Guide to being a tourist in Sydney

Of all the international places I have visited in my life, none feel more like home than Australia.  The accents are different and they drive on the left side of the road, but the people and the overall personality of Sydney is quite similar to the American lifestyle. 

Sydney is not filled with an overwhelming number of historic sites and must-see tourist attractions, which actually made my trip seem more relaxed.  I was able to enjoy the city like a local without feeling obligated to take pictures around every corner. 

The one tourist attraction that is absolutely worth visiting is the iconic Opera House. The Opera house sits at the tip of Bennelong Point and is, in my opinion, the only building that provides an identity to Sydney. There is a long list of performances each week, but none particularly appealed to me so I opted for a guided tour instead. The tour was really interesting and provided a lot of great facts.  Being a numbers guy, I was particularly impressed with the information that the roof contains over 1 million pieces of tile and that there are actually 1,000 rooms in the building (mostly underground).  

I was lucky enough to get a direct view of the Opera House whenever I looked out the window of my hotel, which continued to 'wow' me throughout my two week trip.  

View of the Opera House at dusk

The weather during the autumn season in Sydney is really nice, and I was lucky to get some beach weather for Good Friday. I boarded a ferry at Circular Quay and enjoyed the quick, 30-minute trip to the Northern coast.  Even though Manly can also be reached by car, the ferry is perhaps the best way to ease one's mind into relaxation mode (not to mention incredible views).  

View of Sydney from the ferry to Manly

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Coastline near Manly Wharf

From the Ferry terminal to the beach, you walk through a pedestrian-only street lined with souvenir shops, fish & chip takeaway restaurants, and a surprisingly large number of pharmacies. Despite being so close to the city, I felt like I was in a completely different world. 

Pedestrian street between Manly Wharf and the beach

Manly Beach on Good Friday, 2014

In my opinion, a major city with such easy access to resort-style beach environments is a rare treasure.  I was lucky enough to live in one of these cities (Barcelona) and I hope to one day return to a place where I can enjoy the amenities of both a big city and also a relaxing vacation atmosphere.  (I know Chicago has beaches but it certainly does not feel like vacation when cars are whizzing by on Lake Shore Drive and the cold weather makes them virtually inaccessible for 8 months per year). 

Anyhow, I digress. Back to Manly beach...

So I was walking down the boardwalk and I noticed a crowd starting to form up ahead.  I asked someone what was happening and was told that the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were planning to visit. I decided to wait and it turned out to be an excellent decision because I ended up with almost a front row seat.  

Kate is even more stunning in person and she definitely took the spotlight.  Both she and Will watched a lifesaving demonstration and spoke with young lifeguards who seemed completely relaxed about the entire experience.  Only two days had passed since my run-in with Hollywood celebrities, so I was feeling pretty good about my celebrity magnet in Australia! 

Kate runs across the beach in high heel shoes

Prince william meets some lifeguards before a demonstration

My favorite area of Sydney is The Rocks, which is the most historic area of the city.  Many of the buildings have retained their original facades and it was fun to imagine what life must have been like before Sydney became a sprawling urban hub.  These days, The Rocks is home to many restaurants, bars, and specialty shops.  

The old Police Station in The Rocks

Al Fresco dining in The Rocks

The Sailors' Home was adjacent to the Harbour

Sydney also offers a lot of shopping options but none of them are a haven for bargain hunters.  There is a large mall in the center of the city for anyone who likes chain stores, but I spent my time at the local designer boutiques in Paddington.  Sure, the prices are higher, but the quality of construction and unique designs completely justify the cost.  Paddington also hosts a weekly market and everyone was incredibly friendly (especially once they heard my American accent).  

Weekend market in Paddington

Boutique shopping in Paddington

One tourist attraction that I think can easily be avoided is the Harbour Bridge Climb, which charges upwards of $350 for the opportunity to wear a hilarious jumpsuit and climb over the bridge on a narrow catwalk.  Throughout the day, I saw groups of people climbing up the steps like lines of ants and it did not look fun to me at all.  Instead, I climbed one of the four Pylons for a similar view of the harbor.  This option allows everyone to wear their own clothes and carry cameras with them.

Looking up at the bridge from the walking path along

View of Circular Quay and Sydney CBD from the Harbour Bridge

One morning at breakfast, I overheard some New Yorkers exclaiming how they found Sydney to be boring.  They all agreed that it is possible to see everything in a single day and I just rolled my eyes because I feel like they completely missed the subtle appeal of the city.  In my opinion, the key to enjoying Sydney is to open your eyes and discover the hidden gems that are not listed in the guide books.  Talk to people at the street markets, enjoy the views from the ferry, and wake up early to run through Hyde park.

Sydney is consistently rated among the best in the world for quality of life and I could not agree more.  Although I only spent two weeks in the city, it was such a pleasure to live like a local. 

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day, held each year on April 25th, is the Australian equivalent of both Memorial Day and Veteran's Day.  Patriotic traditions are held across Australia and New Zealand to remember those who have fought in the wars.  Although I do not have any personal connections that have fought for Australia, I still find it interesting to see how other countries honor those who have served in the military. 

The day starts with a dawn service at 4AM, which is more of a somber event that quietly commemorates the soldiers who died in the wars.  I did not wake up for this, but the news channels showed huge crowds at the ANZAC memorial in Sydney.  The images reminded me of the Memorial Day services from my own hometown (and many others) across the United States.  

I walked downtown to watch the parade, which started at a much more reasonable hour of 9AM.  It was raining pretty heavily, but that didn't stop people from lining the streets with their umbrellas.  Unfortunately, anyone marching didn't have the luxury of staying dry.  

Braving the rain to celebrate Australia's veterans on ANZAC Day

Patriotic spirits run high

The parade was much different than anything I have seen in the United States.  Veterans marched with their military battalions - each displaying a banner that listed the military division and service locations. Many of the divisions are dwindling in size as the veterans continue to age (and pass away), but it was clear that participation brings a great sense of pride. Some walked slowly with canes, while others were confined to wheelchairs. I even noticed younger people marching with photos of servicemen who are now deceased. 

The 7th Division of the Australian Air Force passes along the route 

Mobility is an issue for some of the older veterans

I was really impressed by the high level of mutual support - both on the side of the crowd and also from those marching in the seemingly endless parade of veterans.  Almost everyone watching the parade was wearing a sprig of rosemary, which serves as a symbol of remembrance.  Meanwhile, the veterans proudly display rows of medals from their days in the military.   

Marchers express their gratitude for the support along the parade route

After the parade is over, most veterans spend the afternoon drinking with old friends and reminiscing with stories from their days in the service (which probably get repeated year after year). The non-veterans also drink...because it's a fun thing to do on a public holiday.  Everyone comes together to play a traditional gambling game called "two-up", which was popular among soldiers during World War I.  Simply speaking, people bet on whether the coins will land on heads or tails. 

I couldn't help but smile as I experienced the inter-generational camaraderie throughout the city. Elderly service men and women are the heros in Australia - at least on this one day - and they happily accept gratitude from people around my age who have never lived through a major global conflict. 

In true Australian style, ANZAC Day started with a somber salute to those who have died in the wars, but it ended with celebration of all who served. 

Working out with Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton

It started just like any other day. 

My alarm went off, I snoozed twice, and then I finally dragged myself out of bed to hit the gym. 

As is the case with most hotel fitness rooms, this one was pretty small.  I started on the rowing machine to get my heart rate up and, a few minutes later, a woman came in and started running on the treadmill that was just to the right of my machine.  

I wouldn't have paid attention to her except that she kept stepping on the plastic part at the front of the belt.  I looked up at her face and she was completely oblivious.  She was beautiful, though, so I gave her a pass.

When I transitioned to the treadmill, the beautiful woman started rowing and was equally as uninspired.  A few minutes later, an attractive, middle-aged blonde came in and greeted her before stepping on the treadmill next to me.  This woman was much more focused and surprisingly athletic.

I looked down at the TV screen on my treadmill and the Daylight show was airing an interview with the stars of The Other Woman.  At that moment, my heart skipped a beat.

I looked over at the rowing machine and thought to myself: “Am I looking at Kate Upton right now?”.  Then I looked at the treadmill next to me and realized that I was definitely running next to Cameron Diaz.

Cameron must have noticed me staring at her because she looked over at me and said: “Yes, that’s us on TV”. 

I started laughing and said that it must be fun to watch herself on TV.  She responded: “Definitely…I never really get used to it.”

With a giant smile on my face, I returned my focus on the treadmill and tried not to appear completely star-struck.  Cameron went back to her sprinting and I listened to the rest of the interview while I ran. At one point, the caption on the bottom of the screen read: “Hollywood mega-stars are in Australia”.  I smugly thought to myself: “...and they’re standing right next to me.”

Although we only exchanged a few short sentences and a smile, the experience was one that I will always associate with my trip to Sydney.

This is where my week went from regular to amazing