bar shifted to a more lively pace, now bustling with more of the date/out for a night on the town vibe. I had initially wanted to try one of the Cuban rums on the menu but after some research, the ones I didn’t know from the list didn’t have high marks. However, they did have my favorite Japanese whiskey, Nikka Miyagikyo so I splurged for that instead. After a couple of hours, I had my fill and didn’t want to keep the table too long for others. Tomorrow, I had a date with a koala and other Aussie critters along with exploring my new ‘hood so I made the quick walk back to the hotel and dived into my massive king bed to get some much needed sleep.