Sydney Australia

Sydney, Australia  was amazing.

I always wanted to go to this wonderful place and this year I decided to get busy with the details. I wrote this blog so you can go to. My friend Rose came along to celebrate her birthday. We had a boatload of fun and adventure (some planned and some unplanned).

When I arrived it was winter in Australia and dealing with the time zone was a little challenge for the first 2-3 days but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

Things You Can Do In Sydney (I did all of these)
A tour of the Sydney Opera House
Royal Botanic Gardens (its actually like a central park that’s very nice)
The Taronga Zoo (try the rope challenge)
A Harbor Tour
A hike and visit to the Blue Mountains
Shopping at the Queen Victoria building (Dont miss this one. Just beautiful!)
Visits to the museums and art galleries
A hike/walk on the beautiful coastal trails near our residence
A visit to “The Rocks”, a historical district that includes museums and shops. (I need to go back just to explore more)
The Sydney Tower Eye
Manly: I love love love Manly. Its also a favorite of Sydney residents too. Shopping was great (and inexpensive)
The Blue Mountains: Tip – Sunday has the best train rates but lots of people. Pay a few more dollars and skip long entry lines.

Getting Around

Transportation in Sydney was not a problem. We used a combination of Uber, boats, public bus and trains to get us around. Sydney has one of the most sophisticated transportation systems I have ever seen. Fast efficient and clean, plus lots of help when you have questions

Get a Opal Card. This is a card that can be pre-loaded and re-loaded with funds as you travel. You can buy it from any merchant. Its so much easier to get it at the airport when you arrive. Average cost per day to get around is $10 with the Opal card.

The Central business district (CBD) is the hub of town and where you find your big city shopping experience.

Download transportation apps to help with times or just wait for a bus, train or boat.
The main hub for transportation is Circular Quay. This is where all trains, buses and harbor transportation converge and meet, literally within feet of each other.

Sydney is a “water” city and eventually you will have to get on a boat, otherwise you will be in traffic for hours and hours. Get out on the harbor and take some tours. No doubt you will want to re-visit some sites so do like the locals and take the ferry. The ferry runs more often than the harbor “hop on and off” tours and its clean and just as efficient.

Food

Food is expensive in tourist areas. Carry some snacks so you don’t munch through your travel budget.  I really enjoyed the food. Lots of variety for every palette.

Tell me about your experiences when you go!!

Enjoy your journey!

Jenai