Postcard #1
Hi everyone! This trip had been years in the making, but I've finally made a postcard from Sydney! I had 4 beautiful days to make the most of my time exploring the city, so as soon as I stepped off the plane and checked into my hotel, me and my camera were ready to go!
First stop was always going to be the iconic Sydney harbour- fun fact: Finding Nemo is one of my all-time favourite Disney films, so finally seeing the remarkable Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge in person was so gratifying. The harbour itself was so full of life, with a variety of restaurants, souvenir shops, and buskers. One busker that particularly caught my eye, was a group of Aboriginal men, who took turns playing traditional music on the didgeridoo (ancient aboriginal wind instrument).
In the afternoon, I wandered through the botanical gardens and headed towards the city, as I had been told that the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) was a must see! Now personally, although I found the exterior of the building to be architecturally breath-taking, the interior was slightly unimpressive, similar to any other European 'galleria.' I was however feeling a bit exhausted from the early flight at this point though, so my judgement may be slightly clouded!
After a quick power nap back at the hotel, I decided to head back out for 'golden hour' to grab some more shots of the harbour, as well as to explore 'The Rocks' (a precinct at the edge of harbour bridge.) I was lucky enough to meet another girl who was travelling alone down by the docks, so we took each others 'Instagram' photos before having a short walk together under the harbour bridge. We exchanged details and parted ways, while I continued walking down to the docks and Barangaroo for the perfect sunset photos. Not a bad way to end your first night in Sydney!
Postcard #2
Remember how I said that Sydney had been years in the making? Well, today was the day I FINALLY ticked off a bucket list item from back in 2013... I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Unfortunately for safety reasons I wasn't allowed to bring my camera or any electronic devices on the climb, so I don't have any photos of the view from the top. HOWEVER, the entire experience was so thrilling and Bridge Climb Sydney made sure that everyone had at least 1 souvenir photo from their climb.
The whole climb took around 3 hours, but as I'd booked on to a morning climb, I had the rest of the day to continue exploring my 'must-see' destinations... and what better way to relax after a 3 hour climb than down by the beach!
----------------------------------
Before arriving in Sydney, I was definitely apprehensive about visiting any beaches, due to the atrocious Bondi attack the previous month. However, it felt impossible to have an Aussie summer and NOT go to a beach, so I decided Manly was our safest bet, plus it was only a 30 minute ferry from circular quay.
As soon as I stepped off the ferry, I felt as if I'd stepped into a Pinterest board for 'coastal aesthetic.' As you walked down the main strip, each side was filled with all your traditional surf shops, seafood takeaways, and a collection of small business shops to support marine wildlife. And at the end of the strip...beach; crystal clear waters, golden sands, and a glaring sunlight. Only one small flaw, the beach was considered temporarily closed! Apparently there had been some shark sightings the week before, so for everyone's safety there was no swimming allowed. Still, I was happy just walking along the beach, enjoying the sun, and exploring a few rock pools nearby... before I knew it, 4 hours had gone by!
I headed back on the ferry to Sydney CBD, which coincidentally was just in time for another gorgeous sunset, with views of the Opera House and the Harbour bridge in all their glory. There was definitely a little bit of sunburn when I got back to my hotel, but all I wanted was to be back by the beach as soon as possible.
Postcard #3
Now, if anyone knows me, they'd know the one thing not to ask me is to go on a hike. So I definitely surprised myself, when I booked myself on a hiking tour of the Blue Mountains... but sometimes for photography, you just have to commit.
Our first stop of the day was Glenbrook, a small town just outside of the blue mountains national park, where we stopped for breakfast and grab some water before heading to a 'secret lookout' in the park. The view was astonishing, as the guide explained the history of Jamison valley and Mt Solitary. Definitely a popular Instagram spot for groups of tourists like us!
A short drive later we arrived at Wentworth Falls, where the nature walk officially began. The guide took us on a bushwalk downhill, where we had views of all the eucalyptus trees, and multiple waterfalls along the way. Fun fact: the blue mountains actually got their name from the masses of eucalyptus trees, which from a distance appear blue in the haze! Anyways, the hike was going well, until the guide mentioned there is a steep (optional) downhill climb of 500 steps to the large waterfall at the bottom. As I had done the bridge climb the day before, my legs were already not at their best, so I politely passed and continued to enjoy the waterfalls we had passed previously, before making my way back to the meeting point. Once the rest of the group had returned, we had a quick lunch before heading to back to the van for our final stop.
We were back on the van for about 20/30 minutes, before arriving at Katoomba, home of the famous Three Sisters rock formations- considerably one of the most iconic images from the blue mountains. Again, it was such a spectacular view of the mountains, and we were given around 30 minutes to take it all in and explore the local shops, before heading back into Sydney and ending the tour.
Even though by the end of the day my legs no longer felt attached to the rest of my body, I don't regret a minute of it for those stunning views!
Postcard #4
Starting off my last day strong, I had been dying to go to the artisan markets in 'the Rocks', which is open from Friday to Sunday. There are some ridiculously talented artists and jewellers that were selling their craftmanship, and it was a joy to walk around and explore new things. Compared to the Christmas markets back home, these stalls definitely felt less claustrophobic to wander!
My next stop was towards Paddington Reservoir Gardens, a place I had discovered through researching photography spots beforehand which seemed unusually hidden. About 10 minutes out of Sydney's CBD, this small sunken garden was built originally as a water reservoir, but over the years had been utilised as a storage and service station, before being converted into an urban conservation park in 2006. Photographically it was definitely a hidden gem, perfect for photoshoots and modelling.
For my final stop of the day before heading to the airport, I couldn't get my mind off going to the beach one last time. After being reassured from other tourists I'd met over the past 2 days that it was safe, I decided it wouldn't be right not to visit Bondi beach- especially as it was on the same bus route! I'm glad to admit that when I arrived, not once did I feel like there was any danger nearby... in fact there was police officers spaced out along the esplanade which definitely made me feel safe. Similarly to Manly beach, I spent most of the day walking along the beach, watching a few surfing lessons, and exploring the nearby rock pools. There's something so calming about listening to waves crashing against the rocks, don't you think?
Before I knew it, it was time to head back towards the city and head to the airport.
Sydney, you were a dream come true, and I only hope that I can return soon. 'Til next time!
