When I was younger and used to think about Australia, Sydney would always come to mind. The reason why was partially because of the movie “Finding Nemo,” but also because Sydney is home to the famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge. It’s also well known for Coogee, Manly Beach and the Bondi Icebergs.
I found it interesting that there is a salt water pool that’s right next to the ocean on Bondi Beach. I am so glad that I had
The incredible Bondi Icebergs along the ocean at Bondi Beach.
the opportunity to travel to New South Wales, Sydney. There were so many iconic things to see and do there. I traveled there when it was winter in Australia and, coming from the north, it was much colder here in the Midwest than in the Sunshine Coast. To show the difference, I would compare their winter to the temperature of a fall day here.
To start the trip off, we got there pretty early and began exploring the downtown area. There were so many cute shops and delicious cafés along the streets. My favorite thing to eat there was acai bowls filled with fruit and granola.
Our hostel was pretty close to the Opera House, so we decided to go there for dinner. There were two restaurants outside of the Opera House that looked out at the harbor and bridge. This was my favorite night because it was so much fun having dinner in such a luxurious place with some great friends.
A huge reason why we decided to go to Sydney when we did was because of an annual festival called Vivid Sydney. This is a festival of
Opera House lit up in patterns and colors during Vivid Sydney.
lights, and it only happens for about two weeks a year. The whole opera house and bridge were lit up with changing patterns and colors. Almost the whole downtown area was lit up in lights, along with a light garden. It was amazing to see the Opera House during the day, but it was even better being able to see it lit up for Vivid Sydney.
A great day trip is taking the ferry to Manly Beach. This is a popular attraction because it is on an island and you can only get there by the ferry. There are a ton of shops and places to eat here, which is another reason people like to visit. As you take the ferry through the harbor, you get a great view at the Opera House.
Another well-known beach is Coogee Beach, which has a scenic trail along the ocean to Bondi Beach. This path took us about two and a half hours to walk, but it was so worth it. Along the way, there were so many beautiful houses on the side of mountains with a great view of the ocean. Adding onto this, there was even a huge cemetery along the path. On our way to Bondi Beach we saw a few smaller
Colorful houses along the walk from Coogee to Bondi Beach.
pools on the water, but none of them compared to the Bondi Icebergs. I had seen this pool in so many pictures before, but never imagined I would see it in person.
Sydney was such a fun city to explore and live out a childhood dream in the process. I hope to make it back here sometime again in my life.