As you know I have just spent most of August in Sydney but as most of my time was spent working I didn't get to explore too much. However here's a quick round up of what I saw, ate and shopped.
To Stay
I stayed in The Sheraton on the Park which was centrally located, with great shopping nearby and within walking distance of major tourist attractions.
The bed was super comfy and the gym and pool meant my triathlon training wasn't neglected.
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The Sheraton On The Park
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The comfiest bed with the best pillows
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| The rooftop swimming pool |
To See & Do
I managed to squeeze in some of Sydney's major tourist attractions including the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens and Bondi Beach. But my top tip is to pack a map and just wander. Sydney's a large city but very easy to get around.
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| The Harbour Bridge...I was last here in 2004 on New Year's Eve |
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| The stunning Opera House |
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| The view from the Botanical Gardens |
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| The Botanical Gardens, perfect on a sunny day |
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| Inside out teddy bears at The Contemporary Museum of Art |
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| Bondi Beach, sadly it was stormy the day I visited |
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| The Iceberg pool at Bondi, I was dying to swim in there but sadly the weather was against me |
To Eat
Sydney has so many wonderful eateries from cute cafes to snazzy restaurants. Here are a few I got to sample.
Lox, Stock & Barrel is the perfect brunch spot. Delicious breads, eggs and chai lattes in a cosy setting. Be prepared to queue.
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| Lox, Stock & Barrel |
In the trendy Surrey Hills area is Cook & Archie's. This gem of a cafe serves incredible salads, cakes and smoothies.
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| Cook & Archie's |
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Super healthy salads and smoothies...and chips, well life is about balance isn't it?
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If you like burgers you'll like Grill'd. As a burger loving vegetarian it was refreshing to be offered a variety of options plus they serve fantastic sweet potato fries. If they had served milkshakes I would have been in heaven.
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I love veggie burgers!
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Sydney is full of great Asian restaurants, but Miss G's came highly recommended. With a great interior where the walls are decorated in old Rolling Stone covers, the cocktails are yummy and the food is incredible.
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| If you like Asian food visit Miss G's |
Top Juice became a regular for me to get my daily dose of fruit and veg. Loads of tasty juice combinations or you can blend your own should you desire.
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| Getting my 5 a day at Top Juice |
Saving the best until last is Gelato Messina. This place is a Sydney institution and people get a happy look in their eyes at it's mention. There's always a queue but that's fine as you'll need a while to decide what flavours to choose. I wish there was a Gelato Messina in London.
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| The daily specials at Gelato Messina |
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| Oh jeez, how fantastic does this look?!? |
To Shop
Wandering along Oxford Street and Paddington is a must as the area is full of fashion boutiques and homeware stores. Opus and Zaffero were stocked with interesting interiors.
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| Opus is great for quirky interiors |
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| Zaffero is full of vintage treasures |
Kikki K is a stationary lovers dream, full of pretty notebooks, pens and greetings cards.
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| Cute party supplies |
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| Stylish colour combinations at Kikki K |
Lincraft is a massive haberdashery store filled with a random selection of things you don't really need but want, such as glitter and pom poms. Definitely worth a browse if you find one.
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| Styrofoam heads at Lincraft |
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| Every shade of paint you could want at Lincaft |
The department store David Jones is worth a wander, stocking international designers such as Celine and Victoria Beckham through to Aussie brands like Witchery and Saba.
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| Tubs of espadrilles at Seed |
Thanks for a great time Sydney, fingers crossed I'll come back one day.
Images: au.smallbusiness.yahoo.com, camerasandcuisines.com, broadsheet.com.au
