World Tour Stop 14 - Sydney, Australia

OK, so I know I should not say this considering I'm halfway through my trip and many more adventures await, but Sydney was my favorite stop so far. What an amazing city. Yes, it is expensive and yes it is sprawling and a metropolis with traffic and crowds. But it is such an amazingly diverse city with so much water, access to so many outdoor activities as well as an international airport that can fly anywhere, sports teams and big city events, and then of course, so many gorgeous people. I seriously fell in love with this city so I apologize if I go a little overboard.

The first day we arrived we got in kind of late (around 10PM) so we changed and headed to dinner at Maybe Frank which was right next to our Airbnb. Pizza was great but the cocktails are seriously over priced and not that much alcohol. I think it's a good quick bite if you're looking for a more authentic Italian pizza feel.

We went to bed a little early as we planned to do the Spit to Manly coastal walk the following day. which is an 11km trek that is not too tough. but definitely long. I would suggest bringing a couple of bottles of water with you, although if you don't you are able to stop to buy some along the way. The link I provided gives all of the highlights and points to look for along the way, but pretty much this was just a beautiful, fun filled day of enjoying the sights that Sydney has to offer. It was also super fortunate that the weather was beautiful and sunny even though we were kicking off Australian winter.

Highly recommend this walk as it was super easy and settled us right into the Manly Cove which has plenty of restaurants and the ferry back to circular quay (Sydney Opera House). We ate at a small place that was right on the water and it was buzzing and fun. I think it helped that it was a perfect Saturday so everyone was out and about. We hopped on the ferry to get back to town and en route decided to book a bar crawl that evening.

The bar crawl was interesting and went through Surry Hills, which was right where our place was so a perfect way to get to know the area. We learned some history of prohibition and prostitution (I got to be Queen of the Loo!) as well as tried some fun drinks at speak easy/secret bars that we definitely would not have found on our own. If you enjoy a good cocktail and getting to know a few other travelers, definitely look into booking this.

The next morning I had booked the Bridge Climb because I wasn't going to visit Sydney without doing one of the most iconic things you can do there. It was pretty expensive so Bri and Sammie opted not to join. I think if there were two things about this experience that I would change it would be to make it more affordable and to suggest taking the "express" option which is the same tour but less pausing along the way (1.5 hours vs 3 hours).

(yes, I am fully aware that the wind didn't do fabulous things for my hair...still love the pictures though)

After the bridge walk I met the others at the Rocks (the area for the train station. harbor bridge, ferry station and opera house). We decided to take pictures with the Opera House but sadly did not do a tour. I don't think I regret it because I learned a lot of the architectural history from the bridge tour, but it was a little bit of a bummer to not get to experience the inside.

That night we also visited Vivid that was going on at the rocks and that was cool. Vivid is a light show that has been going on for 15 years and lasts for 3 weeks at the end of May through mid-June. If you're ok with potentially cold weather rather than visiting during the main season, then this is a sight to see.

The next day was a lot windier and colder but we had already committed to doing the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk and I'm glad we did it. It was a lot shorter than the first walk (roughly 6km) but an entirely different feel with seeing surfers and joggers ad WWII burials sights versus the yachts and sailboats that we encountered on our Spit to Manly walk.. The wind an rain picked up at the end so we sprinted to lunch in Coogee before getting to thoroughly enjoy everything, but the first 5km were filled with great photo settings, even one cliff that Bri got way too close to the edge on!

This was our last day with Sammie as she headed home to ATL the next morning while Bri and I continued on to our wine tour. We booked a tour to go see Hunter Valley (about two hours north of Sydney) and it included three wine stops, lunch and a vodka distillery. Plus we were able to see a few wild kangaroos which was pretty neat. The tour went from 6:30AM to 6:30 PM so quite a long day, but again, I think it was nice to see another side of Sydney and to enjoy a tour with a lot of other travelers from all over.

Our final activity was walking to the top of the pylon on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. With the Bridge Climb I was given free access, so I wanted to use that and Bri also was interested in getting to see Sydney from a bird's eye view. It's a good spot for photos and worth it to do if you're going to opt not to do the bridge climb. Otherwise, everything you learn is exactly the same as the bridge climb and the views are relatively similar.

Sadly that ended our stay in Sydney and we are off to Melbourne. No doubt in my mind that I will be back to this city one day.

Where to eat:

Wild Ginger - Thai food that was so good and I was so craving it. I got the massaman curry and it did not disappoint.

The Clock Hotel - We went here to meet a friend (Darran) of a friend and it was great food and a great suggestion from Karena. Food was typical pub fair but the atmosphere is great and it has inside and outside seating as well as a game room.

Dove and Olive - decent food and drinks, good deals on Mondays for sparkling wine!

Where to drink:

Must go to Fortune of War - located on the Rocks this is also touted as the oldest pub in Sydney and has the vibe to prove it. Lots of loud music, a ton of beer on tap and hot wing deals for patrons. This is a must stop in

The Glenmore Hotel - we actually ate and drank here, both were good but better for a happy hour cocktail on the roof top bar that overlooks the Rocks.

Golden Age Cinema and Bar - grab a drink and watch an old timey movie in a cinema that feels like stepping back in time.

The Soda Factory - Located in Surry Hills and the perfect place to dance the night away with cocktails and a hundred of your new acquaintances

Shady Pines Saloon - this bar is definitely hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for as it is down an alley and the entry way looks like an aparment loading door. With that said, once you're inside it feels like your southern uncles living room with hanging taxidermy of kangaroo, buffalo, bear and more. Plus the whiskey is fabulous for drinking and the whiskey apple cider is made with apples fresh crushed on the spot.

Jack and Knife - also great for eating and drinking but a good beer list and good shareable bites.

Tio's Cerveceria - this should be self explanatory. An upscale tequila bar with plenty of fancy mixed cocktails. It was very pricey and only useful if you're getting one drink before moving on ($20 per drink).

The Wild Rover - bar dedicated to Ned Kelly (outlaw in Australia that was shot down after killing police officers and robbing banks to give money back to the people for a number of years.