Visiting Australia and exploring downtown Sydney, Manly & Bondi Beach & the Blue Mountains will be an everlasting memory we will never forget! The restaurants got better and better with each day & meeting so many locals while shopping the stores by Australian designers was truly a cultural experience to treasure.
In talking with so many people from Sydney, we heard time and time again the city was orginally built by convicts. In fact, 164,000 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies between 1788 & 1868 on board 806 ships. Who would have thought the indigenous people of Australia were convicts at one time. One of the main highlights of our trip was not only the food and the culture but the people of this wonderful land called Australia... we feel in love with the people of Australia!
There are three times as many sheep than people living in Australia.
You drive on the opposite side of the road and the steering wheel in Australia is located on the right-hand side of the car, so the gear stick and other instruments will feel reversed. Stay alert at all times and you will be fine to drive. After only a day of getting used to, I was cruising like I was back in Miami 😊.
Sydney Opera House (1956) is comprised of 6 total theaters and 2 outdoor spaces for shows, concerts and events, with more than 2,100+ shows a year! One of the largest in the world, It took more than 14 years to build & cost more than $102 million to complete; commissioned to bring grand culture & music to Sydney!
Sydney Harbor Bridge was built in 1924 and took 8 years to complete. To climb the bridge (if you’re that adventurous) takes 3.5 hours to complete and they even offer an evening climb!!
There are 4 different species of kangaroo in Australia, with the Red Kangaroo being the largest. The largest Big Red ever seen was 2.1m tall (6ft 9in) and weighed 91kgs (200lbs)! Males have longer arms (they actually do box each other!) & the females have shorter arms and really do carry their baby in their pouch.
While Kangaroos are considered a national icon, with over 40 million estimated throughout the country, they can also be considered a pest in some locations. The highlight of my trip was to see these incredibly cute creatures look me right in my eyes and then hop away!
Sydney is Australia's largest city, but NOT it’s capital – Canberra is the country's capital city.
The natives are so sweet, genuine and incredibly pleasant to speak to. They took the time to look you in the eyes and really enjoy the moment. We felt such a sense of calmness and serenity instilled within the people which was so refreshing, we just couldn’t get enough!
All the food and restaurants we tried were truly spectacular! So fresh and delicious… everything that would hit the table were dishes I wish we had back home!
Sydney – walk around ‘The Rocks’, take a tour of the Opera House then enjoy a bottle of wine & cheese at Opera Bar along the water facing the bridge. Dinner at Mr. Wong’s was so amazing that we back for a second dinner the night before we flew out! Westfield (Mall) is a great place to shop… start at the bottom and make your way to the top floor and then just get lost in the streets. Such a clean and vibrant city... enjoy!!
Manly Beach – go for long walks along the coastline and hopefully you’ll see a couple of whales like I did! Corso is a pedestrian area (like 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica) and such a cool surfer town. An excellent place to bring kids & family, play volleyball on the beach, and watch the surfers take some gnarly waves! Loved our time here as it was such a wonderful place to unwind!
Bondi Beach – super fun, cool and gorgeous place… a must see when in Sydney! The iconic Iceberg Club with its famous pools, crashing waves against the rocks, and sculptures are such an awesome sight to see. Stay for dinner and treat yourself to an incredible meal while watching the sunset and creating a perfect memory you will always remember! Stroll the streets and shop along the one-of-a-kind Australian Designer Labels & super cool Boutiques.
One & Only Wolgan Valley – located 2.5 hours outside of Sydney, this dream resort was the perfect way to celebrate our 4-year wedding anniversary. Seeing my first Kangaroo while mountain biking through the Blue Mountains in Wolgan Valley was simply surreal.
Cheers!
Posted on 11/10/2017 at 01:27 PM
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