Sydney is the most multicultural city in Australia compromising a cosmopolitan and international population. The beauty in Sydney lies with it’s proud coastline and sunny beaches that are bustling at anytime of the year. It was really nice to move from the Auckland winter at around 13 degrees to Sydney which was around the early 20’s…Luckily the place I was staying in was 3 minutes from Bondi beach itself.

I’ve been to Sydney a few times now but my main reason for the stopover this time round was to catch up with my uni friends and high school mate. I wanted a more relaxed, local experience and to just be part of their everyday activities. I must say much like NZ, Australia is a good place to just enjoy the simple things…the main thing I did was eat, relax and beach.

The only “touristy” thing I did was visit Taronga Zoo and it was a very wholesome experience. My friend Yuliya accompanied me on our scenic ferry ride across the harbour to this prime time island which the zoo was based on. It’s quite an adventure as it’s built on a slope so a cable ride up is the way to go. This way you have an aerial view of the animal enclosures and also another point of view of the Sydney skyline. The route around the zoo was very easy to follow with themed areas- reptiles, mammals to sea life and so on. The zoo is definitely a to do because of the journey there and back and also the actual content is welcoming for people at all age groups.

        

Luckily my friend Allan & Yuliya whom I stayed with were not only excellent hosts but took me to the best eateries and markets. I dined in Malaysian, Japanese right through to the fish markets…which was quite an experience. 😀 There is a huge difference when you go as a tourist and when you have people who live there as they take you to the smaller less known but infamous joints for the locals. The food was filling, tasty and averagely priced so anyone could enjoy it. My favourite was the dessert place San Churro just because it was Spanish- haha and also they made unique desserts in a very simple fashion.

  SAN CHURRO

FISH MARKETS

     

No city is complete without checking out what their “local” markets had to offer. I was lucky enough to go to two- Paddington Markets and Paddy’s Markets. Both very different in their own respect. Paddington market is your boutique market selling anything from natural juices and candles to handmade clothing and jewellery. It was an excellent experience but there was sooo much I wanted to purchase and I couldn’t at this stage. Make sure you do check it out if you’re there- they held on Saturdays and run for the entire day. Paddy’s markets on the other hand was much like the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne or the Onehunga or Pakuranga markets on a larger scale in Auckland. There were lots of nicks and backs and a lot of repetition but I managed to get a hat for Dubai from all of that.

 Paddington Markets

 Paddy’s Markets

Proud Sydney and it’s proud beaches. If it’s your first time make sure the walk from Bronte to Bondi is done. It’s a beautiful coastal walk and you get to smell the fresh sea air and take in some stunning sights. This time round my high school mate Ella, Lachlan her boyfriend and River- cutest doggie went to Tamarama beach to soak in the sunshine and watch the sunset after. It was a nice idea getting some beersies and chippies to watch this event.

 

It was sad to say bye bye- but Sydney could be a city of interest to live in down the line…As Ella, Allan & Yuliya say it’s just like Auckland but more. Who can say no to the beautiful beaches and awesome weather!