My visit to Australia started with NYE and the River cruise around the harbor. I would highly recommend attending this event, it is a once in a lifetime sort of experience and you are able to watch the fireworks throughout the bay. The entire city participates and you will meet people from all around the world. Don't worry about which one to choose, just don't wait until the last minute like I did.
Night has fallen upon us, a beautiful view under the bridge of the gorgeous city skyline
That one photo you have to take since you're here and won't be back for at least a year lol. I was just so happy to have gotten on this cruise because I had literally arrived the day before. For those flying from the US just know that this trip is 15+ hours. I would suggest finding a flight that breaks up the trip, but that's just me. I get a bit restless on long flights and I need to stretch my legs. I am an aisle kind of passenger but I still try to get up and move around every 3 hours or so.
I stayed in the Haymarket area of Sydney due to its proximity to the central train station. I figured this would make my life easy since this station makes everything so accessible. With that being said, I definitely found it very easy to Navigate my entire trip from here. Between Google maps and asking the locals, I never has a problem finding anything. This neighborhood also has a plethora of restaurants and bars to choose from, so anything that you are looking for will definitely be here.
Scenes from a wave pool. This is definitely something I wish we had in the US. It makes swimming more accessible to everyone especially if the waves are rough. The beaches here are free and usually have concession stands nearby. Be sure to bring your own chair and towel because those services are not offered.
I had to take a picture of this because this is a cliff a bit North of Bondi Beach, you can see Waverly cemetery behind me. Kind of an interesting photo, judge me if you must.
There is always time to visit the "touristy" places like the Sydney Opera house and promenade but I would skip the tour and just go on your own. Stop at a coffee shop, take some pics, listen to some live music, and then go on about your day. For me personally any tour over 4-5 hours is just a waste of a day. You just need a quick glimpse of the city so that you can go back and explore more on your own.
Just a taste of some of the ethnic food that Sydney has to offer. I am vegan and had no problem finding suitable things to eat all over town. I really liked the Newtown neighborhood. It had a hipster "Willamsburg Brooklyn before the suits took over" kind of vibe. It seemed like a collection of artists and bohemian types, a must visit for sure.
No shortage of trips to the ice cream parlors, I definitely over indulged but everything was so good, and its hard to resist a late night nightcap.
Vegan burger and it was so tasty. Fast food is a "sometimes" treat for me. Vegan burgers are always my vice and high on my list! Not hard at all to find vegan food here, some places were even open fairly late for those late night cravings.
If you want to get dressed up and a little fancy, many of the Four and Five Star hotels in Sydney have high tea. This hotel even had a vegan option, I just had to call ahead to make the reservation.
If you have a weekend or at least 3 days, go to the Whitsunday Islands! I promise you it will be worth it. Whitehaven beach is there and it is often on the top 10 Beaches of the world list.
Views from heaven, Unfortunately you can't stay here because the area is a Preserved National Park and you even have to use eco-toilets. The only way to get here is on a few overpriced ferries but just do it for a day so you can take in a glimpse of heaven.
Gotta wear your wetsuit to protect yourself from Stingers
Selfie in the White Sands of Whitehaven Beach. Wear Sunscreen and stay in your sun tent, or you'll regret it!