This beautiful city is often mistaken as the capital of Australia. In fact, Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales (NSW) and one of the most vibrant cities in Australia. Here are some of the recommended places to visit if you are planning a trip there.
Undoubtedly, the Sydney Opera House makes it to this list. Being one of the world’s greatest icons and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Opera House’s architecture resembles that of white sails billowing above blue waters. Within this impressive structure, you can find a concert hall, theaters and several exhibition rooms which make it an ideal venue for performances and special events.
Address:
Sydney Opera House — Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
In close proximity stands the magnificent Sydney Harbor Bridge which is a steel through arch bridge connecting the Sydney business district and North Shore. For a more exhilarating experience and unparalleled scenic view, you can opt to join the 3.5-hour BridgeClimb which brings you up the bridge to an altitude of 134 meters.
Lining the Bennelong Point where the Sydney Opera House sits, you will also be able to find restaurants and bars to rest your feet, chill and enjoy an uninterrupted view of the two above-mentioned renowned landmarks.
Address:
Sydney Harbor Bridge — Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney NSW, Australia
If you are looking for markets selling local produce, you can consider visiting the award-winning Carriageworks (Eveleigh) Farmers Market which operates every Saturday morning till noon. This indoor market is housed in an old railway blacksmith shed and has close to 40 stall operators selling a vast array of items including local delights, artisan cheeses and breads, desserts and pastries, olive oil, fresh flowers, organic fruits and vegetables etc. Some of the vendors provide food sampling as well so take your time to comb through the Market. This market is also usually not packed to the core which makes random browsing a breeze.
Address:
Carriageworks Farmers Market — 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015, Australia
With a coastal geographical location, Sydney is home to over 100 beaches with the most well-known being the Bondi Beach. Every summer, numerous locals and tourists alike flock to this beach for sun-basking. Surfers also come geared up with much anticipation to ride the endless ocean waves. It’s probably not a bad idea to come here for a picnic too while inhaling the cool sea breeze.
On one end of the Bondi Beach, you will notice a well-paved walking trail. This trail eventually leads you to another popular beach known as Coogee Beach. This path boosts some of the stunning views of Bondi Beach and its surrounding from different angles which would make the hike truly worthwhile. However, Coogee Beach is about 6km away so I’d advise you to allocate sufficient time and do pit stops along the way.
Address:
Bondi Beach — Bondi Beach NSW 2026, Australia
If you would like to taste fresh catches, do drop by the restaurants and fast food joints lining the roads along Bondi Beach. It is not surprising that these shop fronts mainly sell seafood. Despite the crowd, we managed to find seats in Bondi Surf Seafoods, which is Bondi’s oldest and most famous place for fresh catch of the day. We ordered the highly-raved Fish and chips which had deliciously moist dory flesh underneath the crispy batter. On top of that, we also ordered the Half lobster mornay and Salt and pepper calamari. Both did not disappoint. A mornay sauce is a classic French sauce with cheese base and it went well with the pre-cut bite-sized lobster flesh. The fried calamari was also crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside and, most importantly, not too salty.
Address:
Bondi Surf Seafoods — 128 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach NSW 2026, Australia
Speaking of seafood, you should visit the Sydney Fish Market as well. The Market is pretty clean and has all sorts of seafood. According to Wiki, it is the third largest fish market in the world. Sydney’s seafood retailers come here on regular basis to grab their goods in bulk at wholesale prices. That said, visitors can also opt to purchase any of them and get the vendors to cook them on the spot according to personal preference (grilled, baked, sashimi-style, fried — you name it).
Below was our lunch for the day which came with a rather hefty but worthy price tag. Oysters were a must for us. We bought half a dozen of oysters and drowned them in lemon juice and tabasco sauce. They were brilliantly juicy! Next, we also had garlic lobster + lobster mornay (again!) and both were just as delectable. The scallops baked in cheese didn’t impress us though. Overall, it was an enjoyable and laid-back meal as we embraced views of the working fishing port.
Address:
Sydney Fish Market — Pyrmont Bridge Rd, Sydney NSW 2009, Australia
For prestigious shopping, look no further than Queen Victoria Building. Not only does this imposing Romanesque architecture have rich history which warrant a walk-through, it also houses various fashion and jewellery boutiques, restaurants and cafes, a Tea Room, gift shops, health and beauty retail shops etc. Right outside the building, you will see a symbolic monument of Queen Victoria erected.
Address:
Queen Victoria Building — 455 George St, Sydney NSW, 2000, Australia
If you happen to be here, do check out the colorful macarons, sweet treats and pastries at Zumbo (Shop 58 of Ground Floor). The founder of Zumbo is none other than the highly acclaimed patissier, Adriano Zumbo. Adriano has become a household name especially after his presence in MasterChef Australia and is pretty famous for his macarons (also affectionately known as “zumbarons”).
When I took the first bite, the macaron shells slowly crumbled followed by a sudden burst of smooth and exquisite filling in the mouth. Zumbo has an assorted range of classic and interesting flavors which do change occasionally. I especially liked the Caramel Au Beurre Sale (salted butter caramel filling), Brownie, Salted Butter Popcorn (butter popcorn filling) and Thai Tea macarons. Can’t wait to attempt the other flavors on my next visit!
Address:
Zumbo — Shop 58, Ground Floor, Queen Victoria Building
If you have a day to spare and would like to enjoy scenic views of nature, I would highly recommend a day trip out to the Blue Mountains via guided tour which saves you a lot of hassle. Besides breathtaking view of the Jamison valley, one of the unanimous highlights is the Three Sisters which is a result of rock formation with a tribal myth behind.
Fun fact: Based on the legend passed on, there were three sisters from the Katoomba tribe who fell in love with three men from the Nepean tribe but they were forbidden to be together due to tribal rules. It was then said that a witch doctor had turned the sisters into rocks, and KABOOM! The Three Sisters were formed.
Fun fact: The Blue Mountains were so named because they appear blue to our naked human eyes. And why do they appear blue? Because the mountains are enveloped by densely populated forests of eucalyptus trees. An optical illusion of blue haze is naturally created when the eucalyptus oil discharged from the tree leaves scatters the sunlight. Do you also know that the eucalyptus leaves and oil have beneficial medicinal properties and can also be used in aromatherapy? However, inappropriate ingestion is not advocated.
Address:
Blue Mountains — 50 km (31 mi) NW of Sydney CBD
Three Sisters — 23–31 Echo Point Rd, Katoomba NSW 2780, Australia
Recognized as the world’s steepest passenger railway operating at 52 degree inclination, the Scenic Railway was part of our day tour package. The red carriage has rows of seats which can be adjusted to a steep 64 degree for thrill-seekers. There was a slight adrenaline rush when the railway took off but it wasn’t as scary as it looked. Our package allowed us unlimited rides to explore the Jamison valley and rainforest. From the pictures, you can see how deep into the valley we went!
Address:
Scenic Railway — 1 Violet St, Katoomba NSW 2780, Australia
Our finale of the day tour was a trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we could get up close with the Australian native wildlife consisting of marsupials, birds, reptiles etc. Prior to this, I actually haven’t seen a wallaby before and was confused by the striking resemblance between a wallaby and a kangaroo. However, one obvious difference is that kangaroos generally have a taller stature than wallabies due to longer legs. These marsupials are allowed to move around freely while visitors interact with them through feeding and occasional gentle patting or stroking.
Next, we went to the koala sanctuary and, as expected, all except for one koala were in dreamland. Basically, they sleep 20 hours a day and in any position.
Flaunting the only koala that was awake! Look at how adorable it is!
Some of the other animals we saw include wombats and penguins. Wombats are short-legged, muscular and sturdy marsupials. Although we were not allowed to get close to them, it was amusing to see how they manoeuvered their stout bodies within the enclosure. All in all, it was a satisfying day trip away from the bustle of Sydney’s city centre.
Address:
Featherdale Wildlife Park — 217 Kildare Rd, Doonside NSW 2767, Australia
A trip is never completed without tasting some of the city’s best goumet. I visited Chur Burger at Surry Hills which is an attractive neighborhood that accommodates several cafes and restaurants and ordered one of their signature burgers — pulled pork burger with red slaw, fennel mayo and in-house Chur bbq sauce. The slightly charred buns were surprisingly crispy, pork shreds were tender and the luscious bbq sauce left me craving for more. Chur Burger is, in my opinion, one of the best and affordable burger restaurants in Sydney that you should not miss.
Address:
Chur Burger — 48 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
If you are looking for brunch food, Bills is no stranger. It was founded by Bill Granger who is a self-taught celebrity chef sometimes referred to as Australia’s Jamie Oliver. Bills allegedly serves one of the best scrambled eggs which was why we decided to give this a shot. We ordered the Full aussie and Fresh aussie and here are the ingredients that made up the courses.
Full aussie — scrambled eggs, sourdough toast, cumin roast tomato, bacon, miso mushrooms, pork, chilli and fennel sausage.
Fresh aussie — gravlax (cured salmon), poached eggs, kale, avocado and cherry tomatoes.
Although the scrambled eggs live up to its reputation — light, creamy and fluffy but it wasn’t the best I have eaten thus far. While I am not a fan of poached eggs, I liked how the saltiness of the gravlax brought about stark contrast to the gooey yolk. Overall, it was still a fulfilling meal at Bills.
Address:
Bills — 359 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
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