My Sweet Adventure in Sydney, Australia

My trip to visit Sydney was wonderful and full with sweet memories.   

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and among Australia’s largest cities. It is a great city to explore since this city surrounded by the glorious harbor and beaches which means a lot of activities await you to keep you entertain all day long.  

My trip to Sydney starts with my initial preparation before arriving there. As a Malaysian, applying a Visa is a must before entering Australia. Luckily for us, applying Visa is so simple thanks to the Immigration of Australia. Just fill in your details in their immigration website, pay $AUD10 and you are done. They will process your application in 24 hours and you will get an email notification when it is done. It is so simple and efficient which create so much convenient towards tourists.

With Visa and flight ticket in hand, I flew to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur which takes approximately 6 hours. Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport is known as one of the strict airports in the universe.

They took their job seriously and you must not take lightly about this. Australia have a strict rule about getting in foods into their country. Some food you cannot bring into Australia is like any kind of processed meat and any dairy products. If you still intend to bring it, they must be commercially prepared and packaged. You can also still bring food like a biscuit and bread but all of it it must be declared before you arrive.  

I arrive at Sydney around 10pm. In order to save budget, usually what I do is to stay overnight at the airport and start my adventure to Sydney early in the morning. I learned it the hard way though. As I busy planning my plan and itinerary inside the airport, I’ve been chased out by their security guard. Only then I knew they have a curfew and close the airport completely after 11pm until 6am. They laid out this regulation and you can read it here.  

Puzzled by the scene, I searched out if there is any alternative available since it’s already past midnight. Lucky for me as I found a group of tourists who are in the same shoes like me. They allow us to stay overnight in the airport with these conditions;  

• You have a boarding pass for your next flight.  
• You can stay at designated waiting area pre-Security in International Terminal, near the train station entrance.  

“Unfortunately, this waiting area isn’t comfortable, offers little seating, few power outlets, and a lone vending machine. Expect to rest on the cold hard floor, so bring something soft and extra layers to combat the chilly temperature.”   

Sleep in Airports

And with this, my sweet adventure to Sydney begins.  

i) A day trip to Blue Mountain  

Going around to explore Sydney is much easier when you book a travel tour. They provide transportation, food and convenience towards tourists. All you have to do is to search the best travel agent with good reviews and suit with your timing and budget.   

If you search for them, there will be a lot of suggestions they will give you. Among activities they could provide when you are in Sydney is;  

• Hunter Valley Tour  
• Sydney City Tour  
• Jenolan Caves Tour  

Having the most reviewed activities that tourists did when visiting Sydney, I finally choose to do Blue Mountains day tour. I do this activity with Sightseeing Tours as they offer the best price which is at only $AUD85. Booking a tour with them is also easy. Just fill in your information and your pickup location and you are done.   

The tour starts when they pick us up at the hotel. Our first stop of the day is to see Wentworth Falls. Here, we need to walk a little before we arrive at the said location. The second stop will be at Leura, a village brimming with boutiques and quaint eateries. One of the local restaurants has a Kangaroo Burger on its menu. And for the sake of tasting how kangaroo tastes like, I ordered one.   

Afterwards, it’s on to Katoomba, which sits in the heart of the Blue Mountains. This town marks the gateway to the two of the region’s most popular attractions. Our first activity is to head to the Three Sisters rock formation, where we learn about the Aboriginal myths and legends.   

We’ll then move on to the Scenic World, where we hop aboard the Skyway, Australia’s highest cable car, the Cableway, the Railway, the steepest incline passenger railway in the world and also the Walkway, the longest boardwalk in the Australia. These rides provide us with a stunning expanse of the Blue Mountains below.  

Before return to Sydney, we manage to take several pictures at Govetts Leap which possibly have one of the most breathtaking views within the entire region.   

We then conclude our day with a trip up Sydney Harbour, unwinding on an afternoon cruise along the Paramatta River back to Circular Quay city centre.   

ii) Whale Watching  

Each year thousands of Humpback Whales migrate along the East coast of Australia. They migrate from their summer feeding grounds in Antartica to their breeding grounds in Queensland’s Coral Sea. This brings them past Sydney during the months of May, June, July and August. Hence, a lot of tourists and locals did not want to miss this opportunity and making this as everyone’s must-do list.  

For this activity, we book this experience with Adrenaline Tour. Once your booking is confirmed, they will send you an email giving you full instructions where to meet up and your booking confirmation.   

This 3 ½ hour Whale Watching cruises depart from Darling Harbour and pass many of Sydney’s famous landmarks along the way. The cruise will take us past Luna Park, the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, Kirribilli House, Fort Dennison, Bradley’s Head and the waterfront mansions of Point Piper. Once the cruise out past Sydney Heads, the fun begins as they will start to search for the wonderful Humpback Whales migrating past.   

iii) Bondi Beach  

Perhaps the most rated beach in Sydney will be Bondi Beach. When you arrive here, you will definitely know why it is so popular. The white sands, the blue seas will make you fall in love with this place. However, I find it as crowded especially during the weekend.   

Getting here is easy too. There are a lot of buses or taxis you can take as it is not too far from the city centre. So, when you are in Sydney, please check this place out.  

iv) Kangaroos & Koalas  

Since both animals only can be found in Australia, it will be a silly move to not watch this cute animal right in front of your eyes. There are several options you can choose if you want to meet them. In Sydney, the most popular zoo you can go to is; Taronga, Featherdale Park or Wildlife Sydney Zoo. You can choose which one suits your taste and preference by reading up the reviews for these zoos here.