Day 1, Monday - Arrive in Sydney
Having taken a red eye flight from Singapore on Scoot, I did not have much interest to do anything but to rest. Initially, I was hesitant taking such a long flight on Scoot, but once on it, I was assured, as it looked just like an old SQ airline, without the fancy food and movie selection. As long as you eat before the flight, and arm yourself with the essential book or mp3 player loaded with songs, you can pretty much self-entertain on the flight to Sydney.
Upon arrival, one of the first things I did was to get a $30 stored value SIM card at Optus. This allows me almost unlimited use of 3G data and access to Google Maps which makes travelling around the city so much more convenient. I took the airport express train to the Central Station, and on reaching the city, I checked out Single Origin Roasters for their famed coffee and most delicious sandwich.
After a very satisfying meal, I headed to an Airbnb room located at Pyrmont Road for the initial part of my trip. It was not as convenient with a 15 minute walk to the train station. However the room came at such a good price and I would not have to deal with the noise and communal baths if I had put up at a hostel, plus plus being 5 minutes away from Coles Supermarket and Darling Harbour for late night wandering made the stay worth it's while.
Day 2, Tuesday - Manly Spit Walk, Sydney
The best time to visit Manly must definitely be during the weekdays when you do not see ferry loads of people unloading. A previous trip to Manly was purely to check out the beaches. And since I wanted this trip to be more active, I decided on famed Manly Spit walk. Though it was said it would be a 10km hike taking 4 hours, it took me 5 hours instead, and personally it felt more like a 15km walk than anything else. The walk requires great amounts of stamina as there are few places to rest with many steps to climb. It is a indeed a scenic walk as you get to see many coves with boats dotting the waters, walk on beautiful pristine beaches, and a good part of bushland walking. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience nature and active trip in Sydney. Prior to to the hike, it's super essential to slather sunblock and also a hearty breakfast.
Day 3, Wednesday - Contemporary Art Museum, Sydney Opera House, Woloomooloo, Art Gallery
The day started with a walk down George Street to The Rocks for breakfast. I ended up at The Fine Food Store, a cafe I visited years back. After breakfast I headed to the Contemporary Art Museum to have a look at how modern art could be.
After the play, I made my way to the Royal Botanical Gardens which is just a couple of steps away from the Sydney Opera House. It was a lovely stroll in the park to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, perfect for a pre-dinner activity. Since I saw so many people lazing in the gardens, I decided to stop and sit on the benches to enjoy nature.
As the Royal Botanical Gardens is connected to Wooloomoloo, it was a natural route to head for dinner. I took the walk along the waters and ended up at Kingsley Steakhouse. The steak and side dishes was impressive, though not life changing.
Day 4, Thursday - Hillsong City Campus, Broadway Shopping Center, Pitt Street Mall
Finally today like any gal would do, would be to go shopping. Before that, I headed down to Hillsong City Campus for their Sisterhood Meeting, and this gave me a glimpse of the Colour Conference I was in Sydney to attend a week later. After the conference, we headed down to the French Cafe, serving up beautifully full bodied compos coffee in fine china glasses. Our brunch consisted of a steak sandwich which to me was not the best sandwich I had, when compared to Single Origins which I had a couple days ago. But I am quite sure, looking at the pastries, it must be a definite have at the cafe.
After brunch, I headed back to the city to take a bus to Broadway Shopping Centre located at Glebe, a neighboring suburb near Sydney CBD. This mall is relatively large, housing most Australian brands, as well as Kmart, Target, and Coles. I managed to get a few summer sale items with it being March, the start of Autumn.
Since it was Thursday night and late night shopping, I continued my shopping day, ending up at Pitt Street Mall, which is a short street section closed off for shopping. Fashion in Sydney is not incredibly exciting nor cheap. So shops like Cotton On became an instant favorite for me. Before heading back to the hotel, I had a healthy meal of chicken salad with quinoa at Westfield Sydney, a food court located on Level 5. The wonderful thing about dining in Sydney is that you can get super healthy foods that taste so delicious that you don't really mind eating healthy, and that was the case for me from Thrive salads.
Day 5, Friday - Sydney Fish Markets, DFO Outlets, Darling Harbour
After brunch, I headed back to the city to take a bus to Broadway Shopping Centre located at Glebe, a neighboring suburb near Sydney CBD. This mall is relatively large, housing most Australian brands, as well as Kmart, Target, and Coles. I managed to get a few summer sale items with it being March, the start of Autumn.
Since it was Thursday night and late night shopping, I continued my shopping day, ending up at Pitt Street Mall, which is a short street section closed off for shopping. Fashion in Sydney is not incredibly exciting nor cheap. So shops like Cotton On became an instant favorite for me. Before heading back to the hotel, I had a healthy meal of chicken salad with quinoa at Westfield Sydney, a food court located on Level 5. The wonderful thing about dining in Sydney is that you can get super healthy foods that taste so delicious that you don't really mind eating healthy, and that was the case for me from Thrive salads.
Day 5, Friday - Sydney Fish Markets, DFO Outlets, Darling Harbour
Okay, I have begun to run out of things to do in Sydney. Since it was probably my last free day within the city, I decided on brunch at Sydney Fish Market followed by more shopping at DFO outlets. Going to the Fish Markets so early and during the weekday is great as there are no crowds. I had my usual of fresh cooked prawns at Claudio's (you can request the number prawns you wanted) and a serving salt pepper calamari. I enjoy having calamari in Sydney, the freshness, succulence, and bounce that is not found anywhere else in the world.
After the Fish Market I went to the nearby cafe that had a office crowd Bar Anonimo for a cuppa and a flourless gluten free cake make of figs and nuts. It was lovely just sitting in the cafe doing nothing, the benefits of a holiday.
The route from the Fish Market to DFO factory outlet required me to take a light rail to Central Station, followed by a change of train to Strathfield, and then a short bus ride to the outlet. DFO outlets is probably the place to find clothing and bags in Sydney cheaper than anywhere else. One of my favorite stops is at Fossil with an additional 30% discount of discounted items, it definitely warranted a trip there. The top floor of DFO consisted of fashion, and the bottom floor was all about home and furnishings.
On return back to the city, I decided to check out QVB, the Town Hall, and a slow walk around Darling Harbour, sitting by the Harbour watching day turn to night, a great place to ponder about my next journey in life.
Day 6, Hunter Valley, Saturday
Today I woke up bright and early and took an organized tour to Hunter Valley. The tour I took was probably the most expensive available trip to Hunter Valley. It was a leisurely experience of wine tasting at two vineyards, Trryell's Wines and Hungerford. And a delicious but expensive lunch at Muse Kitchen. I learnt a valuable lesson about how the type of wine depended on the occasion for drinking, and also what a huge difference it makes to a meal when paired with the right wine.
Day 7 Sunday - Hillsong Church, The Rocks Market, Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, Bondi Market, Bondi Beach
Sundays are church days. The day started with a morning session at Hillsong City Campus. There after I headed to The Rocks Market for a quick walk about and took some pretty pictures. It's quite a pity the market sells mostly handicrafts and not food as it would have been a more complete market experience. After picking up some handmade soap for a friend, I decided to walk the Sydney Habour Bridge, which is quite an experience, providing to me, probably the best of the Sydney Harbour. It was a little difficult getting to the start of bridge and I had to ask for directions.
After the Fish Market I went to the nearby cafe that had a office crowd Bar Anonimo for a cuppa and a flourless gluten free cake make of figs and nuts. It was lovely just sitting in the cafe doing nothing, the benefits of a holiday.
The route from the Fish Market to DFO factory outlet required me to take a light rail to Central Station, followed by a change of train to Strathfield, and then a short bus ride to the outlet. DFO outlets is probably the place to find clothing and bags in Sydney cheaper than anywhere else. One of my favorite stops is at Fossil with an additional 30% discount of discounted items, it definitely warranted a trip there. The top floor of DFO consisted of fashion, and the bottom floor was all about home and furnishings.
On return back to the city, I decided to check out QVB, the Town Hall, and a slow walk around Darling Harbour, sitting by the Harbour watching day turn to night, a great place to ponder about my next journey in life.
Today I woke up bright and early and took an organized tour to Hunter Valley. The tour I took was probably the most expensive available trip to Hunter Valley. It was a leisurely experience of wine tasting at two vineyards, Trryell's Wines and Hungerford. And a delicious but expensive lunch at Muse Kitchen. I learnt a valuable lesson about how the type of wine depended on the occasion for drinking, and also what a huge difference it makes to a meal when paired with the right wine.
Day 7 Sunday - Hillsong Church, The Rocks Market, Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, Bondi Market, Bondi Beach
Sundays are church days. The day started with a morning session at Hillsong City Campus. There after I headed to The Rocks Market for a quick walk about and took some pretty pictures. It's quite a pity the market sells mostly handicrafts and not food as it would have been a more complete market experience. After picking up some handmade soap for a friend, I decided to walk the Sydney Habour Bridge, which is quite an experience, providing to me, probably the best of the Sydney Harbour. It was a little difficult getting to the start of bridge and I had to ask for directions.
Everyone seems to go Bondi Beach on a Sunday. Before my trip to the beach, I had a quick look about at Bondi Markets. I prefer what they sell at this market compared to The Rocks Market as it tend to be more local than touristy. Thereafter I headed to Brown Sugar, a cafe I googled that was popular with the locals. Being surrounded by all the beach babes, I decided on a healthy meal of salad with grilled chicken and quinoa which I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the way they cook the quinoa with a buttery nutty feel.
Day 8 Monday - Blue Mountains
Again I chose to do an organized hiking tour to Blue Mountains. Initially I had considered to stay over at the Blue Mountains and take a hop on hop off bus, but because of the unfamiliarity of hiking area, I decided on an organized tour, following a group that did an adventure hike with the promise of views that no other tourist would take. One of the hiking trails included a 3-4km hike literally steps away from the cliff. Given that I am a city gal, this was something I was totally not prepared for, the stony terrain, going through the bushland, and walking so close to the cliff drop. But an experience no matter. I think the trip would have been made complete if we had one more stop. We ended the day with a lunch view of the Three Sisters which was perfect.
Day 9 Tuesday - Meriton Apartments Campbelll Street, The Strand
Today was a day off from doing anything. It was also a day I changed to the Meriton Apartments at Campbell Street. I was pretty impressed with the rooms and little kitchen. And would definitely return again if the price is right. The apartment is near many Thai eateries, and also one can find cafes quite easily around the corner along Pitt Street. It is also located a street away from World Square where Coles is located for your necessities. I particularly enjoyed using the washer and dryer and spent the afternoon washing my clothes as well as taking a rest on the very comfortable bed.
Dinner was taking a walk down to The Strand where we had Italian at LaRosa. They served up a relatively good fare. We had an entree of calamari (again), pasta, and pizza. However, it's not a place that would make me return back in a hurry.
Day 10 Wednesday - Watsons Bay, The Rocks
Dinner was taking a walk down to The Strand where we had Italian at LaRosa. They served up a relatively good fare. We had an entree of calamari (again), pasta, and pizza. However, it's not a place that would make me return back in a hurry.
Day 10 Wednesday - Watsons Bay, The Rocks
The day started with walking down George Street, queuing for compos coffee at Taste Baugette located outside Myers. Thereafter we headed down to Circular Quay to take the ferry ride to Watsons Bay. Between going to Watsons Bay for by the sea hikes, or lunch for the matter, I so much prefer going to Manly.
Supposedly a must visit place, including a meal at Dolys, Watsons Bay was pretty disappointing day trip for me. I compared this trip to Manly, and Manly wins hands down for views. The only great view is that of the Gap. Otherwise it was not a very scenic paved route to the lighthouse, with which we gave up halfway.
On the way back we headed to Dolys by the beach, which to me they charged an arm for fish and chips - like $40. Seriously? After that we realized there was a cheaper take out option by the harbour. We had food at both places and I was sorely disappointed.
On return we went to The Rocks for more coffee, back at the Fine Food Store, followed by an early dinner at Pancakes on the Rocks. What continues to be my favorite dish is beef ribs, tender enough that the meat comes off easily from the ribs.
Day 11-14 Thursday - Colour Conference
What I came to Sydney for was for the Colour Conference, a women's conference organized by Hillsong Church. My initial thought was that it could not compare to the grandeur and anointing at Hillsong Conference, but as each session happened I realize there was a uniqueness - not only did we have breaks for proper meals, how the speakers addressed to very real issues faced by the women, I realize that the gathering of women was actually essential, to be refreshed and recharged for the next lap ahead.
On the way back we headed to Dolys by the beach, which to me they charged an arm for fish and chips - like $40. Seriously? After that we realized there was a cheaper take out option by the harbour. We had food at both places and I was sorely disappointed.
Day 11-14 Thursday - Colour Conference
What I came to Sydney for was for the Colour Conference, a women's conference organized by Hillsong Church. My initial thought was that it could not compare to the grandeur and anointing at Hillsong Conference, but as each session happened I realize there was a uniqueness - not only did we have breaks for proper meals, how the speakers addressed to very real issues faced by the women, I realize that the gathering of women was actually essential, to be refreshed and recharged for the next lap ahead.
One of my favorite meals during one of the breaks was at Macchiato along Pitt Street. They served superb pizzas, and is a must when you are in the area. I was also tempted to have their cakes, as it looked incredibly huge and delicious.
Another favourite for me was going to Reuben Hills, where I thought they served fabulous pancakes, better than any I have eaten in Sydney.
Day 15 Sunday - Sydney to Singapore
Sunday morning in Sydney CBD is a challenge finding breakfast is almost a challenge with many cafes closed.
We headed to Westfields Sydney for delicious yoghurt at Top Juice (Juice, Salad, Yoghurt bar). On the way back we stopped over at QVB, another place with breakfast available on the ground floor. We picked up some Zumbo macaroons before heading to the airport.
I must say March is a beautiful time to come to Sydney, not too hot, not too cold, with only a windbreaker required. Food in Sydney can be expensive with a sit down meal with coffee often coming to $17. A cheaper option would be to dine in the food courts available. Walking trails are plentiful in Sydney, which is a great way to burn some calories and also enjoying the beautiful views.
Click here to see video highlights of my trip!
I must say March is a beautiful time to come to Sydney, not too hot, not too cold, with only a windbreaker required. Food in Sydney can be expensive with a sit down meal with coffee often coming to $17. A cheaper option would be to dine in the food courts available. Walking trails are plentiful in Sydney, which is a great way to burn some calories and also enjoying the beautiful views.
Click here to see video highlights of my trip!
