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DALAI LAMA
"ONCE A YEAR,
GO SOMEPLACE YOU'VE
NEVER BEEN BEFORE."
AUSTRALIA
Sydney & Melbourne
1/5
13
days
01/25/20-02/06/20
Australia has been a bucket list location of mine for years! Receiving an invitation to a friends wedding served as the perfect excuse to finally make the journey down under. 2 weeks is certainly not enough time to explore this massive continent. Just means I'll have to come back!
2 weeks in Australia
Sydney
I spent 1 week exploring Sydney and all of its beauty before heading West to Melbourne. Sydney is a must visit on your trip to Australia! From beaches, coastal walks, bars, skyscrapers, to the opera house and skydiving, there are so many different things to do. After just 1 day in Sydney, I could already picture myself living there. The community is so active; you'll see people walking, running and biking everywhere. Every tall, dark and handsome man seems to be moving in slow motion as they carry their surf boards to catch the closet wave. Whether you want to lounge at Bondi Beach all day, walk around town, or spend the night bar hopping, Sydney definitely has something for you.
I traveled in a group and didn't get to do as much as I would have solo, but we had a blast! Over time I've learned that I don't necessarily like planning things out day by day because some days I feel more adventurous than others and have embraced the "go with the flow" mentality. Below I'll share all of the amazing things I did in Sydney and hopefully you can gain some ideas about what you want to do and how it can fit into your schedule.
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is stunning, iconic, beautiful, busy and should be a #1 stop on your Sydney itinerary. As soon as we hopped off the plane and checked into our Airbnb, we threw on our suits and rushed to the beach. Just a 15 minute walk from our place, Bondi Beach was easy to access and there was lots of cute shops, graffiti, and markets along the way. Bondi Beach was the perfect combination of relaxation and play. After you get tired and hungry from spending hours jumping in the massive waves or playing volleyball in the sand you can walk right across the street for an expensive cocktail and delicious fish and halloumi tacos to recharge your body before exploring the rest of the city.
Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
While you're at or near Bondi Beach, you can't miss the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. This 6km (3.5 miles) coastal walk extends along the oceans coast with stunning views along the way. The walk features exceptional beaches (Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Coogee), parks, cliffs, and rock pools along the way. There are many places to rest, grab a coffee or have a swim while possibly catching views of whales along this jagged coastline.
Circular Quay & Sydney Opera House
The Opera House was everything I ever imagined it would be and is a landmark that you should see during the day and night We first saw the Opera House at night and were searching for those instragrammable spots and all of a sudden fireworks started. It was the most amazing moment and my eyes actually started to fill up with tears of happiness. There are so many things to do in the Circular Quay (pronounced key) area.
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Ferry harbor cruise to see harbor bridge and opera house
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Royal Botanical Gardens
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The Rocks & Market
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St. Mary's Cathedral
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Hyde Park
Wollongong Skydiving
I can't think of a more perfect place to go skydiving for the first time, landing on a tiny strip of beach that hugs the Pacific Ocean. We used Viator to book our tandem skydiving tour with transportation to and from Sydney. It was an incredible and indescribable experience that blew my mind. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. If you're looking for a terrifying but adventurous day, I'd make time for the most beautiful skydiving experience ever.
Other Things to do in Sydney:
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Day trip to the Blue Mountains
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Whale Watching Cruise
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Chinatown & Night Market
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Kings Cross
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Horse Races at the Australian Turf Club
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Ferry to Manly
Melbourne
Melbourne (pronounced Mel-bin according to the Aussies) is a large city with close to 5 million people. This diverse city has everything you could ever want and desire. With alleyways full of colorful graffiti and coffee shops, food from all over the world, buildings with remarkable, modern architecture, and beautiful beaches close by, you can't top the feelings you get from this upbeat and hipster city. Melbourne felt a lot like Chicago, which made me feel like I was close to home. Here are the unbeatable things I did in Melbourne for 4 days.
Brighton Bathing Boxes
An Australian icon and a must-visit when you go to Melbourne is the Brighton Bathing Boxes. These brightly colored wooden huts line the coast of Brighton Beach, each painted with its own distinctive character and style.. This is a hot spot for tour companies, so try to either beat the tour buses early in the morning or wait until the afternoon to avoid crowds. I went around 1pm and it was perfect. Afterwards you can walk along the beach, find a quiet spot, and lay out in the sun for a while with breathtaking city views behind you.
Street Art & Graffiti Laneways
Melbourne street art is among the best in the world. A mix of world famous street artists and locals are constantly creating colorful and dynamic collections of vibrant laneways and alleys. I could spend hours meandering through these streets with a coffee in hand. Finding street art is as easy as turning your head at any street corner while you're shopping for tacky souvenirs. If you are looking for specific places to go, try going to AC/DC Lane, Flinders Court, Hoiser Lane, and Fitzroy Street.
Phillip Island Day Tour
The Phillip Island Day Tour was my favorite day in Melbourne. When you think of Australia you think of koalas, kangaroos and vast open fields with wallaby's hopping around in the wild. This tour makes all of your animal Aussie dreams come true, as you get to witness all of those things plus tiny penguins! There are so many tours to chose from, but we decided to go with a tour from Klook as I felt it gave you the most bang for your buck. The tour picks you up from a location downtown and your first stop is the Koala Wildlife Park where you can see many different animals in a sanctuary-like environment. You can take a stereotypical picture with a koala and feed tons of kangaroos. Along the way to Phillip Island, you'll stop at beaches and coastal cliffs and can see wallaby's in the fields while looking out the bus window. The final stop is Phillip Island! Once you get there you'll walk along a coastal boardwalk, searching for penguin burrows. After the sun sets, it's finally the moment you've been waiting for, fairy penguins! It's finally the moment you've been waiting for! After sunset, the fairy penguins return home from the ocean and meet their babies. Hundreds of tiny penguins waddle along a path with food for their little ones. Watching these penguins reunite after a long day at sea is incredibly adorable and something truly magical. You don't want to miss this!!
Other Things to do in Melbourne:
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Queen Victoria Market
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Holy Moley Mini Golf & Bowling
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Melbourne Zoo
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Royal Botanical Gardens
Places to Eat in Melbourne:
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Empress of China in Chinatown
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Black Pearl
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Naked For Satan
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Lazerpig Pizza
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Spleen Bar
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Georges Bar
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