A Pre-Covid Travel Blog: The Ultimate Guide To Traveling To Sydney, Australia
Welcome to Sydney!
At the end of 2019, I was hanging out in Sydney, Australia with my husband. It was my second time going to Sydney and Scott’s first time. We went to visit my best friend who, a month earlier had a new baby girl (my God Daughter). We stayed at the Marriott Four Points by Sheraton in Central Park which is a beautiful hotel and the perfect location to the metro, the University and shopping.
A very peaceful entrance
View from the window in our hotel of University Technology Sydney. So beautiful
Breakfast at the hotel was amazing. I never knew how much I enjoyed fried rice and waffles.
Now being in a pandemic, I couldn’t imagine God aligning finances, time off and Meme’s availability to watch the boys for a week any perfectly. I’m a very sentimental person—I have a picture slideshow on the home screen of my phone. It wasn’t until my phone began to run these pictures back that it hit me (more so than usual) how much can change in a year.
I spent much of this pandemic inhaling gratitude while at the same time exhaling anxiety. There’s no right way to navigate a global crisis while also feeling the weight of existential doom so we all must learn the deep impact of being gracious. Some days my energy will not jump start and some days I’m playful and dancing and thankful to be alive. So much outside of this bubble I’ve been forced to create is struggling with so many forces, especially death and illness, over time, it really gets to you. But seeing those pictures of Australia I couldn’t help but to think about my determination in making this trip happen. Have you ever pressed and worked and did everything you needed to do to make something happen and come hell or high water (like the old folks say) you were going to see it through? That’s how I was about this trip. We sacrificed and saved money and cut back so that it could be a trip we could thoroughly enjoy. We didn’t celebrate our 13 wedding anniversary in May because we said the trip to Sydney would be our celebration.
Sydney Opera House Tour
A lot of gelato
I bounce between my head and my heart and I find God in the middle speaking to me about the things I question. Do you ever stop to think about how detailed He is with every facet of our lives? So much about the end of 2019 felt like the best time of my life. It was such a beautiful year of reflection and growth and joy and being present that I didn’t want it to end. From what I gather (on twitter) all of ya’ll were SO ready for 2020 and now look at us ;) haha! But what 2020 (and 2021) has taught me is that we need to enjoy every moment like we are a virus away from a global pandemic and safer at home quarantine. This time has been a struggle of seeing that through while at the same time feeling like those days of joy with abandon are over.
Will our joy be guarded and masked and distanced and paranoid going forward? Will we connect the same? It’s been hard to dream, like envision dream in this space. Sydney now feels like a dream I collected in a time I no longer understand. It’s frustrating and scary but grace. Giving myself grace.
For the nostalgia we all are having as we round the last stretch of this year—reflecting on 2019 and everything we did between January-March 2020, I want to share my favorites from our trip. Because one day in the future when we change leadership and begin to care about one another again we will be able to travel to the places blooming in our hearts with the full abandon we once knew.
1 . Manly Beach
Got a little home sick for my babies seeing this store
If you’ve ever been to Cape Cod in Massachusetts Manly Beach has a very Cape Cod feel. We caught the ferry to get to the beach (very similar to the Cape) and it’s so beautiful. We ate gelato as soon as we got off of the ferry and then we ate pizza at Pocket Pizza which has the cutest outdoor dining area and such fresh food. Afterwards we took a stroll to the beach. I loved watching the surfers especially the kids. Apparently surfing is a major sport there and they start young learning how to surf. It was their spring so the weather was perfect. We ended up buying all of our gifts for our family and friends from the shops at Manly and I also bought a new suitcase because the one I traveled with was on its last leg.
Because we postponed celebrating our anniversary in the states I wanted us to have dinner somewhere unforgettable and there’s no place more magical and truly exudes the essence of Sydney than Altitude restaurant. Altitude is on the 36th floor at the Shangri-La Hotel overlooking the harbor and the Sydney Opera house:
“Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes, Altitude’s menu draws on Australia’s distinct ingredients, flavours and perspective for inspiration. The culinary team select only the best produce from land and by sea for a menu that is a true reflection of modern Australian dining today. Take your seat and revel in spectacular Sydney views from soaring high windows. Nowhere else in Sydney will you find such an award-winning establishment hovering high above Sydney’s glittering icons. The glass jewel box of a private dining room literally ‘floats’ 36 levels above the harbour.”
I mean the description is enough to woo you over. It was $165 AUD per person for a three course meal. Sometimes you’ll go to a really nice restaurant and pay a nice price for the food and out comes the smallest entrees you’ve ever seen. Not the case at Altitude. The food was not only amazing but also filling. The ambiance, the friendliness—absolutely a dream. I’m always using my phone to capture things and I wanted to take more pictures than what I did but I also wanted to enjoy that moment with my husband. While we were there for a special occasion, they have menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch, high tea or just happy hour after a long day of work. If you make the trip to Sydney, especially if in a group or with your significant other, Altitude is a must to add to your itinerary.
I was determined to go inside the opera house and watch a show. I didn’t know what I would see but it’s like going to New York City and standing outside of Madison Square Gardens instead of going inside to watch or enjoy something. I had my share of photo opportunities outside the Opera House when I went to Sydney in 2016 but this time I would see more than the outside, I wanted to experience it. When I went on their website searching through what was available for the dates we were there I found two things. First, they offer tours of the opera house with lunch and that was a no brainer. I had to tour the opera house, like hello!
Second, there was a showing of the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing. As a poet and a lover of the arts I was squealing on the inside. Not only is that one of my favorite Shakespeare plays but this one featured two black women as the lead actresses. I Stan! I booked the tour. lunch and show and I am more in love with the Opera House than I was before doing the tour. If you love history, like I do, you will completely geek out on the tour. It’s a good amount of walking as the opera house is pretty big and they take you to every hall available plus the details of the outside and other facets of the interior so wear comfortable shoes. My best friend who lives there has never done the tour and I told her she needed to do it whenever she had a chance. Absolutely beautiful!
For lunch you pick what meal you want from the Opera Bar and fish and chips are my favorite because the seafood is amazing in Sydney. We were on the front row, in the middle for the show (which was put on by Bell Shakespeare) and while photography wasn’t allowed I captured every moment in my heart because Zindzi Okenyo was spectacular! I absolutely tracked her down on Instagram and found out not only does she act but she is a hip hop artist. So dope!
4. Circular Quay and The Harbour
One day we went running at Circular Quay. Scott never meets a stranger so he saw a group running and joined them. Instead of running with them (they do this way more than I do) I took pictures and video of the Harbour and the beauty of the surrounding botanic garden.
5. The Sights
Many of the days we ate at the food court at Bondi Junction Westfield Mall where the view is spectacular and the food is not your average food court food. I found this cute crystal place in the mall and bought a ruby stone which is my birthstone. The ruby encourages bliss and is considered to be a healer and protector of the heart.
Before we left we had a date with my friend and her husband at the movies where we enjoyed a movie and dine in cinema experience and had Bubble Tea for the first time at Chatime.
Founded in Taiwan, with a commitment to quality ingredients and mix-ins and a flare for innovative flavour combinations, he set out to brew nothing but the very best iced teas. Today, Chatime is the fastest growing iced tea franchise in Australia. There are over 120 Chatime T-Breweries – all in just 10 years. That means even more Australians get the chance to try our fabulous and flavoursome creations.
We were also able to see the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team in the World Cup semi-final championship game at a local bar. It was the first time we watched rugby and to watch it with locals who love it just as much as we love American football was so much fun! Even though they lost it was just as exciting to learn a few weeks later that South Africa won the championship. I also fell in love with Tim Tam and Allen’s gummies which are Australian cookies and candy. I brought some home and a friend of mine ended up ordering some more of the Tim Tam cookies from amazon.
It was truly an unforgettable trip and I can’t wait until we’re in a space where the virus is contained and we can plan another trip to take the boys with us.
If you are able to travel now please be sure to check each location and restaurant for their health and safety COVID guidelines before you construct your itinerary.
