Sydney is a huge vibrant city but after all it was surprisingly manageable as all major attractions are easily reachable, a large number free and set around its beautiful harbor. It is for certain a great place to dive into the Oozy cultures: great beaches, bars, entertainments, outdoor activities and sunshine, even in ‘winter’ we got a fantastic week of warm and sunny days.
Here, what we enjoyed most of it:

• 1- get the best amazing view over the iconic Opera House and Sydney inlet just by walking the footpath along the Harbour Bridge;
• 2- spend an evening staring at the mysterious creatures of the ocean at the Sydney Aquarium. It hosts great exhibitions on Australian rivers’ system and its habitants, including a big croc, but we spent most of our time observing the amazing oceanariums with various species of sharks (though no sight of the big white), huge manta rays, two mysterious dugongs and an exhibition entirely dedicated to the Great Barrier Reef. There were only few people around which made our experience even more magical;

• 3- the Opera House, although we imagined to be a more colossal structure, as many other sightseeing around the world it looks smaller in reality but it is a beautiful building which remind me the form of a seashell, maybe I got influenced by its stunning setting by the waterfront;
• 4- escape the concrete jungle to the Botanic Gardens, strolling along lush gardens, gazing at the many species of plants, flowers and the sleepy bats hanging down on the trees’ branches, ending up at the nearby Art gallery of NSW which host Aboriginal art plus many European famous artwork pieces;
• 5- chill out at the bustling Darling Harbour enjoying the sunshine and the great view of the shiny skyscrapers in front of us;
• 6- enjoy a walk along The Rock, where Sydney first began in 1788 when the first European settlers start their camp here. In the past a rough place, it has now beautiful renovated warehouses, sailors’ home, charming restaurants and a pretty touristic market for all your souvenirs;
• 7- grab some fresh massive seafood platter at Sydney Fish Markets and enjoy a fantastic lunch by the waterfront; watch out for the pesky seagulls they are very greedy and more than happy to ruin your feast;
• 8- catch the ferry from the Wharf to Manly, a must ride while in Sydney at only $6 per way;
• 9- take a stroll around Sydney’ suburbs: King’s Cross, the backpackers’ ghetto stuffed with tacky shops, bars and nightclubs, Newton with its alternative lifestyle, funky shops ‘n cafes and Manly with its relax atmosphere;
• 10- Bondi is probably the most famous beach in Sydney, thanks to its reputation it is also the most commercial, but there are plenty of other as beautiful and less crowded beaches around starting with Coogee beach, just a short drive away, Manly and my favorite picks Palm Beach and La Perouse, where, if you are more lucky than us, you will enjoy a reptiles’ show at the main car park on Sunday afternoons;

Bondi beach on a quiet day

Tips:

• you could enjoy some undisturbed free web-surfing at the huge State Library, just next to the Parliament House;
• Sydney has heaps of walkways around the harbor and protected rock pools in almost every beach;
• why spend grand part of your budget on a hotel room or a crammed full hostel? Gumtree is a great site to find cheap short term accommodation just browses it through or place an ad as we did. We ended up staying in a pretty dependence with our own bathroom with a very welcoming family for only $250 pw just a stroll from Maroubra beach;
• if you plan to do some sightseeing watch out for the many free magazines around the city (any hostels or backpackers’ travel agent will have it) which are packed with interesting vouchers. We got a 20% discount on our entrance at the Aquarium, so we managed to splurge $51.50 between the two of us, all well worth it. Allow plenty of time to see it and bear in mind it is open till 10 every night, isn’t that great?!