Sydney

The Place
After being in Australia for eight months, I was finally on a flight to Sydney. As I eagerly looked out of the aeroplane window for a birds-eye-view of the city, the tightly packed in terraced houses reminded me more of England than Australia - New South Wales is so different to Queensland and its scattering of Queenslanders (wooden houses on stilts, which are designed to cope with the state's humidity).

On closer inspection of the buildings, Sydney seemed to have a history which is somewhat lacking in other parts of Australia. The Victorian-style houses make the city look like the setting for Walt Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp' and when the sunlight dapples through the trees that adorn every street, the place becomes even more romantic. It's no wonder that countless weddings are seen around the city every weekend.

The moment I realised that I'd fallen in love with Sydney was on a bus journey on the way back from my first trip to Bondi Beach. I looked out of the window on my left to see skyscrapers and as I turned to look out at the beaches on the right, I caught a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge out of the front window. What a spectacular setting for a city. Remind me again why Sydney isn't the capital of Australia?

The Sights

The Harbour Bridge
Based on the structure of Newcastle's bridge (Tash and I were told this by a Geordie we met in our hostel, who said it was Newcastle's only claim to fame (er...Byker Grove?)), Sydney's Harbour Bridge seems to get bigger each time you see it and is especially impressive if you're as lucky as we were to see it lit up by lightning on a stormy night.
Walking across it only takes about 20 minutes and is worth it for the stunning views of the front of the Opera House.

Sydney Opera House
Having spent two thirds of my time in Australia and barely making it out of Queensland, I was unwilling to wait any longer to see Sydney's iconic Opera House and I made my way to Circular Quay as soon as I'd checked into our hostel. As I neared my destination, I caught a glimpse of the sails through the trees and quickened my pace - my heart was actually thumping. As I circled the infamous landmark, every expectation I had was fulfilled and it was then that I was fully able to appreciate what all the fuss is about. Stylish and appealing, I never thought a building could be described as 'sexy' but somehow it is. I was so awed by the structure that I added 'seeing an opera at the Opera House' to my list of things to do before I die.

I can't really understand the logic of coming to Sydney for New Year's Eve and making plans other than to watch the famous fireworks display as some backpackers seemed to be doing. We however, caught the ferry across the Harbour to Taronga Zoo with the rest of the people from our hostel and ended up in a field with a view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Although we were pretty far away and the view was partially obstructed by trees, at least we didn't have to deal with the grid-locked crowds in Circular Quay. Lasting 20 minutes and costing $5 million, the theme for the display was 'Spiritual Awakening' and it was anticipated to be the best fireworks show to date. Needless to say after ten hours of drinking, we can't really remember the display, but having watched it on YouTube the next day, I can tell you that it was spectacular.

Bondi Beach
With its beautiful bronzed bodies, countless surfers, numerous lifeguards on patrol up and down the shoreline and helicopters circling in the sky, Bondi Beach epitomises any clichés you might have about an Australian beach and is much bigger than you would expect.
On one of our visits to the infamous beach, we caught a bus from Oxford Street and changed at Bondi Junction, where a sign in the bus station cafe actually said: 'Don't bring your rubbish in here. You can leave it anywhere outside. Cleaner will pick it up.' Nice.

One of the main draws of coming to Australia was spending Christmas day partying on the beach in the sunshine with thousands of other backpackers. We decided to attend the 'Sunburnt Christmas' festival and despite the venue meaning it wasn't really on beach, the relatively chavy crowd and the fact that it rained like crazy all day, whilst England enjoyed a white Christmas, Micky Slim was the headline act and Timmy Trumpet's set was surprisingly entertaining.

Palm Beach
We arrived at the beach where Home & Away is filmed still drunk from the night before. Thankful for the fact that Palm Beach is a calm, sleepy place, I had a quick nap as we sunbathed amongst the picnicking families. Unfortunately there were no sightings of Aden Jefferies or any other soap stars while we were there, but at least now I can say I've been to Summer Bay!

The Rocks
The area in Sydney known as The Rocks is where the first European settlers stepped ashore on 26th January 1788 and is today home to fantastic weekend markets and some of the oldest pubs in Australia, making it reminiscent to a quaint English market town.

Royal Botanic Gardens
Unusually for public gardens, the signs here encourage you to 'walk on the grass' and 'smell the roses, hug the trees, talk to the birds and picnic on the lawns'. In fact, it's impossible not to smell the roses, as you're hit by the gorgeous scent as soon as you enter. Apart from the Flying Foxes - which are pretty unnerving - it's the perfect alternative to the beach for relaxing in the sun - and it comes without the hassle of the sand.

Mrs McQuarie's Point
The perfect views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city skyline can be seen from Mrs McQuarie's Point, but although Mrs McQuarie's Chair boasts the best views of the Harbour, I can't really understand this claim, because of the tree which has been allowed to grow smack bang in the way.

The Blue Mountains
With the new friends we'd made in Sydney, we decided to take a road trip to Katoomba to save spending money on costly tours. Unwise in our choice of day to visit, we arrived to find Echo Point covered with fog, with the Three Sisters Rock formation barely visible. Having heard a lot about The Three Sisters, we headed to another lookout for a better view, and although less mist meant we could actually see the landmark, I reckon that even on a sunny day three rocks jutting out of a cliff top would hardly be a sight to write home about. In order to explore the area further, we bought a Valley Return ticket which includes rides on both the Scenic Railway and a cable car - both boasting to be the steepest in the world. But once we got to the Grand Canyon, it wasn't as impressive as we'd hoped. We then took a walk to Katoomba Falls, but decided it wouldn't be worth walking to the top. From speaking to people since, I think that this was a mistake, as they'd told me the waterfall was beautiful. Probably the best part of our day trip was the delicious lunch we had in Katoomba on the way home; made even better by the staff's incompetence, which meant that we accidently got a free meal.

Manly
As well as visiting Manly for one of its many beaches, it's worth taking the boat trip to the suburb if only for the head on views of the Opera House as you travel across the harbour.

Like somewhere in the south of France, Manly is a pretty seaside town with a European feel to it. Although it boasts a great deal of beaches, Manly Beach, with its impressive surf, is the most popular, however we found that its popularity meant that it was horribly busy. From speaking to friends afterwards, it would be advisable to walk a little further and stray off the beaten track for a more secluded place to either lie in the sand or do some rock jumping.

Hunter Valley
My biggest regret with regards to sightseeing in Sydney was not visiting the vineyard that makes Lindeman's, which is one of my favourite wines. But I've consoled myself by promising that on my return trip to Sydney, as well as seeing an opera at the Opera House, I'll make sure I visit the Hunter Valley too.

The People
Prior to my arrival in Sydney, I was warned that it would be full of foreigners and tourists instead of Australians, which is true - Tash only met three Aussies, despite being in Australia for three weeks - but this true with any huge city, and just because the people living here aren't 'native', it doesn't mean that Sydneysiders love their city any less.

The Accommodation
G'Day Backpackers in Woolloomooloo (Kings Cross) is not the nicest hostel in terms of cleanliness -we saw a disturbingly large number of cockroaches during our three-week stay - but it's surprising what you'll put up with if you have a great group of people to share the experience with. The staff and other guests were the friendliest I've met in any hostel so far, so the hostel had a really nice vibe and within a 20-minute walk to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, it's also in a great location.

In a bid to combat the dirt, a few rules were put in place. For example, everyone had to pay a $5 deposit to rent a mug during their stay, room keys were to be handed in at reception in exchange for dishes and were returned when the crockery was brought back clean and a fence would go up in the kitchen every night at 10pm to prevent drunk people from trashing the place. But despite the complaints that the backpackers was "becoming more and more like a prison", it seemed to work - I've seen much messier hostel kitchens.

And when you take into consideration all the nights out, activities and walks (including free buses to Bondi Beach) that are arranged by the hostel, the rules can be overlooked.

Food and Drink
I was expecting restaurant prices to be extortionate, but even in Circular Quay I managed to find a couple of bars with meal deals, including The Ship Inn which advertises $10 pizzas on Monday and Tuesday nights.

But our best bargain bistro by far was the $4.95 all-you-can-eat buffet at the Shark Hotel on George Street (near Pitt Street). And on Sundays it's even better at $2.95.

Of course there's always the backpacker pub meals usually consisting of steak, pasta and fish and chips at places like The Gaff on Oxford Street, but we tended to avoid these places, as one drink with your meal ends up being eight drinks, an unintentional night out, a considerably lighter purse and a hangover the next day.

Summary
Everyone told me I'd have the best time in Sydney, and I really did, but I don't think I could live here for more than a month. I love the fact that you never have to be lonely as there's always someone asking if you fancy a night out or whether you want to join them in whatever they're doing, but those who know me know I can never resist an alcoholic drink, so I'd inevitably end up spending all of my hard earned cash on goon. This Christmas and New Year is one I'll remember forever and we're really sad to have left our makeshift family - it feels like the end of an era...