Island Travel Interviews- Australia, Take 1 (Sydney)

Which Island Will You Be Talking About and Why Did You Choose This Island? Australia. Which, according to the Internet, may or may not be an island, given it has “continent” status, but either way, it’s surrounded by water and we visited it in our Spring, their Fall, of 2017. My brother married a Brissy girl (aka an Australian from Brisbane) and they planned their wedding halfway around the world.  I had so many apprehensions about leaving my two little ones behind, but I’m so happy my brother and sister-in-law “forced” us to take that 16+ hour flight to the land down under.

We spent an action-packed 48 hours in Sydney.

How Many Days Would You Recommend Staying on This Island?

Favorite Thing About/Memory From Your Trip to This Island? Our whirlwind time in Sydney, seeing the Opera House, Bondi Beach, the Bondi Beach to Coogee walk, and Barefoot Lawn Bowling.

“Can’t Miss” Activity on the Island? What activities/opportunities does this island provide?

A Day in the City: Take a walking tour or bike tour of downtown Sydney. It’s a great way to see the city and quickly soak up the history and key landmarks. Seeing the famous Sydney Opera House in person is quite breathtaking. We didn’t have time for a tour inside, but we heard it was worth it.  A few family members also shelled out the cash and courage to climb to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, but we opted for a closer-to-the-ground ferry tour to take in downtown Sydney by sea.

Tip: If you are jetlagged and find yourself awake early, take a sunrise walk down to view the Opera House before the city wakes up.

A Day on the Coast:
In the morning, take an Uber to Bondi, grab an iced coffee, rent a beach chair, and schedule surf lessons at the famous Bondi Beach.

In the afternoon, take the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (it’s a pretty light hike, I did it in flip flops). You can rest at the small Coogee Beach or meander through the historic Waverly Cemetery.  It takes between 1-2 hours.

If you have even more time, make a reservation for lawn bowling in Clovelly (where the trail ends). It’s barefoot, similar to Bocce Ball, which was so much fun and made us feel very “authentic”.