Sydney, Australia
This trip frankly changed my life. I was going through a lot at the time and needed an escape. So what did I do? Chose to go as far away as possible. Ironically, I felt at home, even though I was over 10,000 miles away from anyone I knew or even from what I knew. The reason why this trip was so life changing is simply because I learned that it doesn’t matter how far you physically go, you can’t run away from your mind. I was a runner. Running from discomfort, conflict, trauma — on this trip I was able to really face my own self and think about what I truly wanted without the input of friends and my peers. I came back to FL (at the time my home) and started getting into yoga and other spiritual practices where I further learned to go inward and find peace. For this reason Australia will always hold a special place in my heart and fond memories.
I should also mention that I went solo! So if you’re looking for places to go by yourself and/or that are safe for women traveler’s, I believe Sydney would be a good option. Of course no matter where you travel you have to use common sense and be extra vigilant to protect yourself.
For this trip I had a flexible itinerary so I decided on most of my adventures while I was there.
Transportation
The subway and bus system was very clean and easy to navigate. The train is connected to the Sydney airport so you can pretty much go anywhere you need to go right from the airport.
I got around Sydney strictly by either bus or train and I never got lost! That’s saying a lot for someone who frequently gets lost around my own neighborhood in NYC.
Point of it all, transportation is covered if you are traveling within Sydney or about an hour out. If you plan on traveling across the country, then you may want to consider renting a car.
Food
I just so happened to rent my Airbnb in Chinatown so there were a lot of Chinese grocery stores and restaurants near me. However, a few blocks down there was more variety similar to what you would experience in most cities. I don’t recall having a hard time finding good eateries but this trip was not meant to be relaxing or indulging in any way; therefore food was not really my focus. Sorry fellow foodies, not much to say here.
The People
In my experience Aussie people are SO nice! I obviously stood out physically as a foreigner, and if that wouldn’t give it away, my demeanor would — but I never felt different or unwelcome. From all of my travels I’ve discovered that it’s hard to hide the fact that you’re American when traveling overseas, I’m not sure what gives it away lol. Again, because I was in Sydney there were more tourists but even when I went to the outskirts a little bit to the Blue Mountains, I still felt comfortable.
In fact, I remember stopping by a restaurant to grab a drink and a group sparked a conversation with me. One of the first things they asked after finding out I was from America was how I felt about Donald Trump becoming president. (Ordinarily I don’t get into politics with anyone because of my own personal beliefs, and I damn sure wasn’t going to start any heated political argument overseas). To my relief, I didn’t even have to say anything — someone else from the group chimed in and basically said what a joke it would be if he got elected. This was November 2016, sure enough on my plane ride home, I found out Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. No further comments.
Here are several photos from my trip. I went alone so that selfie stick was the reason I got any photos of myself lol. Continue reading below…
Debunking Fears
Not sure if I’m the only one but I was highly concerned about reptiles and whatever other category tarantulas would fall under (clearly I don’t mind the Willoughby’s and Koala bears, as pictured above lol). On TV Australia is portrayed as this vast land of dangerous species of animals, from crocodiles to snakes and tarantulas. RIP Steve Irwin.
I was definitely concerned about this at the time, but as I traveled more and more, I learned that every country in the world has different customs and cultures, but it’s never as extreme as portrayed on TV. I’m not saying you won’t run into a tarantula bigger than your head, but I definitely didn’t see any.
Logistics
For a wildlife park near Sydney (about 45 min away on public transportation):
Featherdale Wildlife Park
For some sightseeing and adventure (About an hour away from Sydney on the train):
Blue Mountains
For sightseeing in Sydney Harbour:
They have many options to see the Sydney Harbour which of course includes the Sydney Opera house. You can book helicopter tours, walking tours, or boat tours.
Museums
I love museums period and will go to one in every country I visit if I can. In Sydney, I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art but there are plenty of other option that may suit your fancy.
Bondi Beach (about 20 min from Sydney Harbour)
I went to the infamous Bondi beach and it was beautiful, it kind of looked like the coast of Italy with the houses scattered about on the edge, but it was definitely Australia. I didn’t dare go into the water with those powerful waves and my not so strong swimming skills. For you surfers, it would be a dreamland.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading about Australia from my experience and perspective! Please leave any comments or questions you may have about this trip below. I would love to hear about your travel experience as well if you’ve been.
With LOVE,
KayaDejure