Sydney, New South Wales

Sydney, around the world it’s the first thing that comes to mind after Kangaroo when you ask anyone about Australia. Indigenous Australians inhabited this part of the land for over 30 thousand years. It’s the country’s largest capital city with its most recently recorded population coming in at approximately 5 million people. It’s also Australia’s oldest city, ever since the first fleet landing in 1788, it has evolved from a colonial outpost to becoming a city in 1842. Events like the gold rush and world war two brought many migrants in, to seek opportunities they couldn’t find in their home countries, creating a lot of growth in Sydney. Although one of the most expensive cities in the world, it is the 10th most liveable city in the world, making it still statistically appealing for migration. Most notable landmarks are the architectural wonders of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Well-maintained historical buildings from the colonial era still keep themselves present after surviving horrid high-rise development proposals on the rocks, courtesy of activist Jack Mundey. With mild subtropical weather it makes it an inviting all year round destination for local and international tourists.

Lane Cove National Park

We arrived into Lane Cove Caravan Park at North Ryde, Florence was unhitched and set up in a National Park and we were only 10 kilometres from the city of Sydney. Surrounded by a variety of large local gum trees and the lights of the city in the background, the location was beyond believable. 

Thursday, we went into Mosman to do a Pilates session, public transport was a long trip over so we opted to take the car. We navigated our way through 15 kilometres of highways, tunnels and some off-peak (thankfully) traffic. The drive wasn’t too bad and we got there with some time on our hands, so we went for a walk to get a feel of the place. Mosman is rather posh, old buildings are filled with boutique shops, fancy cafes and chemists that didn’t have vitamin c’s. Streets were filled with cars like M series BMW’s, Porsches, Maserati’s and all the other fancy stuff from Europe. Locals are hard at work here, with image and an occupation to fund it. After pilates we took the train into the Quay and went for a look at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art. Only level 2 was opened that day but was filled with some inspiring modern art from across the country and around the world. Its art deco styled building used to facilitate the maritime services board but had been an art gallery since 1991. After getting in a dose of art we went for a walk around the Sydney Opera House, one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings. Taking in the exterior of the opera house makes you appreciate Jørn Utzon’s unique form of Architecture; the building to this day still feels well ahead of its time. We were craving a burger, so we went on a Google adventure for food and it led us to a place called Bar Luca in the city. The place was packed so we thought we couldn’t go wrong eating here. We ordered burgers that go by the name of ‘Blame Canada’ it was loaded with poutine, maple bacon, lots of liquid cheese and a beef paddy, maybe vegetables. After making our way through the burger marathon, we ventured our way back home.

(Semi) Circular Quay & CBD

On Friday, we kicked the day off exploring some of the track along the river that goes through Lane Cove. The views were endless with stunning waters, wildlife and trees.  It was a great feeling to be living next door to all of this iconic nature for a few days. We took the train into the city and then boated our way along the Harbour arriving at Cockatoo Island. Arriving into the island you see an amazingly diverse range of buildings, industrial and residential. We went for a look around for half the day and got enriched with its history. We jumped back on the boat and it made its way back through the busy Harbour to Circular Quay. Dinner-time had come upon us so we boarded the train to a place called Newtown. This colourful inner city suburb welcomed us with a young open-minded vibe. Cool bars, cafes and restaurants nestled themselves in revived old buildings. Blank walls were filled with street art and alternative styles of fashion were worn casually in the Newtown neighbourhood. We come across an Indonesian Café called Solo, it looked inviting so we gave it a go. We sat on the top verandah looking over the street through the 19th century arched window. We went with a dish called the Lamb Gulal, it had things like okra and roti along side good old potatoes, it was definitely one of the best feeds we’ve had on the trip down south. After some brilliant food we explored more further back up street and come across a book store open late at night called ‘Better read than dead’. The entrance looked average and humble until it opens up to a massive 3 level catalogue of books, it kept us busy for a while.  Alternative Newtown is a fun place to hang out, whether to just walk around, eat food or just take in the atmosphere it’s certainly worth a visit.

Newtown

On Saturday, we got onto a walking tour around Sydney. The tour was called ‘The Rocks Journey Walk’. It was an informative 3-hour walking history lesson, which took us around some of the first buildings and landmarks in the country. We learnt a lot about Sydney and Australia in that time and have it in more detail in the rocks journey walk blog. We walked around the rocks area to find some lunch; passing through a few narrow laneways of sandstone we dropped into the Glenmore hotel. The Glenmore is a gorgeous pub, and is one of the few buildings standing after the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This Aussie icon was built in 1921, and on the inside it takes you back to that era with art deco styled rooms with original furniture. The lunch hit the spot and so did the views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We caught the train home and rested for a while, to preserve some energy for the big night out at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. We ventured our way into Wyndham station to walk over to Oxford Street, where the fun and games kicked off. On our way we had a quick look through the Queen Victoria building, built in the 1890’s its Romanesque style architecture is rich with stained glass, mosaic floors and windy staircases. It also features a statue of the ever so happy Queen Victoria out the front. We made our way towards Oxford Street, along side 300 thousand other people to witness the 40th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. We were blown away with lights, glitter and loud music. After having a blast dancing the night away, we zig zagged through the streets of the city to make our way home.

C'Mon 'N Ride The Train

Sunday was a day of relaxation, we were pretty much dead to the world after days filled with walking, walking, dancing and walking. We put our feet up and enjoyed the sounds of nature in the Lane Cove National Park. We finished off the day with a drive into a trendy suburb called Glebe; the route took us over the Harbour Bridge and through the city, leading us out behind Wentworth Park. It’s an old but well looked after area, the houses were restored beautifully and the park nearby was well manicured. We went into this place called Soul Burger, a café where they make burgers taste like beef, chicken and pork….but they don’t have any of that in them. The food was nicely done and surprisingly cheap for vegan, certainly a hit with the university students. To finish off the day, we sat down at the well-manicured park and ate our cow, chicken, fish and swine friendly burgers.

Our time in Sydney was certainly a good one; it’s easy to dismiss the city as overrated and hectic to get around. Our time here proved to us that it is anything but that, we drove in and out of Sydney pretty easily with a caravan, the traffic is horrid on peak times but easy enough to avoid. We loved the drive around the city on the Sunday, its surreal driving over the Harbour Bridge and going past all the famous icons of the city. If you don’t fancy driving, the trains will happily take you over the Harbour Bridge, a connecting ferry at Circular Quay boats you through the Harbour itself. The Mardi Gras is truly the most fun anyone can have, the streets filled with colour and dancing will bring a smile to anyone’s face. The city is rich with fascinating history; every street and building has a story to it. Sydney was certainly a highlight for us, if you give it the chance it will show you a great time.