The Australia Series: Honeymooners in Sydney

We are getting close to the end of The Australia Series. I just have two more places to show you: Sydney and Adelaide. Today I'm sharing with you our trip to Sydney, the city I was looking forward to seeing the most and it did not disappoint. We spent three days of our honeymoon here and even though we saw all the things we had planned we would have loved to stay longer.

DAY 1

We started exploring Sydney by going to the Queen Victoria Building, the most amazing mall which was close to our hotel. The beautiful building has great shops so retail therapy here is a must.

After the QVB we continued our way north visiting the Town Hall, Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral, the State Library and the Royal Botanic Gardens before arriving to the crown Jewel: the Sydney Opera House. It's one of those places that you've seen a million times on photos or TV but still impresses you when you see it in real life. This magnificent structure has always fascinated me. I've heard different stories about its shape, some say it looks like conquistador helmets, other say they are nun habits or even orange wedges.

We had lunch at Glenmore at the Rocks which we found randomly. We saw a cute hotel with an outdoor area on top with promising city views so we ventured in. The place was packed and we had to wait for a while to get a table but it was totally worth it. The views didn't end up being as good as we had hoped (we thought we were going to see the Opera House from there) but the food was delicious.

We continued our route and stopped for coffee and cake at a cute little cafe called Motown. 

By evening time we were at Darling Harbour, a great place to wander around, grab a bite and see amazing street performers. There was this guy making music with his mouth that left us speechless. We also stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe because I collect their pins from cities around the world. This is something I started doing while living in California and finding Hard Rock Cafes abroad has become a tradition.

DAY 2
I had been dreaming of this day for a really long time. A few years ago I had seen on a blog an amazing place called The Grounds of Alexandria and I promised my self that if I ever went to Australia I was going there. On our second day in Sydney we woke up early and set off to find The Grounds and have what turned out to be one of the most amazing breakfasts we've ever had. Read all about it here.

The Grounds are on the outskirts of Sydney so after breakfast we headed back and visited the charming neighborhood of Paddington. There are beautiful Victorian houses and high fashion shops. Here you can also find the Reservoir Gardens, a water reservoir converted into a sunken garden.

The Reservoir Gardens is a great place for photos. Several photo shoots were taking place while we were resting there.

After that we made it back to the QVB and had late lunch at Jet a really cool and beautiful coffee restaurant. Fantastic Italian food and great service. Jet is also a great spot for people watching if you sit outside.

We finished the day by visiting one of the biggest malls in the city: the Westfield. It is located beneath the iconic Sydney Tower in the Sydney central business district.

DAY 3

Let's go to the beach! 

On our last day we visited Watson's Bay and the world famous Bondi beach. At Watson's Bay you get amazing views of Sydney on one side, and breathtaking views of the ocean on the other. Stopping at the Watson's Bay hotel for drinks with a view is a must.

We arrived at Bondi by lunch time and we found Hotel Ravesis by chance. It looked really cute with its pink arches and we saw that they had a terrace on the first floor so we didn't think twice. We both love eating al fresco watching the sea and even though we do it in Spain quite often, we couldn't leave Australia without experiencing that.

Before packing our bags once again, we had to say goodbye to the magnificent Opera House. There's no better way of doing that than watching the sun set behind it. Mrs Macquarie's Chair is the best vantage point to do that. We could see the light show projected on its facade from there too.

Visiting Sydney was a dream come true and it will always hold a special place in our hearts. 

What is your dream city?

xo Cristina

THE AUSTRALIA SERIES

Our Itinerary

Melbourne

Brighton Beach

The Grounds of Alexandria

Uluru

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS