Sydney

Sydney, Australia was a lot cooler than we expected.  This city has a lot to do and plenty to explore, from the epic Opera House to the beautiful beaches just a 20 min drive away.  Be sure to take a day or two to simply wander downtown, check out the malls and we also liked visiting Chinatown.

What really stood out to us though was how incredibly kind and genuinely caring the people are.  It really doesn’t matter what you need help with, Aussies are more then happy to make you feel welcome.  They are easy to talk to and happy to get to know you. I think it comes from the fact that they travel often and have a genuine interest in your life and experiences.

One funny little thing we noticed about Australians is that they love to abbreviate EVERYTHING! Mosquito are “maussies” , McDonald’s is “Maccas”, and Australians are “Aussies”  .. you’ll notice it too when you come to visit, it’s kind of fun!

Below we have put together a little list of the 8 favorite places we visited while we were there.

 

8 Must Visit Spots in Sydney, Australia:

1) Cross the Sydney bridge:

Yes, its on every postcard and its touristy, but its fun to cross the bridge and marvel at the beautiful city and look out over the harbor.

2) Coogee to Bondi Beach Walk

This may only be about a 3 mile walk but it took us about 3 hours.  We recommend starting at Coogee with swimming and some tanning and ending at Bondi since there are lots of restaurants there.  Don’t forget that the sun here is extra brutal since there is a hole in the ozone layer over Australia so wear sunscreen, no matter how tan you are! 

It’s incredibly beautiful and scenic and well worth the effort.  Also be sure to stick around Bondi for an incredible sunset!  Head to the north side of the beach and make your way out to the viewpoint up on the rocks, we even saw dolphins jumping when we got there!

3) Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – best place to take a pic of the Sydney Harbor House and the bridge in one shot!

“Located by the Royal Botanic Gardens, the bench known as Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair was carved out of sandstone in the early 1800s for Govenor Lachlan Macquarie’s wife, Elizabeth. It became her favorite spot to look upon the harbour and serves that same purpose today for visitors who take a moment to rest there.”

We hung out here for a while and admired the city then headed over to the coffee shop located right in the park.  Afterwards we headed to the botanical garden and wandered a bit.

4) Darling Harbor

We came here multiple times to grab lunch right on the water at a very affordable price.  There are restaurants lining both sides of the harbor and lots of things to do here too.  The Sydney zoo, aquarium are here and so is the giant ferris-wheel.

 

 

5) Sydney Opera House

There will be plenty of tourists here with you but they are useful since you can ask them to take a pick of you and the iconic opera house.

6) Hillsong Church

Its about a 45 minute ride from the city but it would be a shame to visit Sydney and not attend one of the services at this world renown church!  With about 100,000 people attending services around the world on a weekly basis, visiting the original church is memorable and life changing.

7) Visit the Queen Victoria Mall

When you visit, appreciate the architecture of this historic and absolutely beautiful building!  Be sure to grab a coffee “for here” grab a seat, people watch and enjoy your beautiful surroundings.

8) St. Mary’s Cathedral

This is a beautiful historic cathedral in the heart of the city.  There is also a nice park and large fountain across the street from it.

Where to stay in Sydeny:

This is pretty important since Sydney is a huge city.  We recommend staying in a hotel that you can walk to all of the sights from because parking around the city is ridiculously expensive.

Zara Tower Hotel – (click here to book)

We loved staying at the Zara Tower Hotel!  We stayed in one of the beautiful soho suites and it was a great accommodation. The room was modern, spacious and luxurious.  It had everything you needed to be comfortable while you were in town  including a little kitchen, all the coffee and tea you want and a great staff.  We would highly recommend you stay here, its a great value for the money.

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