Sydney

LHR>PEK> SYD

(28 hours, with 8 hours in Beijing) 

This year I finally visited Australia - For years I have toyed with the idea of living there for a year or so, despite having never been and it did not disappoint. A friend and I visited New South Wales in January, spending the majority of our time in Sydney.

For our first weekend we hired a car and drove around three hours out of Sydney to Jervis Bay, staying in an airbnb by Hyams Beach. Hyams Beach is up there with one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited! We had one local store/cafe near by in the village, which served the most delicious food and was constantly busy and the house was perfect for the eight of us staying.

Ours days were spent at the beach or having BBQs at the house - Perfect. On the way back to Sydney we stopped at a National Park for a hike.

Back in Sydney we made the most of having Bondi Beach just twenty minutes from where we were staying in Surrey Hills. We spent days at the beach, exploring the city and ticking off the must see spots such as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Trio was great for food, down by Bondi Beach - The Iced Coffee was a dream. Although I wouldn't recommend eating all the food possible before embarking on the Bondi to Coogee walk like we did. The shopping in Sydney was also amazing, but we had to limit how much we could buy as we had our luggage allowance to consider.

A highlight for me was visiting Manly and discovering Shelley Beach. We wouldn't have found this if our friends didn't live there, as you leave the ferry, walk straight and you'll see a beach directly in front of you. Then you take a right, follow a small costal path round to Shelley Beach. You'll also find the Boat House, serves amazing food!

We did venture to the Blue Mountains, which took around 2.5 hours on the train. Sadly, it was a wasted journey. We were up in the clouds which meant there was nothing to see - But I guess it's just another reason to go back.

I'm definitely not done with Sydney and can't wait to return. Along with exploring more of Australia - Let me know if there are any place to add to my list.

Thanks for reading,

AST