An Under-Caffeinated Australian Adventure

Sydney was the first stop on our sabbatical trip with 1 sole objective: NYE fireworks. This has been high on Ben's bucket list since he was a little nugget, and was the only reason we went to Australia at all.
We ended up in a killer Airbnb in Randwick, which was a perfect location-- 5 minute walk to the beach and 30 minute bus ride to downtown. We spent the week with Erin, Ben's sister, as well as Kelly, my roommate, exploring and hanging out all in under-caffeinated anticipation of the fireworks.

We packed a lot into our first week; here are the highlights:
Coogee Beach: Our Airbnb was a 5 min walk from here, and was a great way to start off our trip. It's a beautiful beach, with a fantastic sunrise, soft sand and lots of coffee shops around. Also, by coffee, they mean espresso. And the European version "Americano" gets you no where. Don't order coffee at the coffee shop unless you want to confuse everyone.

Manly Beach: We actually did this one twice: our first day in Sydney, and then again when Kelly joined us after some fun with United flight delays. The beach is across the harbor from downtown, so you take a ferry to get there. It's pretty cool because you get a fantastic view of the Opera House. Also the beach was on point. Very sunny, very busy, and very beautiful. Recommend.

Blue Mountains: This was the part I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint. The mountains were like a hazy blue, and the change in terrain every few minutes was impressive. I was a dope and twisted my ankle pretty badly early on, so it was a longer than expected hike, but still great (and Ben and Erin were impressively patient with my baby-self). Totally recommend.

Featherby Reserve: Ben & Erin headed to see the kangaroos and wallabys. The reserve resembles a zoo far more than a park, but you can get an up close view of native animals and even get your picture next to a koala . They also have an impressive collection of birds including some local birds not owned by the park who are more than willing to steal food from unsuspecting native endangered species. They had fun but unless you are up for lines of tourists, children grabbing animals through the fence and zoos in general, Ben advises this is skippable.

Coogee to Bondi Walk: Kelly & I did this walk while Ben & Erin hung out with the animals, and were so impressed we did it again the next day with the whole crew. Tons to see, great history, breathtaking views. Yes, yes, yes- recommend. Also recommend wearing sneakers. Flip flops were a fail (it took us 1.25 hours in sneakers and 2+ in flip flops). Other surprisingly fantastic things about this walk: the street art at Bondi is freaking awesome. So cool. Also, great places to swim along the way. Make sure to wear your suit and bring a towel. Plan on only doing one way, especially if it's hot, and catching a cab or bus back.

NYE Fireworks (!!): I feel like this deserves music, or it's own post. I'll try to do it justice. We were planning to just figure it out when we got to Sydney, and about a week before we left, realized that was a sorry mistake. Most things with a view were sold out. We went through a painstaking pro/con list process (obviously) and ended up buying tickets to Shark Island, a private island with a ferry that takes you out for a themed party.
Pros: Cheaper tickets relative to everything else, fantastic, unobstructed views of both the Harbor Bridge and Opera House, a DJ, food available and BYO food allowed, casual vibe, only 1 hour 45 min walk from Airbnb
Cons: Alcohol not included, and no BYO allowed = EXPENSIVE. Like $40/bottle and $12/beer. Not in the middle of the action downtown. DJ was meh.

Overall, we were VERY happy with our choice- it was the perfect vibe for what we were looking for and Ben had a perfect view of the fireworks. They 100% lived up to his expectations, and the best part for me was seeing him like a kid in a candy shop with his camera.

Sydney = Success

If you're thinking about heading down under, here are some tips that you may find helpful:

• Public transport is on point. Don't bother with a rental car. You need to buy an Opal Card, and it can get you around their sophisticated bus service, as well as trains and ferries. Opal cards are sold at convenience stores.
• Food ends at like 9:00 PM. This was especially confusing for us because it didn't get dark until 8:30, so most nights we were on a limited menu. Not a big deal if you plan accordingly.
• London Hotel in Balmain = YUM. I personally thought it was good, but both Ben & Erin had the best steaks of their lives there.
• Sydney itself is just a big city, really. It's clean, and safe, but not a ton to see. Plan on beaches and day trips rather than hanging out downtown. 4 days is plenty.
• If you're spending NYE there, plan early. It was difficult to get an Airbnb at all for less than 2 weeks.
• Same language does not mean the same coffee language. The closest thing to coffee we could find was a long black, and that was hit-or-miss. Sometimes they asked if we wanted water on top? Once I ordered an iced long black that was just a hot espresso with 2 ice cubes. Advice for appropriate caffeination: bring some chocolate covered espresso beans.