Our Sydney Australia Vacation

Sydney has been checked off the travel bucket list. I must say that I will always remember this trip for both the good and the bad parts. My husband and I had big plans while visiting Sydney, including cave exploring, bridge climbing, and a day at the zoo with his Uncle and Aunt. It was going to be a wonderful trip! Here is the blog on our Sydney, Australia Vacation!

The trip there

We used Qantas Airlines for our trip for a few reasons. It was non-stop from Hawaii, left late at night so arrived at 5:30 pm in Sydney. Which was perfect for us since we were awake enough to check in and grab some dinner but tired enough where we knew we could fall asleep at around 10pm. I have flown on over 12 airlines, and this is a favorite. The movie options are good, and the food wasn’t so bad!

The Hostel

For the first time, we decided to check out the hostel life. The satisfaction for what we picked is a big fat NOPE NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN. The beds were very uncomfortable. The mattress was so worn, it felt like something was digging in our back. The pillows were as flat as a door, and we had to fold them just to get some head rest. The showers were okay, but the bathrooms were yucky and there was never really any toilet paper. The only good thing is that the breakfast options were okay, and it was walking distance from the Harbor. Plus, up the block was a really nice grocery store where we got lots of snacks, water, and even lunch or dinner a few times. The name is elephant backpacker and for as low at $17 a night, you can sleep in a 2-star hostel.

The Sydney Harbor

The harbor is a really nice place to shop and grab some lunch. The lunch specials were good (pasta, burgers, pizza). It was always so crowded with tourist but I really did like the vibe! This is where you take the ferries to other islands and stops! We took one to Cockatoo Island and the Zoo! Of Course, the opera house is right on the harbor and shows great views of the bridge and right across where the royal family stays when they visit!

Sydney Harbor during Our Sydney Australia Vacation

Royal Botanic Gardens

This beautiful garden is fairly large and most can easily spend half a day here exploring, walking, and checking out all the flowers in bloom! There are a couple entrances, one of which is behind the opera house! You get great views, and the gardens is a breath of fresh air right in the middle of a large city.

Sydney Opera house from Our Sydney Australia Vacation

The Sydney Opera House

Do get your tickets in advance because this tour is always packed and books quickly! I have wanted to tour the opera house for years. Since I was in High School, I thought how cool would it be to see such an historic building? I love watching ballet and musicals, and getting to see how this was built really made me happy! We even found out right then and there that the cast from Who’s Line Is It Anyways was playing the next day. However, we were too late to get tickets due to it being sold out!

Cockatoo Island

This was a fun adventure that took up half a day! The ferry terminal from the harbor took us right to the island! Cockatoo Island was a shipyard for the Navy back in the mid 1800’s up to early 1990’s. It is now set to be very haunted at night, therefore ghost tours can be booked on certain night crawls. When Steven and I went during the day, it was dead quiet. There were only a few people on the island the same time we were. We got to self tour the jails and prisons, the docs, old warehouses, and everything in between! It even hosts small tens for camping (with furniture) and houses to rent!

Jenolan Caves and Blue Mountains

A day adventure on it’s own, this tour was very fun to do if you love beautiful mountains and cave exploring! We also got to stop in a small town to grab some lunch, and we got to photograph wildlife up close and personal! Get this… they even have weddings in the cave! How crazy is that! This is the tour we booked!

The Sydney Zoo!

This was the day that we spent with Steven’s Uncle and Aunt! They live in Melbourne but flew up to stay in the city for a few days! Truly one of my most favorite parts was Steven getting to see his uncle and hang out with him for a bit! I loved getting to know more about them (I met them once when I was 19 when they flew to Pennsylvania to visit). We also met a step-cousin (?? hahaha) who serves as an officer in the Australian Navy! We grabbed some burgers to eat (oh man were they delicious) and then explored the zoo! Some of it was under construction but I still loved the experience!

Bridge Climb: Sydney

The highlight of our trip (and most expensive) was the bridge climb! In the evening, we climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge to the very top during a very windy day! The view was spectacular, and well worth the investment! It was fun getting to know more about the bridge, and of course, we purchased a video and a photo! Tickets for this sell out months in advance, so it’s key you book your ticket ASAP!