Exploring Sydney, Australia

Australia is an incredibly vast and diverse country. Roughly the size of the United States, it can take several hours minimum to get from one destination to another. When planning our trip to Australia, we quickly realized we would need to limit ourselves to two or three stops given the time we had, and Sydney was at the top of the list. 

Sydney has a far reaching history. In 1770 the British laid claim to Australia, and in 1788 the first British penal colony and settlement was established on Sydney cove. There had been hundreds of indigenous tribes already deeply rooted across the continent at this time, some say the oldest culture on Earth, over 65,000 years old! The Aboriginal people taught the British about the land and it’s resources, but quickly that relationship deteriorated into chaos. European ideas, weapons, and diseases quickly dominated the indigenous and began overtaking the land. Many indigenous children were even taken from their families and forced into a European upbringing to try and “civilize” the tribes. It was a dark period of history for Australia with far reaching consequences. Today, efforts are being made to reconcile these losses, and Sydney has become an eclectic mix of this cosmopolitan heritage. 

Sydney has so much to offer tourists. It is easy to get around, has lovely walking opportunities, and hundreds of distinct little neighborhoods to explore. You can go from historic old buildings to chinatown, to the royal botanic gardens and modern skyscrapers, all in short order. Each district offers a feast for the senses with unique restaurants, cozy cafes and quirky shops throughout. There is no shortage of things to do in Sydney, but here are our favorites: 

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

An incredible cliffside trail with jaw dropping views. The whole trail is about 3.7 miles and winds through several adorable beaches and towns. You can start and end anywhere on the trail, so we decided to start at Bronte Beach and walk backwards to Bondi Beach from there, which was only about 1.6 miles. I don’t think there is a better direction to walk the trail, so do what is convenient for yourself. We stopped several times to admire the view and take pictures and spent about 2 hours walking in total. While most of the route is paved, there are steep sections and a handful of staircases as well. We were so lucky to get a pod of dolphins following along with us for a time, super close to shore. The cliffside of sweeping sandstone beds reveals layers of geology which makes for amazing pictures. Many outcroppings jut out over the crashing waves of the Tasman Sea for a dramatic vista. The cerulean waters give way to a deep navy, the contrast absolutely stunning. We chose not to go in the water here, and found out later a tourist lost her arm to a shark that morning, so we were happy with our choices. There are several great pools on the coast that looked inviting and would be much safer. 

The Opera House

Of course, any visit to Sydney would not be complete without a stop at the Opera House. This iconic landmark was built from 1959 to 1973 and hosts opera, theater, comedy, concerts, along with other events. The sails of the building are actually hundreds of ceramic tiles, and when you get close you can see the texture and colors that make up the unique exterior of the building. If you are lucky enough to catch a show, that would be amazing! If not, you can take a one hour tour pretty much any day, if you book ahead. 

The Royal Botanic Gardens 

Just adjacent to the Opera House are the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is free to enter. It was established in 1816 and is home to an abundance of wildlife. From the Opera House, you can skirt the edge of the gardens before diving inside at the Ficus Tree and winding around the Oriental Gardens and Calyx glasshouse. There are groves of palms and a native garden as well. Returning to the coast, you can see another iconic view of the Opera House from Mrs. Macquaries Chair, which is especially fantastic at sunset. We saw many cockatoos, lorikeets, fish, and even a huge Australia sized spider in it’s web! 

Where to Stay

On our visit to Sydney, we stayed right outside of Central Station. This was perfect for us to be able to jump on the metro or train to get around quickly and simply. There were several bars and cafe’s nearby so we could find something to suit our every whim. If you are wondering based on our other posts, of course we went shopping at Brandy Melville. Everyone we met was super hospitable and kind, even in such a large city we observed a lot of friendliness throughout. I was surprised at the number of locals exercising throughout the parks and on the walking trails as well. However, I especially enjoyed the collaboration of nature and architecture, a seamless blending that left a feeling of freshness to the city.

 Sydney makes a great starting or ending point to a visit to Australia. One full day would be enough here, but a long weekend would be best to really take in all the city has to offer. This penal colony turned international icon is a defining and memorable destination!