Things to do, food to try, places to visit & more
Sydney is the capital of New South Whales and one of Australia’s largest cities. The city best known for the breathtaking Darling Harbour, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and sailing culture. From Tampa, this destination takes about 19 hours by plane and was nothing short of WORTH IT.
Whether you’re wanting to lounge in the rock pools, take surfing lessons, bar hop between speakeasies, see a show in the famous Opera House or pet kangaroos you’ve got it all in Sydney. It’s a populated city rich in culture and natural beauty, you’re sure to fall in love.
Sharing my Summer in Sydney so you can feel prepared on your trip to Australia. I’m excited to share my food recommendations, ferry excursions, and Aussie culture. Australia was my first trip out of the country and studying abroad setting the bar pretty high for my future travels!
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Language
English is mostly spoken in Australia making it less of a culture shock
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Credit and debit cards are used the most in the areas I was in. Make sure you have credit cards that can be used outside of the country!
Transportation
Sydney is the most unique city I’ve ever traveled to. The main form of transportation is by ferry. Locals and tourist board the ferry at ports in different locations in Sydney. I spent 3 weeks in Australia (a week and a half in Sydney) and only used Uber once as the remainder of our travels were by foot or ferry.
Don’t forget your Opal card for the ferry! If you run out of money on your Opal card just use Apple Pay.
Sydney was by far the cleanest and safest city I have ever experienced. While I don’t usually recommend traveling alone if you can help it, there was a time I didn’t have a choice and ended up taking the ferry alone and walking from the harbor back to our hotel. I was safe the entire time and felt like a local!
*Keep in mind they drive on the left side of the road and walk on the left side of the street so look both ways before crossing!
CLIMATE
Australia is the furthest country from the US making the climate “opposite” to ours. While January is our winter, it is the peak of their summer. Come prepared, and by that I mean, you NEED sunscreen. The sun here is a lot stronger than even Florida sun making it much easier to burn. You can buy sunscreen at almost any store in Sydney including the beach.
SYDNEY HARBOUR
The Sydney Harbour is a waterway in Port Jackson Bay where you will find the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Here you’ll also find the Royal Botanic Garden, shopping, dining, and “The Rocks”.
While you’re in Sydney I recommend staying in a hotel near the Harbour so you have quick access to the ferry and the beautiful natural waterway. I recommend exploring the area with curiosity and a camera to experience the full effect of the breathtaking view the harbour has to offer.
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Dress to impress for a show at the Opera House, but arrive early as Aussie’s are very conscious about being on time. You don’t want to show up late to a show as big as this one! Even if you aren’t a fan of opera, the experience is once in a lifetime and the singers are extremely talented!
SYDNEY HARBOUR NATIONAL PARK
Go for a walk or bike ride through the national park to check out the scenery.
DRINKS & BAR FAVORITES
The night life in Sydney is quite lively especially on the weekends. The bars and speak easies are pretty chill as there are laws on public intoxication. While I didn’t go to any clubs in Sydney, there were two bars we repeatedly visited because of the fun drinks and vibes. If you enjoy country music you’re sure to love my favorite bar, JOLENES.
JOLENE’S SYDNEY
Menu || Directions
If you’re into country music this Nashville themed bar is the place to be. The bar gives a speak easy vibe as it feels like a hole in the wall. This hidden gem has live music on certain nights, country music stars on the wall, and country classic inspired drinks like my favorite “Islands in the stream”.
MORRISON’S OYSTER BAR & GRILL
Menu || Directions
Enjoy luxe cocktails in this stylish and chic oyster bar. The relaxed atmosphere is perfect for a night out with friends for cocktails and dinner.
APEROL SPRITZ
The bubbly cocktail was a huge hit for our group! We saw aperol signs all over Melbourne, Australia on umbrellas, boats, photo-ops, etc. You can find an aperol spritz almost anywhere in Sydney and Melbourne.
WHAT TO EAT
Australian cuisine is similar to American however, it is necessary to try authentic Australian food while in Sydney. Definitely taste Vegemite, TimTams, kangaroo, halloumi, and taro. It is so fun to try new things!
MOTOWN COFFEE BREWERS
Menu || Directions
I am totally a coffee girl so I will be the first to visit all the coffee shops in a new city! MoTown Coffee Brewers has delicious coffee and açaí bowls for a perfect outdoor brunch.
This coffee shop is where I tried Vegemite for the first time! Vegemite is a vegetable spread for toast and leaves a salty aftertaste. Don’t use too much or you will regret your life choices!
CAFE PORTICO
Menu || Directions
Cafe Portico was a short walk from our hotel near the harbour making it convenient to eat breakfast at most mornings. I loved eating halloumi and rocket with eggs on toast for breakfast. I’m not used to over easy eggs so this was definitely an adjustment! Holloumi is is popular cheese in Australia made from goat’s and sheep’s milk and rocket is basically arugula. Many locals eat here before work!
SYDNEY FISH MARKET
The fish market is the hot spot for seafood in Sydney. Check out one of the world’s largest seafood markets! While this may sound strange to some, the Sydney Fish Market is a large part of the Aussie culture. I loved the salmon over rice!
FISH AND CHIPS
You can find fish and chips almost anywhere in Sydney as it’s deeply rooted in Australian culture. It’s worth it for everyone to try at least once!
ANITA GELATO – Menu || Directions Gelato can be found almost anywhere in Australia which came as a surprise to me! My favorite place to grab gelato is at La Mamma del Gelato on Manly beach. You’ll notice it’s popularity when you see how long the line is!
OTHER POPULAR FOODS
When in Australia you must try the popular TimTam candy, Taro, and sausage sizzle which is kangaroo. Taro tastes great in for-yo or gelato.
SYDNEY BEACHES
There are over 100 beaches in Sydney and I visited 3 while I was there. The waves are big and water is like nothing I’ve ever saw before. I can not stress enough how crucial it is to wear sunscreen though!!
MANLY BEACH
This is the most amazing beach I’ve ever been too. Manly is just a ferry ride away from the harbour making it easy to access. The beach is full of shopping, biking, swimming, tanning on rocks, rock pools, and surfing. Our group took surf lessons taught by locals, shopped at markets and boutiques, and swam in the Bold and Beautiful swim.
While I did not successfully learn to surf (I perforated my eardrum on the first wave) I still highly recommend taking the lesson as it’s a once in a lifetime experience to learn how to surf on the beach where the world’s first surfing contest was held.
The Bold and Beautiful swim is a 750m swim started by a local who swam at 7am every morning from Manly to Shelly Beach. More and more locals and tourists started to join her making the swim more popular. Everyone is welcome to join the Bold and Beautiful swim as long as you make it to the beach before 7am!
BONDI BEACH
Like Bondi Rescue, right? Exactly! This beach has a 6km walking path called the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk with the most breathtaking view of the water. You can enjoy shopping at surf shops and pub hopping along the shores of Bondi if you choose not to spend your time in the water. Bondi Beach was a lot further from our hotel but you can travel there by bus or ferry.
WATSON’S BAY
Home to endless sail boats and quaint beaches, Watson’s Bay is easily accessible by ferry from the harbour. The small fishing village is perfect for dining by the water or a picnic on the beach. Hike up to the historic lighthouse and you might just find yourself at the nude beach…
WALKABOUT WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
If you are traveling to Australia in hopes to witness a few wild kangaroos, the Walkabout Wildlife Park can do you one better by allowing you to pet them!
This was by far one of my favorite days in Australia. I am an animal studies major so a day full of kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, meerkats, a wombat and a Tasmanian devil is right up my ally. The wildlife park rangers are knowledgable about the animals and the possible danger it comes with allowing the public to pet them (like kangaroo boxing) and that is why they are never hand fed and allowed to be pet from behind. You can read more about the sanctuary and how they care for their animals here.
ABORIGINAL TRAILS
I was very impressed with the Aussie culture and how educated they are on aboriginal sites and sacred areas. The Aboriginal Trails near the Walkabout Wildlife property is worth the visit! Ask the park about taking a tour through the sites! Read more about the history here. You will even learn about the native plants like the Sydney Golden Wattle and what it can be used for.
BAREFOOT BOWLING
Ever played bocce ball? Barefoot bowling in Australia is very similar!
CLOVELLY LAWN BOWLING
Enjoy barefoot lawn bowling with a group of friends or family at Clovelly Lawn Bowling. The view is amazing and drinks are available inside the recreation building.
SHOPPING IN SYDNEY
There is so much to see and shop in Sydney! I grabbed a few keep sakes from my favorite places like Manly Beach shops and the small business market. My favorite gifts I bought for myself were a turquoise ring and a gold fresh water pearl necklace. Make sure to stop at the Queen Victoria Building!