Sydney

Sydney has long been on my list of cities to visit, but somehow I kept putting it on the back burner because of the distance and price. I had mentioned high prices in my last post in Brisbane, so it would be fair if you guessed that assessment held true in Sydney. In reality, it's comparable to the prices back home, but it feels a lot more significant since my last vacation was to Thailand.

I stayed at the Dixon Residences in the Haymarket area, right by Chinatown. This was a boutique hotel right above the restaurants, so the elevator rides up and down always smelled like fish! Nonetheless, I could not have been happier because I love Asian food, especially dessert. It turns out there are more Chinese restaurants here than at the Chinatown in Los Angeles! On the weekend, they have a mini night market like the ones in Taiwan, where vendors line the streets with booths selling all sorts of gadgets, souvenirs, sunglasses, clothes, and street food. Chinatown is walking distance to the Sydney Opera House, at about 1.8 miles each way. Uber is also readily available.

I only had 2 full days in Sydney, so I had to make the most of my short time here. I think that 2 days is enough to make it to the main sites. So without much further ado, here they are.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge is pretty hard to miss in photos. It is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world, along with San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. In the photo above, you should be able to make out the tiny flags perched atop the highest point of the bridge. That is pretty much the path you get to climb up if you decide to brave the Harbor Bridge Climb. Early reservations are recommended since I hear they allow a limited amount of people up each day.

The view that gives you the Harbor Bridge also gives you the Sydney Opera House. Combined, these views are in my opinion easily the best in the city. I didn't get to hang out in the area in the evening, but the Bridge and Opera House are lit up at night, which should make for a spectacular sight.

I highly recommend the Sydney harbor cruise for a relaxing ride that gives you a different view of all the above famous sites from land. There are a large number of cruise companies that depart on cruises all morning and afternoon, but make sure to get your tickets early since they do sell out, especially during high season. We booked ours online the night before with Captain Cook Cruises.

We also checked out the Rocks markets, which are right next to the ports where the harbor cruise ships depart. The Rocks is a charming outdoor market where you can shop for unique clothes, leather goods, accessories, jewelry, woodcraft, and more and help support local businesses. The vendors come out on weekends so make sure you don't miss this stroll.

If you're walking from Chinatown up to the Opera House, then you'll probably pass right by Hyde Park, the oldest public park in Australia. Here you'll have an opportunity to sit on a bench and relax, or plop yourself down directly on the grass amid the flowerbed, like me.

A stroll through Hyde Park gives you the chance to briefly escape the vehicle congestion as well as see a few notable monuments, including the Archibald Fountain pictured above which features statues from ancient mythology, as well as the ANZAC war memorial and the Pool of Reflection.

One of the things we did not get to do in our limited time is check out the 74 acre Royal Botanical Gardens, which is right next to the Opera House. It's open 365 days of the year and admission is free! (Music to most people's ears).

Another popular activity at Sydney is the Taronga Zoo, but we did not visit since we visited the Steve Irwin zoo in Brisbane. Adult admission at the Taronga Zoo runs at about $42.30 AUD per person.

Sydney's most famous beach is Bondi Beach, located on the east side of the city, about 5.5 miles east of Chinatown, or about 6 miles from the Opera House. The actual beach and sand area is relatively small and enclosed in the curve of a U. I liked the beach, but thought the white sand beach in the Gold Coast was softer and nicer. However, if you're in Sydney, it's still well worth checking out.

If you make it to Bondi Beach, be sure not to overlook the Bondi Icebergs Club, located at the southernmost point of the beach. The beach lifeguards train here, but the pool is also open to non-members of the public for a fee. This is not a pool for lounging with a martini in-hand, but for swimming laps. Even if you don't feel like swimming, I highly recommend stopping by for a look because the view is nothing short of magnificent!