A Week in Sydney | Australia
Growing up, there were various iconic monuments around the world that I always saw photos of. Places like the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China. Places that have been so surreal to get to see in person as an adult! And of course, the Sydney Opera House was another of them. So it’s little wonder that Sydney is one of Australia’s most popular cities for tourists and was a key stop on my trip! After flying across from Melbourne, I spent a week working in Sydney, and then going out sightseeing in the evenings. I also had a full day here at the weekend, before journeying north up the East Coast.
Sydney Walking Tour
Continuing the trend I started in Adelaide, I spent my first afternoon doing a self-guided walking tour around the city centre. I actually did spot a walking tour with a guide at one point this week, umbrella and all, but I don’t think the tour timings suited my working hours. The app I was using allowed me to get my bearings at least, and tick off a few of the more significant and historic sights. I was staying near Central Station, so started off by wandering up George Street. I passed the Town Hall, a pretty older building with a central clock tower. Nearby, I ventured inside the Queen Victoria Building, which is a stunning shopping centre. The architecture inside is just beautiful, and there are two massive, intricate clocks suspended from the ceiling. I’m not a big shopped but I’m glad I came inside just for a look around!
Hyde Park
I then cut across town, passing the Sydney Tower. It has an observation deck at the top but I skipped going up it. My next destination was Hyde Park – not to be confused with the one in London, of course! It’s a lovely big park and significant as Australia’s oldest park. I strolled beneath the huge leafy trees and stopped to see the ANZAC Memorial and the Archibald Memorial Fountain, its spray dancing in the late afternoon sunlight.
Across the road is St Mary’s Cathedral, a vast Gothic-style church (though built in the 19th century, like most European-style buildings in Australia). I believe it’s a pretty popular choice of wedding venue! I popped my head in for a look around, enjoying the quiet and calm compared to the city beyond. Of course, I’ve seen many similar cathedrals back in Europe, but that doesn’t make this one any less impressive, especially in its vast size!
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
My route guided me north, past the Hyde Park Barracks, which now houses a prison museum, and The Mint, Sydney’s oldest remaining public building. Following Macquarie Street, I wound up at the Royal Botanic Gardens (yes, another, I’ve been to every Australian state’s so far!). Although it was a bit overcast, this was still a nice area for a ramble through, not really following a particular route. The gardens back on to the waterfront, so I got my first glimpses of the water of Sydney Harbour from here. Government House also sits within the gardens, though you need to join a tour to get up close or inside. It’s a beautiful 19th century mansion even from afar though!
Sydney Harbour & Circular Quay
Descending the hillside at the northern end of the gardens, it suddenly emerged from between the trees. The iconic white sails, recognisable around the world, of the famous Sydney Opera House. Seeing it in person was definitely a surreal “pinch-me” travel moment! I joked that this was the moment I actually felt like I was in Australia. Naturally, tourists surround the building, posing and snapping photos, but there’s plenty of space that it didn’t feel overwhelmingly crowded. I slowly walked past the end of the building, admiring its angles and curves, heading towards the harbour front alongside it.
The length of Circular Quay leading back towards the city is lined with dining venues. I skipped them all, being on a budget as I am. But between them and the Opera House, there’s a definite buzz in the area from all the people around. Circular Quay is also a transit hub where ferries come into the city centre from Sydney’s suburbs. They bustle up and down the harbour continuously, adding to the feeling that you’re in the heart of everything.
And across the water, silhouetted against the beginnings of the sunset, Sydney’s other well-known sight came into view – the Harbour Bridge. Being afraid of heights, I had no interest in doing the Bridge Walk across its pinnacle! I was quite content admiring it from below. The whole scene of the bridge and opera house across the harbour from each other, as the sky slowly melted (between the clouds) through shades of orange and pink was just breathtaking!
Sydney Opera House Tour
The next day, I returned to the Opera House once more. This time though, I was going to see what it looks like inside those famous sails! I’d signed up for a guided tour, which takes a little over an hour. Of course, you can also see it inside if you buy tickets for a performance. I’m glad I did the tour though, as I learned so much about the construction and architecture of the building. I don’t know much about these topics, but she was able to give us fairly simplified explanations of how it’s all held together. Considering that the project took place in the 1960s, the techniques used were incredibly advanced for the time!
There was also controversy, with the head architect being more or less ousted from the project, and never lived to see his masterpiece completed. Though fortunately, his family are now involved in the building’s continued development and conservation. I liked that it was a tactile tour as well, and we got to touch both the inner walls – massive slabs of concrete – and the outside of the sails – coated in thousands of tiny tiles. My favourite fact? The colours of the tiles are “ice” and “cream”! We were also able to see inside both of the performance spaces, though weren’t allowed to take photos of the copyrighted sets on one of them. They’re gorgeous spaces though, proving that the Opera House is no less spectacular inside than out!
Australian Museum
For a slower-paced, indoor activity, Sydney is also home to the Australian Museum, the oldest museum in Australia. Have you spotted the theme yet? Sydney definitely has all the oldest stuff! I had about an hour and a half before closing and made it around a lot of the museum in that time. I started with the 200 Treasures, a collection of 100 artefacts and stories of 100 influential Australians down a long gallery. This was a pretty cool exhibit as the treasures ranged from natural to cultural and all sorts in between. There was a really diverse spread, rather than a singular focus. Next up I took a wander through the temporary National Geographic photograhy exhibit. It featured the winners and runners-up of the various categories and there were some stunning photos!
I headed through the Aboriginal exhibit next, which focused on the Eora people of the Sydney basin, particularly their connection to the sea. There are then several galleries devoted to wildlife, from species alive today to the dinosaurs of millennia ago. The most interesting part for me was learning about how Australia’s unique wildlife has evolved, especially the now-extinct “mega-fauna” – think giant versions of wombats, tigers, kangaroos and more! If you think current Australian wildlife is a touch scary, the size of their ancestors is another level.
Oxford Street
On another afternoon, I got out of the city centre and went to check out some of Sydney’s other neighourhoods. I wandered down Oxford Street, which leads from Darlinghurst through to Paddington. The former is a small but dense area full of multicultural restaurants, bars, and Sydney’s LGBTQ scene. As I continued through to Paddington, the dining options gave way to a variety of shops, everything from clothes to furniture to bookshops. I explored a few of the bookshops in particular – while I can’t carry lots of books in my luggage, I can take note of titles to read at a later date! Many of the shops are in Victorian-era terraced houses, making a change from the city centre skyscrapers. There’s a Saturday craft market in Paddington as well, but I was here on the wrong day to see that for myself.
Darling Harbour
I couldn’t visit Sydney without taking a harbour cruise, and to board it, I headed to Darling Harbour. This is a second inlet of the larger Sydney basin, separated from the Circular Quay area by a peninsula of land. King Street Wharf stretches down the length of the harbour, lined with restaurants and various attractions. The aquarium and Maritime Museum can both be found here, along with numerous boat cruise options. I had some time to spare before boarding mine, so I wandered up almost as far as Barangaroo Reserve, watching other boats sailing in and out, then doubling back again. I also got to see the area again after my cruise, the lights twinkling on after dark and the bars and restaurants buzzing with people.
Sydney Harbour Sunset Cruise
There are a lot of cruises to choose from but I was actually using a GoCity pass while in Sydney – I’ve used it once before in New York too. I wanted an evening cruise for after work and to see the city starting to light up at night, so this is what they offered. The vessel was actually a showboat (similar to what I went on in Savannah, Georgia) which was just by chance, as it wasn’t the boat advertised! It included dinner and I was seated at a solo table on the upper balcony. I was definitley people-watching everyone else below me! The food came out quickly, so you could head to the outer decks for the views after. I had the vegetarian menu which was fine but nothing special honestly.
Anyway, I ducked onto the outer deck as we rounded Barangaroo Reserve and approached the Harbour Bridge. Of course, I’d seen it already, but sailing underneath it felt like a pretty cool moment! We approached the Opera House, so I got even more views and angles of the iconic landmark. But I also liked getting to see Circular Quay from this angle, with the Sydney CBD skyline along the backdrop. Being out in the harbour meant closer views of the other side of the harbour too, including cute houses along the waterfront and Luna Park, a fairground amusement park. The cruise went just past the Opera House before doubling back to Darling Harbour. It was too cloudy for a proper sunset or colourful skies, but I got some pretty fantastic views anyway.
Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus
I had allowed myself a full day of sightseeing to finish up my week in Sydney with whatever I hadn’t gotten to yet. Using another slot on my GoCity pass, I got a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off Big Bus. I don’t tend to do these super often, but the two routes covered a few of the other stops I wanted to make today and allowed me to see some other neighbourhoods from the top deck in the sun along the way. I joined at Central Station and rode round by Darling Harbour once again, to head up to the Rocks as my first stop.
Then later, I rejoined to journey through the city centre, past Circular Quay again and disembarking near Hyde Park. Although I was retracing locations I’d seen already this week, it was relaxing being on the bus instead of walking so much. The commentary gave me some new facts too! Outside the Australian Museum, I switched onto the other route to get out to Bondi Beach – more on that below. Unfortunately, the last departure coming back from Bondi was at like 3.30pm, which was too early for me. So, I ended up taking a regular public bus and metro back later on.
The Rocks Tour
Circling back to my first stop, the Rocks. This is the oldest part of Sydney, built on the land that now sits under the Harbour Bridge. I’d used another slot on the GoCity pass to join the official walking tour through the neighbourhood. It’s quite small but a very historic area, with lots of well-preserved buildings squeezed into its narrow, cobbled streets. The tour was definitely a great way to understand how European settlers arrived and began to build Sydney. The guide pointed out lots of features that I’d certainly have missed on my own! It’s also a really pretty area with all the older buildings too, a stark contrast to the modern skyscrapers just around the harbour.
Of course, being on the far side of Circular Quay, you get some great Opera House views from here. The sun was shining bright and in the right direction (no annoying backlighting!) so I took advantage and got even more shots. Honestly, I must have so many photos of that building now! Since it was Saturday, the Rocks market was also happening. I had some time to browse after the tour ended, stalls selling crafts along one street and food along another. I grabbed some lunch here and sat in the park directly under the Harbour Bridge to eat it. Another slightly surreal but very cool location to experience!
Bondi Beach
After the bus journey mentioned already, I arrived at Bondi Beach for the afternoon. Another very famous Australian location, particularly known for its surfing scene. I’d finally spotted surfers the weekend before on the Great Ocean Road, but there were way, way more here. Many, I assume, were tourists learning how! Of course, watched closely by the lifeguards in their iconic yellow and red uniforms. The swell was too big for swimming for the most part, even between the lifeguards’ flags. You could splash around in the waves but would struggle to get a proper swim in! The beach was very busy, with people covering every square metre of sand. I wandered up and down for a bit then picked a spot to settle down on for a while. It was a bit overcast, so not exactly sunbathing weather but I had a relaxing hour or so just lounging.
Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk
From Bondi, there’s a well-known coastal walk that will take you all the way to Coogee Beach. I didn’t go as far as that, instead stopping a Bronte Beach to catch a bus. Since it was late in the day, much of the coast was cast in shadows already. But I could still enjoy the rugged cliffs lining the coast, making you feel much further away from the bustle of the city than you are. The waves were as wild in the various coves here as they were at Bondi, just crashing inside narrower inlets. And the colours of the ocean were still visible in the dying light, swirling turquoises and blues amongst the white of the surf.
The route led me over the headland and down to Tamarama Beach, then a second headland which separates that from Bronte. Once I made it down to the beachfront, I ducked into a takeaway shop nearby to grab some dinner. Then sat in the grassy park just behind the beach, defending my chips from lingering seagulls, before finally making my return into the city.
A Week in Sydney
I departed Sydney the next morning, picking up a rental car to journey north. This certainly felt like one of the busiest weeks since I arrived in Australia! At least in terms of sightseeing and tourist spots, of which I think Sydney has more of than Adelaide or Melbourne did. Obviously I knew about the top attractions, like the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach. But I was also pleasantly surprised by places like the Rocks, Hyde Park and Darling Harbour, which I didn’t know of before but enjoyed wandering through! Not every tourist destination lives up to the hype, but I think Sydney lived up to my expectations and is a worthy addition to any Australian holiday!
