Spectacular Sydney

Personally I’ve never really thought of Sydney too much as a ‘leisure holiday’ destination, I guess because I lived there in the late nineties for a few years, and still travel there on a regular basis for business. But I have lots of amazing friends living there and thought it was time to pay them a visit and re-do all of the sights – which we did a couple of months ago and wow, did we have a blast!?

First stop – The Bridge Climb, an amazing and awesome experience! Definitely not for the faint hearted or people who are afraid of heights, but a fantastic adventure for those who are game. The views are brilliant and whole experience is something that is quite unique.

The following day, we took the ferry from Circular Quay across the majestic Sydney Harbour over to Taronga Zoo. On arrival a cable car takes you up to the Zoo entrance, giving you the opportunity to savor the magnificent views of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the bays of the Eastern Suburbs. The Zoo itself is great; a menagerie of animals set in beautiful surroundings and has some of the best views in Sydney.

Another day we headed to Manly to take in the beautiful beach area and enjoyed an amazing lunch – Moo Gourmet Burgers was a fantastic two level café set along the beachfront and offers every type of burger you can think of. My chorizo burger was to die for! The variety was brilliant… perhaps the Duck and Bacon Burger, or the Double Decker Wagyu Beef might take your fancy?

Of course it wouldn’t be a trip to Sydney without a visit to the Opera Bar (alongside the Opera House), a stroll through The Rocks (fantastic Sunday markets!) or a wander around Darling Harbour. 

Other must do’s – Doyle’s at Watson’s Bay for superb fish and chips, a trip to Bondi Beach, and a walk through the Botanical Gardens. Take in a show or a concert – there is always a great choice to select from. The Art Gallery and Powerhouse Museum also offer great entertainment and usually have unique exhibitions to visit – we were fortunate to take in the Harry Potter Exhibition which was fantastic, and the Narnia Exhibition opens shortly!

We ate at the newly opened “Jamie’s Italian” one night, nestled in the heart of the city and a great experience, but it’s always hard to get past two of my favourite eating places – The Rangoon Racquet Club (a fantastic Indian restaurant which is British Colonial India themed, located in Crow’s Nest) and Crow Zone Café, which serves the best Eggs Benedict ever and is also located on the North Shore. Sydney’s restaurants are terrific and there are so many to choose from.

Well, I haven’t even scratched the surface of what Sydney has to offer, and it is also the gateway to the Blue Mountains, Bowral, the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast. A long weekend is definitely not long enough to do this world famous city justice but it’s a good start!