“You are visiting at the worse time,” we were told many times by our mates in Sydney. It just so happened that our travel plans led us to Oz during wintertime and everyone around us could not stop talking about how cold it was. Maybe we were well prepared, blinded by excitement, or simply acclimatized to the extreme weather because the only time we experienced true cold was in the Blue Mountains region. In fact, the weather in the evenings was nearly intolerable. Otherwise, we didn’t think it was as cold as everyone kept insisting it was. Apparently, we were quite lucky to enjoy more sunny days than gloomy ones while in Sydney.

Waking up to iconic sights like Australia’s most recognizable building, the Opera House and the well-known Sydney Harbor steel Bridge, or the ‘Coat Hanger’ as commonly referred to by Aussies because of its arch based design, is simply breathtaking. There is no surprise why the Sydney Harbor (or harbour) is known as one of the most beautiful natural harbors in the world. We were fortunate to spend a couple nights along The Rocks in Sydney’s city center and experienced walks along these views daily. Each time, it was as if we were seeing it again for the very first time.

Walking at all hours of the day is common in Sydney and walk we did. We walked down the famous ‘George Street’ and ‘Elizabeth Street’ many times starting at Central station to the harbor. Sometimes with beautiful sunshine and a few days with rain.

The weather conditions didn’t matter to be honest; we made stops along the way to keep it interesting. Some of our favorite stops were in Surry Hills (especially for breakfast and coffee), Chinatown, the Botanical Gardens, Darling Harbor (with a beautiful firework spectacular every Saturday evening), Queen Victoria Building (where we enjoyed a High Tea selection), Pitt Street and its shopping paradise, and of course, The Rocks near the harbor. Some of our most memorable moments happened during our walks as we discovered events happening around the city.

For example, we walked by Capital Theater where Les Misérables happened to be showing. To my surprise, this had been a production I was fervently waiting to see on stage for some time now. We couldn’t afford the regular tickets, but we did wait around for a few hours in hopes of purchasing rush tickets. May it be known that this is the best production we have ever experienced and to think we paid less than half price for second row mezzanine, in Sydney nonetheless is still shocking and brings a smile to my face. Another event we walked upon was the French World Festival where we enjoyed a delicious bowl of French onion soup, red wine and a Nutella crepe while sitting directly in front of the scenic Sydney harbor listening to music from local bands and socializing. Finally, we looked forward to the weekends when the open-air markets at The Rocks were in full effect. Such a charming area with passionate sellers where you can take your time and explore, have a bite to eat, listen to more talented local artists and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.

On that note, have we mentioned how delicious coffee is in Australia? It is nearly impossible to find a coffee shop that serves a bad cup of coffee. Some of our favorites in Sydney like Single Origin Roasters and Mecca truly demonstrate the craft of coffee, making it difficult to begin a day without a Long Black. Not sure if it’s the baristas or the coffee beans, but Australians have taken coffee tasting to another level. Good music is equally as easy to find in the city and because my husband supports every local artist performing on the street (known as ‘buskers’), I nearly thought we would go without coffee/tea most days. Many times we found ourselves sitting on a step somewhere listening and feeling inspired as we discussed the courage and passion it takes to stand in front of complete strangers to do what you love.

When we didn’t feel like walking, we hopped on the nearest bus, or train, to get inland and around the city. Sydney’s public transportation system is highly efficient making it easy and convenient for visitors like us. From the minute we arrived at the airport, all we had to do was look for the nearest market (within the airport) purchase an opal card, add credit and use it for the duration of our stay. Whether it be on the train, bus, or ferry, you use the same card and tap on and off without any hassle. Once your balance is low (upon notification), you simply top up by purchasing more credit. We loved this and used it everyday. Sundays, however, were the best because we could travel all day with the opal for no more than $2.50 (maximum rate). We took advantage of Sundays and visited the beautiful nearby beaches by ferry and bus.

Sydney is also home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. We were happy to enjoy some sun and visit both Manly beach and Bondi beach on separate days during our stay. Both were lovely and provided a familiar vibe to beaches in California. Our day trip to the Taronga Zoo was also comparable to a day at our San Diego Zoo (that’s definitely a compliment). Sydney’s Zoo was special for us because of the famous Kangaroos, incredible bird species and other animals that are specific to Australia and Asia. It was a fun day indeed. Although many characteristics of this city remind us of home (California), one thing that is unique to Australia is the relaxed (we’ve heard many call it ‘lazy’) attitude toward life. They eat ice cream on top of pancakes for crying out loud (amazing by the way). Informal yet robust. What’s not to love?

In terms of personal safety and security, Australia is one of those countries in which you always feel safe and is in fact, generally safe for travelers and locals alike. We didn’t worry about this much at all and had no problems.

Finally, we can’t end this post without commenting on the popular American perception of how expensive everything is in this country. Thankfully, we were visiting during a time when the USD was favorably valuable. So, even though our jaws dropped at the sight of a $40.00 lunch, it was always much less after the currency exchange. However, we did notice that things are generally marked up much higher in Australia. A small water bottle (500 ml) for example, was $4.50 AUD in Sydney. If you are wondering, yes, we most definitely blew our traveling budget in Australia and had to (and must continue to) adjust accordingly. This includes canceling a few destinations we had originally planned. However, this was a mutual decision that we do not regret. The moments we experienced during our seven weeks in Sydney and Melbourne combined were worth every Australian Dollar.

Our time spent in this city was wonderful. It’s a good feeling to be on the other side of the daily rush. With no agenda and no commitments, we had all of Sydney to ourselves. How can anyone ever take an opportunity like this for granted? These moments have become so valuable to us and have inspired us to stop and appreciate our surroundings, and what better place to practice this?

Want to see more pictures? Take a look at our photo gallery (click here).