Traveling Tuesdays: Five Things to Do in Sydney, Australia

Five of my favorite things to do in Sydney Australia: 

Sydney Opera House at night

1. See the Sydney Opera House- 

This is the one place I knew I wanted to visit in Australia. Honestly, I didn't know much else about Sydney before we were there. The Opera House is even more impressive in person than in pictures. Built on a little peninsula surrounded by the Bay, it is Australia's crown jewel. It is hard to understand how big it is until you're standing in front of it. 

Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is not only the symbol of modern Australia but also its premier tourist destination, drawing visitors from all over Australia and the world. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and packs its schedule with several productions a year, making it one of the world's busiest performance arts spaces. 

Opera House up close

There are restaurants all around it and a beautiful park nearby, so you can make a day of exploring the area. We tried to have a quick bite to eat at the little bar/cafe under the Opera House but it was packed full an no tables were available, so plan ahead if you want to try it. 

One of the things I loved most about the Opera House was going inside and seeing the Sydney Orchestra perform one of Mozart's symphonies. Live music in general is a gift. I always marvel at how a full orchestra of all these different instruments and people melds into one spectacular unit. 

There are plenty of types of performances you can see. There are tickets to anything from Broadway shows, to important speakers, to orchestra performances. The Opera House also offers many different types of tours throughout the building. If we get back to Sydney I would love to try one of those.

2. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

This was so much fun, a little bit scary, but super safe. We purchased tickets for sunset which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences. They give you all the equipment, windproof suits, headsets, harnesses, and a quick safety training class. Everyone has to leave their phones in the lockers provided for
clothes and belongings. Dropping a phone or something else from the top of the bridge, not only would be terrible for you but could seriously injure anyone on the ground or water below. 

Sydney Bridge Climb guides recount the history of the bridge and other cool facts about Sydney and they take pictures for all the participants which are available for purchase later. Absolutely do this if you get a chance! Almost all the people that were in our group were from Australia, so it's for everyone, not just foreign tourists!

3. Go surfing!

URBNSURF Fun!

If you've followed me for very long, you know that I have an extreme phobia of being in the ocean- well any big water. I love looking at oceans, lakes, and rivers, I just don't like being in them or for that matter on tiny, tippy boats in them. So when
my husband told me he had signed us up for surfing lessons, my stomach dropped. "No you didn't," I said, hoping that he was only joking, even though I knew he wasn't. 

The last time we had a surfing lesson in Hawaii with our son, I was so scared, I always made sure to be closer to shore than them. Of course I didn't want sharks to eat them, but I couldn't help it, I had to have them in between me and the deeper water.😂(yes, I am embarrassed to admit this) This time, my husband had sympathy for me. Our surf lesson was in a giant wave pool at URBNSURF where they have a surfing school. Yay!! I wouldn't be eaten by sharks that day! 

We took an adult beginner level group class. For the first time, I really enjoyed surfing. I could focus on the technique of staying on the board instead of worrying about what was in the water. (Yes I know, thousands of people surf all the time all over the world and never see a shark-I just can't help it.)

This is definitely another activity I would do again! 

4. Take a ferry boat to the beach

Manly Beach

The ferry is such an easy way to get from place to place in Sydney and a great way to snap pics of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Until we were on the water, I hadn't realized how hilly Sydney and its surrounding areas were. Many of the little suburban towns are built on small hill sides overlooking the Bay. 

Our first ferry trip was to Manly Beach.  The town of Manly was a cute little town that kind of reminded me of the smaller California beach towns around San Diego. 

I've always loved beach walks ever since I was a kid. My grandparents would walk with my brothers and I up and down the beach in Naples, Florida, which seemed to go on forever.  

Manly Beach is not very big but its picturesque setting made a lovely place for families to come surf, play beach volleyball, or share a picnic together. There were two things I particularly noticed here that was different from most beaches I'd been to in the U.S. Almost no one had their phones out trying to snap the perfect photo of themselves "enjoying their best life" and almost everyone was involved in physical activity. Hardly anyone was just laying around on a blanket getting sun and drinking.

5. Visit the Taronga Zoo 

We loved riding the ferries around Sydney Harbour and one day we took the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. I couldn't wait to see the koala bears! They were just as adorable as I expected. Big cuddly lumps of fluff just hanging out in the trees. One had a baby on its back trying to grab some leaves but mostly enjoying

snuggling with mama. So cute! I thought seeing koala bears in person would help my husband be able to distinguish between koalas and pandas-he insists (mostly just to annoy me) that they are really the same creature. They both eat leaves and are cute and fluffy. He still thinks they're the same even after seeing them. :)

The zoo had all the major animals you would normally expect and some you wouldn't seen before, like Tasmanian Devils-which look like really fat raccoons with no stripes and platypus who were so elusive we didn't see those even though they were there. We spent a couple hours enjoying everything from the reptile house to the seals. Then it was time to go find some shade and a nice place to eat.  Sydney by the way has some great eats which I will post about another time!  

All in all Sydney was great! Can't wait to get back!

Have you been to Sydney? What are your favorite things. 

Hope your having a great week!

Love, 

Kathy💕💕