by Serafin Gozon
It has always been a childhood dream to fly to Australia. This dream has been planned early since my relatives—my aunt and cousins—visited our family in the Philippines. So when I saw a promo at one of the low-cost airlines, I booked a roundtrip ticket with no hesitations, without thinking if I would be granted a visa or not.
But everything fell into place and next thing I know, I was already in the Land Down Under. I spent three weeks in three capital cities of Australia’s three states: Sydney (New South Wales), Melbourne (Victoria) and Adelaide (South Australia).
Day 1
You can start your Sydney adventure in the city centre. If you are on a tight budget, there are free tours offered in the city, one at 10:30am and another at 2:30pm. The tour starts at the anchor beside the Town Hall. Knowledgeable local guides (in bright green T-shirt) will tell give you insider stories, providing you a deeper and a way cooler perspective of Australia’s most populous city.
FREE TOUR
Join this free tour and be introduced to remarkable landmarks around the Sydney City Centre.
1. Sydney Opera House, one of Australia’s most distinguished landmarks
2. The Rocks, site of first European settlement.
3. Sydney Tower Eye provides a 360 degree view of the city being the tallest structure in Sydney.
4. Harbour Bridge
5. Sydney Town Hall
6. St. Andrews Cathedral, the continent’s oldest cathedral.
All of these you can do in 2.5 to 3 hours. It ends in Circular Quay, Sydney’s main ferry terminal, which is a great opportunity for you to hop on a public ferry to Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
It will take you 30 minutes via ferry to arrive in Manly Beach, one of the most famous beaches in Northern Sydney. Riding a ferry will also provide a breath-taking vista of Sydney Opera House.
On the side, if you’re lucky, you can even meet a local who’s said to be friends with the Sydney Opera House Architect Jørn Utzon.
Arriving at Manly, you can indulge yourself in eating fish and chips by the beach with amazing view of the horizon as you feel the gentle touch of the cool breeze on your face.
Beware of feeding the seagulls though; they would like a bite of your food, too!
You can take side trips to beaches near Manly including the Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Newport Beach and Shelly Beach.
Palm Beach
Shelly Beach
At the end of the day, you can go to Chinatown for an authentic, sumptuous Chinese dinner. Yum!
If you are not fan of Chinese cuisine, you can try Sydney’s many world-famous restaurants. With its internationally diverse culture, for sure you can just see one as you walk around exploring the city.
Day 2
Plan a sunrise viewing at Bondi Beach at the Eastern Sydney beaches the following day. It’s a 20-minute drive or 40-minute commute from the city.
Bondi, one of the most visited sites in Australia, offers two different faces, a soulful laid-back vibe and an athletic culture. With it being a surfing beach, cleans waves continuously come raging. They give surfers opportunities to cowabungaaaa!
Mornings in Bondi can be extraordinary especially when whales decide to show off during whale season.
Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall also gives interesting sights to this ephemeral part of the beach.
Australia takes pride in its gorgeous beaches so continue exploring the Eastern Beaches: Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra.
Tamarama Beach
Bronte Beach
Coogee Beach
Maroubra Beach
Continue your eastern beach trip by driving or commuting to Dover Heights to look at Sydney’s incredible cityscape.
End your day tour at Watson Bay where you can then go to Camp Cove. It is the Sydney’s South Head. The red and white Hornby Lighthouse stands on it serving guide for ships entering Sydney Harbour.
Hornby Lighthouse, third oldest lighthouse in New South Wales
Head back to Bondi. And grab dinner at Macelleria. Munch on lamb chops, tender steaks and salad.
Spend the rest of your nightlife like a local at Bar 34, a place to chill as you grab that bottle of beer and listen to great live music.
Bar 34
I must agree to Monocle Quality of Life Survey 2015 when it listed Sydney as one of the most liveable cities in the world—with its efficient transportation system, stunning harbours and beaches, a large array of options for a healthy lifestyle and as I perceive it, an economically stable city.
There was never a dull moment in this place. No wonder I easily fell in love with Sydney.
GOOD TO KNOW:
You can fly to Sydney via Philippine Airlines for only PhP 16,000+ (one way). Airbnb rooms also go as low as PhP 600+ per night.
