Island Travel Interveiws- Australia, Take 1 (Sydney)

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Island… Country… Continent… Australia is all of it! Curious about Australia for some time and a tad bit jealous of my friends who get to visit, I’ve decided to stretch the Island Interview series to include this lovely place down under in order to learn more and hear about their beautiful adventures. First up this week is Kathy with Sydney.

First up this week is Kathy with Sydney.

What is Your Name and Blog?

Kathy – kathysisson.com

Which Island Will You Be Talking About and Why Did You Chose 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?

Many more than we did. Some of the travelers we were with did a week in New Zealand, a week in Sydney/Melbourne, and a few days at the Whitsundays/Great Barrier reef. You could easily spend 2-3 weeks or more exploring.

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”.

If you have an extra day:

Go Shopping:

On our way to Bondi Beach, we drove through the Paddington neighborhood and the shops looked so tempting. My new sister-in-law also attests to the cute shops in this part of Sydney.

Take the Ferry:
To Watson’s Bay, and eat fish & chips at the famous Doyle’s on the Wharf or the Beach Club at the Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel. The Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel was where my brother’s wedding took place and it. was. amazing. If I ever own a beach house, I’m decorating it like this hotel.

Or over to Manly Beach for more beachy activity. We didn’t make it to Manly, but my family said it was smaller than Bondi with great shopping that included a charming street market.

Best Restaurant/Place to Eat?
For breakfast, stop into one of the many local eateries with outdoor seating to have a traditional Australian breakfast – a little Avocado on toast and sip a Sydney cappuccino. The Australian coffee was amazing (and also the reason Starbucks opened 84 stores, and then shuttered 60 of them – “Australia’s cafe culture is just too damn good.” (source)

For dinner, try Mr. Wong. The Asian influence is strong in Sydney and Mr. Wong is one of the more famous eateries.

Don’t forget to try Vegemite, because, well, you know why (he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich).

What Surprised You About this Island?

The people. Oh my goodness- everyone was wonderful, helpful, and welcoming. Also, that we did not see a kangaroo or a koala bear but could have if we made it to the zoo.

Traveler Tip: “How are you going?” is the Australian “How are you doing?” and you can’t hold koala bears in New South Wales.

Any Travel Advice for those considering this island as a destination (e.g., where to stay, ease of getting there, how best to get around, language, money)?

The flight isn’t as bad as you think

Uber is easy

Everyone speaks English

We stayed at the Intercontinental, it was a fabulous location by the botanical gardens and a short way to Circular Quay and the Opera House. Concierge level was an extra $50 a night and so worth it – free drinks, apps, and an AMAZING view of Sydney.

If my readers want to hear more about your island, do you have a link to your full article?

More tips on prepping for the flight and traveling without the kids on KathySisson.com

Many thanks to Kathy! The scenery, the hotels, and the coffee look dreamy. 

Not headed to Australia this year? Pick up a book by Sydney-based author, Liane Moriarty (or 10). This one is my favorite. (Love learning about places through fiction books? Then you’ll won’t want to miss this list.)

Or, you could recreate the scene from Watson Bay on your own patio by adding one or two of these striped umbrellas and this outdoor dining set. Not going surfing anytime soon? Try adding a board shelf like this to your kids’ or guest room.

And don’t forget to save this pin for now or later…