I flew into Sydney from the states back in March 2003,
but hopped right on another plane to Melbourne, where I visited friends for three weeks. When it was time for me to
leave Australia, four of us headed back up to Sydney for one long weekend of fun before my return to the US. Here’s a
short overview of what I did during my one weekend around town — maybe it will give you some ideas of things to do on
your own trip. It was a quick visit, so there was not a lot of time for touring museums or attractions. And the weather was magical, so we
really tried to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. Even so, I did still get to see and do much more than I
expected. Here’s the scoop on my stay in Sydney:
We stayed at the
Grand Medina Hotel, situated in Sydney’s CBD, only minutes from Darling Harbour & Cockle Bay. It was a nice hotel, with a pool and sauna, and perfectly
located just a short walk from the restaurants and shops along the water. I was traveling with three native Aussies who
knew their way around town, so I never looked at a map. Taking the Captain Cook Cruise of Sydney Harbour was a good way for me to get my
bearings. Afterwards, we walked around the Harbour area near the Opera House and took in all the sights and sounds. We
had some terrific meals, including Italian at The
Rocks and delicious fresh fish at the Golden Century Seafood
Restaurant. My friends had rented a car for the weekend so we were able to get out and explore a bit. One afternoon
we drove up to The Gap to witness the breathtaking
views of where the ocean meets the harbour. Later that night we headed into the surrounding neighborhood to hear
rockers Dave Tice and Mark Evans perform at The Bridge Hotel in Rozelle. Mark is the former ACDC bass
player and knows one of my Aussie mates very well, so we got to hang with him afterwards, which was very cool indeed.
(The duo plays all over Sydney and still does a weekly show at
The Bridge. They’ll perform there next on February 2, 2006.) The fun continued late into the night and we headed to the
Balmain Tigers Rugby Club after the gig. I remember sitting at a pokie machine
at the club thinking to myself that I would have never wound up in this part of town listening to great music, drinking
grog and eating spicy kebabs at some ungodly hour if it had not been for my free-spirited Aussie pals. It was an
absolute blast.
On my last day in Sydney we headed to Bondi
Beach for breakfast. We spotted a few of the Sydney Swans players while we
ate, and I regreted not making time to see some live footie action while I was in town (It’s on my list for next time!)
Before leaving Bondi, I was able to lie in the warm sun for an hour or so before heading to the airport to catch my
flight back to the states. The sky was an amazing shade of clear blue that day, as you can see in the above photo that
I shot by the Harbour Bridge before leaving. I couldn’t get over how
blue everything was on that last day in Sydney. And now, after recalling all that I was able to do in one long weekend,
I can’t wait to go back again. You can bet I’ll be tacking on a few extra days next time around. Hopefully I’ve shared
some experiences that you might want to try on your visit to Sydney. Whether it is a short trip or an extended stay,
the city will not disappoint.