Sydney in the Fall

G'day mate...It is a beautiful Autumn Sunday in Sydney - very cool at 20-24 degree Celsius. I took the taxi to the Hilton Sydney Hotel and that has always been my mode of transport in Australia - very expensive but I had no choice - and I think it is about 1 notch less expensive than taking a taxi in Tokyo within the whole Asia Pacific. About 45 minutes from Sydney airport to the City centre - it cost me A$37.30 (about S$48.49). The exhange rate to Singapore dollar is now S$ 1.30 to A$1.00. - it used to be 1:1, 3 years ago. About the same distance from my home to Singapore Changi airport cost me S$17.60. That is about 2.5 times - Wow!

Hotel: Hilton Sydney Hotel @ 488 George Street

Background: I have stayed here about 8 years ago - previously a tourist oriented hotel - quite old and run down.

My room

Hotel Review: Very modern renovated with 2 entrances from George Street and Pitt Street. The Lobby with high ceilings - staff very professional and the best part - I was upgraded to Executive Floor. Due to my early check-in, my room was not ready - so I had a good breakfast at the Executive Lounge on the 36th floor. The view from 36th floor was awesome especially on a clear sunny day. The only drawback I had during my stay is that my luggage took more than an 1hr to reach my room - upset cannot describe the mood I was in. Hilton Sydney apologized in a personal note with a bottle of wine - it was an unexpected gesture and this definitely put them in my good book. I will surely come back to his hotel again. The hotel decor uses a mix of mirrors, glass and lighting to make the room look very posh, cosy and comfortable.

In the evening, I went to Darling Harbour and watch the latest movie "300" at iMax theatre. "300" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valour and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy. The screen at iMax theatre is huge, the 1st few minutes it took quite a while for me to get use to - after that the movie was fantastic but not recommend for kids especially all the blood and gore. The movie is rate M15+ but some idiots brought young children to watch - it is really not suitable.