November 11, 2024
I recently spent twelve days in Sydney, Australia. Going Down Under has long been on my bucket list. In fact, my fascination with Sydney began in childhood, long before I caught the travel bug on my first European adventure as a university student.
You see, the Sydney Opera House was completed in 1973 when I was in elementary school. I can’t remember the exact circumstances or where I first saw a picture of that iconic building. Still, I know I had waited over fifty years to see it. Add fascinating animals like kangaroos and koalas (I had a beloved stuffed koala bear as a child). Who wouldn’t want to visit Australia?
About a year ago, an acquaintance contacted me to see if I would be able to housesit in her Hawaiian home for two weeks. It only seemed logical to travel to Australia from there.
Many of my nomad friends enjoy traveling on repositioning cruises. Maybe I could get to Australia that way. I found one that left Honolulu for Sydney, and I commenced planning a great adventure from there.
After spending six weeks on four Hawaiian Islands, I boarded Celebrity Edge for an 18-day journey.
First, it was so very nice to arrive in a far-off country and not experience jetlag. The owner of my Airbnb said it had been vacant the night before, so I could head straight there after the morning departure from the ship.
Getting to my accommodation was amazingly simple. Circular Quay, the downtown hub for the passenger ferries, was adjacent to the cruise ship berth. It took just a few minutes to walk over to the correct wharf, and in 15 minutes, I arrived at Kurraba Point, where my little studio apartment was waiting.
The funny thing (okay, not really funny) was that there were 88 stairs to climb from the wharf to the street. No small feat with my luggage!
After checking out part of Sydney’s expansive (and stunning) botanical gardens, I met up with a couple of friends from the cruise. We walked around the heart of the city and found a great hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant for lunch.
From there, the next eleven days were filled with wonderful outings in one of the World’s greatest cities. I will admit that I still have much of the planet to see, but nothing in Europe or North America can compare.
What makes Sydney special? The city is built around an expansive harbor. There’s a definite charm in traveling almost everywhere by ferry.
The Opera House and Harbor Bridge gloriously welcome visitors to the city center. I was fortunate to see it right before dawn from the ship! (opening photo) I also took an architectural tour a few days later and saw the Sydney Symphony perform that evening. Childhood dream fulfilled!
The Opera House is covered with more than one million tiles!
Photo taken after the performance
The botanical garden is immense and adjacent to the city center. The grounds are impeccably maintained. I visited several times during my stay.
The National Gallery has something for everyone, with two buildings, one housing the modern collection.
You can take a ferry to the zoo at Taronga Point.
There are National Parks within the city limits. Yes, you can walk/hike to your heart’s content, and the views are stunning.
You can get from downtown to beautiful beaches in half an hour. Bondi and Manly are the most well-known. Be sure to take the scenic walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach. I was fortunate to be there during the Sculpture by the Sea event!
The central business district is lively, clean, and feels safe.
Darling Harbor is modern, lively, and inviting.
You can easily hop on a train and arrive in the Blue Mountains in about two hours.
Incredible restaurants! I truly did not have one disappointing meal. Some recommendations: Sydney Café (Don’t let the name fool you. It is an elegant yet comfortable restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbor.) Yellow (Gourmet vegan that can’t be beat! I thoroughly enjoyed the seven-course meal. Even if you aren’t vegan, I strongly suggest you experience it!) Grana (Farm-to-table deliciousness in a lively and welcoming atmosphere.) Somehow, I don’t have any photos of all that delicious food. I guess I was too busy eating!
Bonus: Sydney is the place to go if you are gluten-free or Celiac. Every restaurant and café had options for me. I’m not sure if this is a good thing because I kept finding bakeries to try.
There are lots of little gems around the city if you keep your eyes open. Nutcote, the home of author May Gibbs, was a few blocks away from my accommodation. I happened to walk by just as a tour was beginning.
May had quite a view!
The views from the area around Watson’s Bay were my favorites.
I could go on and on as I have at least a thousand pictures of Sydney. If you’ve never been, I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Wandering Shannon 