Sydney
WHO
Our family of four traveled to Sydney for two days of our two week road trip in Australia. Averhy was 15 and Eden was 12 when we took this trip.
WHAT
Here is our packing list for our entire 12-day trip to Australia. The clothing items are all per person. Our trip included both summer and fall temperatures, and we decided to bring our own snorkels for the Great Barrier Reef. I used the Ziploc bag method to pack for this trip, as well as the clothing folder. We used one carry-on suitcase and four backpacks (Sky’s magic backpack, the Helena Camelbak, my camera backpack, and Eden’s UnderArmour school backpack.) If we did this entire trip again, I would not bring the snorkels, and would have packed half the number of tshirts because we were able to do laundry twice during the 12 days. Because we were only in Sydney for a day and a half, one Ziploc bag contained all of our shirts/socks/undies for that day and our jeans/sweatshirts were in the clothing folder.
passport
camera/lens/cards
chargers (phone, car, camera)
SJCam/memory cards
power adapter
headphones
Trtl pillows
2 shorts
8 tshirts
1 hiking pants
2 tshirts for hiking
3 jeans
snorkel
sunglasses
basic toiletries
2 long sleeve shirts
2 nicer shirts
1 dress
10 underwear
3 bras
10 socks
1 swimsuit
Kindle
1 puffy coat
2 sweatshirts
1 tennis shoes
1 flip flops
1 nicer shoes
1 water shoes
1 baseball cap
WHEN
We were in Australia the first two weeks of August 2019. We decided to go at that time because it worked well with our summer vacation schedule. August is technically winter in Australia, and the temperatures in Sydney felt like fall in Illinois (about 65*F) and we were comfortable in jeans and sweaters while we walked around the city on the sunny day. August was a great time to visit Australia because it was not the busy tourist season. In Sydney, we were easily able to book a tour of the Opera House.
WHERE
We stayed at the Coogee Bay Beach Hotel, which was a little drive outside the city but on the way to our morning destination. It was clean, fairly inexpensive, and within walking distance of the beach and a few restaurants.
During our time in Sydney, we walked and drove to the starred locations on the map.
WHY
We initially decided to go to Australia because NextVacay.com alerted us to a cheap round-trip flight to Sydney. Although we only had time for a little more than a day in the Sydney area, we were able to see the highlights. It felt like a very safe and friendly city, and the Opera House was particularly impressive. We would definitely go back someday!
HOW
Day 1: We arrived in Sydney around 9:30am and spent the morning having family photos taken by my friend Sarah Gardan Photography.
Whenever we travel, I use it as an opportunity to have professional photos taken. As a family photographer, I really value quality family photos, and scheduling this during our trips adds another fun memory to the experience!
After family photos, we took a tour of the Sydney Opera House. This was easily one of the highlights of our entire time in Australia. The building is gorgeous and the architecture is stunning. I would highly recommend taking a tour if you can.
We were able to walk up and book a tour, but I would guess they might fill up in the summer months.
After the tour we got sandwiches to eat as we walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens over to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. It was an easy walk to get a different view of the city skyline.
The girls had fun climbing on the rocks at the edge of the harbor. To get back to the downtown area, we walked on the waterfront path, and were rewarded with a different view of the Opera House as well.
We finished the day by walking through the Rocks area (a more historic area of the city) to get a pint at the Lord Nelson Brewery, Sydney’s oldest pub.
Once it got dark, we ended the day where we began, at Campbells Cove Lookout, to get some night photos of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It’s the perfect location if you want family photos with those iconic backgrounds!
Day 2: Bondi Beach
We started our day with breakfast from the Crabbe Hole, which is the poolside restaurant at the Bondi Icebergs Pool. The pool is open all year, and is located right next to the ocean - so occasionally big waves splash over the edge!
If we had all day to spend here, we probably would… the beach is beautiful and wide, and is popular for surfing. The morning we were there, a group was setting up for a surfing event.
I would guess this beach gets crowded in the summer, but it’s beautiful and worth a visit. This ended our time in Sydney, so we got back in the car to keep driving!
Final Tips
Driving on the left side of the road takes a little bit of getting used to… we liked to say “sliiiide to the left” anytime we were starting to feel nervous about the traffic on the right side of the car!
If you’re traveling from the USA to Australia, be prepared for a LONG flight… but depending on when you leave, you might be traveling in darkness the entire flight, so it’s easier to sleep. We used Trtl travel pillows, and they were okay. Not quite as comfortable as the ads make them look, but they did the job. Do you have a travel pillow you love? Let me know in the comments below!
