Sydney, Australia

I was recently asked by a girl from work for some tips of things to do in Sydney as she is going out for 2 weeks.

As she is staying with friends, that helps hugely withe the issue of affordable accommodation in Sydney. Like all capital cities, it’s pricey! I hold my hands up at this point and say that opting for the cheapest place that I could find was probably the number one factor in why I don’t really have fond memories of my time in the city. For any backpackers out there…learn from my mistake and don’t base a decision on price. I stayed at the Globe Backpackers in Kings Cross and it was horrendous. I tried to move once I had seen the room (and more so the bathrooms) but unfortunately had paid in advance and simply couldn’t afford to pay again.  The bathroom situation was so disgusting that my boyfriend walked to the local Fitness First gym every morning (where he was in his membership notice period) just to shower!

As we hated our digs so much we got up each morning at the crack of dawn and took to the streets on Kings Cross. As anyone who has been to Sydney will know, this is about the time that all the local sex workers and drug dealers are finishing up! So we left Kings Cross as quick as we could and spent all day everyday out and about, we spent as little time at at the hostel as physically possible.

I am a huge fan of tours, particularly if you can get a local guide. Guidebooks are great but I think that if you have a while in a place the best way to start is with a tour. Whether that be walking, bus, tram, its just a way to get an introduction to a place and you can go back and explore on your own later.

In Sydney I found a free walking tour with a local guide who was great.  He was a student and totally sized up his audience quickly i.e. pointing out all the best cheap or free activities. It lasted a few hours and gave me a great starting point. I gave him a $20 tip at the end for a 5 hour walk which is  a great way of paying only what you think that it is worth. More info and meeting points in Sydney can be found here –  www.imfree.com.au/sydney

As with most of the major city that I have visited Sydney has a big tower with great views. I didn’t do the Skywalk, so I can’t tell you if it is worth the extortionate price ($50+), but I can tell you that for $10 you can go to the Summit bar at the top of Australia Square and enjoy a drink AND the views.  The revolving restaurant/bar is lovely (make sure you are dressed appropriately i.e. shirt and shoes) and if you can time it right you can watch the sunset over the bridge or the Opera House.

Most people’s first thought of Australia is beaches and Sydney has a few to choose from. I visited Bondi Beach, which I thought was pretty grim, but I guess it is one of those places that you have to tick off. I didn’t really see anything of great appeal here, but to be honest I’m not really a beach person. I also visited Manly beach which was far, far superior. It had a great vibe about it, loads of bars and restaurants near by and was just all round a nicer place to be than Bondi. If you only have time for one beach definitely choose Manly. To get there you can catch a ferry from the Harbour which gives you great views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and is worth it just for the boat trip.

The two most famous structures in Sydney are the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which obviously make them the most expensive things to visit. My sister had done The Bridge Climb a few years earlier and had loved it, but for me and my penny pinching ways I had to choose one thing and my priority was the Opera House. As a huge fan of the theatre and the arts I just love visiting different venues. It isn’t cheap to do a tour, but it was fantastic. A really fascinating insight in to the acoustics of the different auditoriums, the history of the building and I also had a celeb spot moment when my group bumped in to Michael Cera in the corridor! If the arts aren’t your passion, go up to see the Opera House anyway. You can get in to the box office without paying and take a look at the slightly head-messing wavy toilets! 

As a Brit in Australia it is impossible to avoid the comments and jokes of ‘Australians are all criminals’ so we decided to embrace this stereotype and visit the Hyde Park Barracks. This is a museum all about the convict transportation and history of convicts in Sydney. It is really interesting look back at who exactly were transported to Australia in the 18th Century and you can even check the database system to see if you have any relatives recorded!

There are loads of different tour companies who run trips from Sydney to the Blue Mountains but I did it on my own. It is really easy to catch a public train to Katoomba and go and explore on your own. All the vistas are pretty easy to walk to and don’t require a guide. It’s a great day away from the city and really beautiful.

As always my mind wanders to food and the best place that I ate in Sydney was Harrys Cafe on Wheels in Woolloomooloo. An old caravan converted in to a pie shop, it’s famous in Sydney and is frequented by celebrities (check out the photo gallery on the side of the van to see famous faces including Pamela Anderson!). The pie and mash is amazing, even the veggie option!