Sydney, Australia

For years if anyone ever asked me to describe my dream vacation the answer would always be the same, Australia and New Zealand. I’m not sure where the obsession with these two destinations started although I’m pretty sure the Lord of the Rings movies had some major influence. Who doesn’t want to see middle earth?? So when I discovered that a good friend of mine also wants to see these two places we decided to book our flights.

Getting there

I currently live in Dallas and Qantas flies non stop to Sydney! I know what you’re thinking, “why would I want to be stuck on an airplane for 18 hours?!” Honestly I was a little wary of the long flight but it actually wasn’t bad (Keep in mind I’m fairly tall at around 5’10”). The food on the flight was actually pretty good. I also ended up paying a little extra to get the extra leg room. Also if at all possible try to pick the seats on the upper deck. There are only 30 seats up there so its much quieter.

Hotel

We landed in Sydney early in the morning and took a taxi to our hotel. I booked at room at The Radisson Blu Hotel. I chose it based on location and the fact that it wasn’t ridiculously expensive. It is a quick walk to the circular quay, restaurants/bars, bus and ferry stops.

Restaurants

White Rabbit

This was right across the street from our hotel and serves the most amazing Granola bowl.

Hemingway’s

If you spend a day out by Manly Beach be sure to check out Hemingway’s. I never thought I would say this but I definitely recommend the roasted mushrooms and the quinoa and kale salad.

Frankie’s Pizza

It has a very laid back atmosphere with live music and pinball machines, the pizza is pretty good too.

Site Seeing

Here’s a few places I recommend checking out while staying in Sydney.

• Walking- There were a lot of sights that were within walking distance from our hotel like the Sydney Opera house, Circular quay, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden

• Via Ferry- If you head over to the Circular Quay you can find ferries that will take you to various beaches and hot spots in Sydney. You can also find a 24 hour hop on/off pass if you want to check out multiple locations. You can access Manly Beach, Bondi beach and Watson’s Bay from here.

• Via Bus- One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get around is via Bus. First you need to get an Opal Card and add money on it. I took it to get to Bondi Beach. Walk over to stand B and take Bus 380 or 333 toward north Bondi. Its about a 40 minute ride and will cost approximately $4.50 each way. While there don’t forget to check out the Icebergs Pool

• Excursions- Just take a stroll through the circular quay and you will be bombarded with people trying to sell you excursions. I decided to book one that included the Blue Mountains, Featherdale Wildlife Park and a sunset river cruise. I highly recommend the wildlife park for kids since you get a chance to feed kangaroos and for an extra cost you can take a picture with a koala.

                    Next stop….Cairns!