Sydney
The city and the surf
Charlie arrived in Sydney on a Sunday morning by ship. She had just been on a cruise across the Pacific Ocean. Getting into Sydney this way provided and immediate view of the main sights: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The best about it was that it happened to be at the time of the sunrise.
The main sights of Sydney
Some of the other nomads from the cruise went straight to see a show at the Opera House that day, Charlie did a hop-on-hop-off-tour. She wanted to see the most of Sydney on the day of her arrival. The ticket she had bought included two more tours which she did over the next few days: a harbour cruise and a bus tour at sunset.
Charlie wasn’t too keen on the harbour cruise since she had just been on a boat for four weeks and she felt that she had seen the entire harbour. That was almost true. By doing the tour, she also saw Watsons Bay and Manly Beach. She didn’t have time to go get off and explore. She heard that Manly Beach is a popular destination and there is probably a reason for it.
The bus tour at sunset was something really special. They crossed the harbour bridge and enjoyed the views of the Opera House exactly at sunset. Charlie had now seen those iconic landmarks at sunrise and at sunset. How much more could you get? Of course, you can see them at night! The tour included that as well.
The bus drove along the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery (and were greeted by some flying foxes) to reach another viewpoint from where they saw the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It was after sunset, but before it would be completely dark. The light was magical.
Surfing at Bondi
This was part of a surf trip in Australia and Charlie stayed, of course, in an Airbnb across the road from the popular surf beach Bondi. She was more interested in that than a show at the Opera House and that was a good decision. She had two amazing surf sessions herself and captured a lot of other surfers with the camera.
Bondi Beach is separated in three areas: the northern end gets smaller waves and is more beginner-friendly, the southern end might barrel and is mostly for experienced surfers. At North Bondi, fiberglass boards are prohibited to keep everybody safe. The middle section always depends on the sandbanks and how they might have moved.
If you’re interested in surf lessons or board hire, Charlie recommends the surf school Let’s go surfing.
Bondi to Coogee Walk
It is one of the most popular walks in Sydney, the 6km walk from Bondi to Coogee. When Charlie did this walk, she was lucky to find even more surfers in the water at another beach in between, Tamarama Beach. The waves weren’t good at Bronte Beach. From there, the walk continued along the coast and a boardwalk at Waverley Cemetery.
Charlie then reached Clovelly Beach and Gordons Bay before she arrived at Coogee Beach. Each of these bays and beaches was different and each was beautiful for a different reason.
The only thing all the beaches have in common was the availability of public restrooms and water fountains. In the Australian sun it is important to hydrate!
You could do the walk in about two hours; Charlie took a bit longer due to the frequent photo stops.
The highest points of Sydney
The first place to get a view from above that comes to mind is the Sydney Tower, however, taller buildings have been built around it and there is no view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. A better place to get this view (and even for free) is the restaurant at the Shangri-La. The only thing to keep in mind is their smart casual dress code.
You can also climb the Harbour Bridge and get a view of the city from there, however, that is not the most budget-friendly option.
Museums in Sydney
As any big city, Sydney has museums too. Charlie didn’t have time to visit any of them, but the Australian Museum and the Museum of Sydney caught her eye. A local tour guide had recommended to visit the Hyde Park Barracks and the museum about the colonial history. He mentioned that this museum also talks about the genocide of the indigenous population during the colonisation of Australia.
Local markets in Sydney
Charlie loves markets and if she had had more time in Sydney, she certainly would have checked out the following markets that were recommended to her during the tours she did:
- Paddington Markets: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Bondi Markets: Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The Rocks Markets: Weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Rocks is a good destination on any day of the week and directly at Circular Quay. Even the locals like The Rocks (a very touristy place) and the many restaurants in that historic quarter of Sydney.
How to get around in Sydney
Public transport in Sydney is easy, and you have the choice between buses, trams, trains and ferries. They all operate with a payment system that you only have to tap in and out of with your card or phone. The connections can be found online and Google Maps worked very well for Charlie.
The prices for public transport in Sydney are fair with a daily cap of around AUD 20. If you take public transport to the airport though, it gets a bit more expensive. One of the locals recommended to Charlie to take the train to Mascot Station and from there a local bus to the airport or an Uber to avoid the excessive fee. Charlie hasn’t tested this because she didn’t fly from Sydney. Instead, she took the train to Melbourne.
