REAL TALK WITH DANIELLE - Travel in Sydney

Always in competition with neighboring Melbourne for Australia’s best city, and often confused for the capital city, Sydney is home to some of the world’s best beaches and most iconic landmarks. This is a destination where tourists on a backpacker’s budget can pretty easily spend a week seeing incredible sights without completely emptying their wallets. However, proceed with caution, fellow travelers, because Sydney is more than willing to break the bank for people who can afford it. This blog primarily focuses on sights that we saw without having very much money and includes approximately a billion photos of Sydney Opera House.

Activities

Australia Day: We arrived at about 6 PM on this hot, blustery day. The sun was shining so brightly that everyone was taking squinty-eyed, sweaty selfies. The crowd slowly moved toward the steps of Sydney Opera House, Olivia Newton-John blasted overhead, and I assumed two ladies in floor-length gowns were pretentious Americans refusing to dress casually. Turns out they were Australian Olympic swimmers Cate and Bronte Campbell!

Australia Day takes place in Circular Quay, which appears like a U shape. On the right tip of the U lies the Sydney Opera House, and past the left tip of the U is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We made our way to the left side for fish and chips from one of the many food trucks, and to grab a front-row spot for the evening performance. We saw the concert from giant TV screens in the middle of the harbour. We jammed all night to Australian artists, including Vanessa Amorosi and Isaiah Firebrace. By the end, I was belting a classic by The Seekers, “I am, You are, We are Australian!” As I privately lived out my dream to defect to Australia, there was an unbelievable display of colorful fireworks blasting from the ships sailing in the harbour, men doing spectacular gymnastics with water jetpacks, and some beautiful tributes to the volunteer firefighters in Australia. The entire evening was a memory I will never forget.

Sydney Opera House: More than any other sight during Australia Day, I was stunned by the breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House. The sails at the top are an eggshell white, but displayed a projection of the Australian flag and a vibrantly-colored light show. The construction of this building has a very interesting backstory. In 1957, the Australian government could not find a building designer within the country, so they chose Copenhagen architect, Jørn Utzon for the job. The government demanded to begin construction earlier than the designs were completed. (Never rush an artist!) The lack of a plan cost extra time and money, and to make matters worse, a change in government led to a refusal to fund the project. This forced Utzon out of his position and he was replaced by another designer. In 1973, the Sydney Opera House was opened. Utzon was not invited to the ceremony and his name was not mentioned as the original designer. During the 1990s and 2000s, the Sydney Opera House made reconciliations and established Utzon as the original creator. Despite this, Utzon died in 2008 and never saw the finished Sydney Opera House.

...Which is such a tragedy! I tell this story not to give a history lesson, but to make a point about what we can lose when we take advantage of artists. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings in our world. Can you imagine having designed it and having zero influence over its final iteration? We see it today in the arts all the time. Ever heard of ghost writing? If not, many of the famous comedians, public speakers, and writers we cherish have a team of “ghost” writers, who are doing most of the writing and getting zero credit. Sure, it’s a well-paid gig, but don’t we care who these people are? The same goes for Taylor Swift - yes, she is one of the most powerful people in the music industry, but she is rightfully mad that her record executives will not allow her to buy back control of her music. The point is not that she signed a contract, the point is that these contracts are inherently ridiculous because artists should have more power over and credit for their art than they do.

Sydney Harbour Bridge: Back in Circular Quay, across from the Sydney Opera House is a view of this second iconic structure that some Aussies refer to as “The Coathanger”. It can best be seen by the ferry to and from Manly Beach, and looks especially beautiful during sunset. Tourists can stroll over the pedestrian walkway of the bridge for free, or climb the 439-foot summit for at least $130 USD. This structure also comes with a seedy history...

The construction of the bridge in the 1920’s meant demolition of 469 residential buildings on the north shore of the bridge. During the eviction, the former residents of these buildings were given zero compensation for their removal and nowhere to go. This is another example of how greedy people in power wield so much influence, and so often turn a blind eye to people of lesser means. (Not that it’s just Australia - the US has exactly the same problems).

So although Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are absolutely gorgeous structures, it’s important to remember that they come with a seedy history. At least it’s important to me. Traveling around the world is a huge privilege, and I think it would be remiss to just take selfies and post them to Instagram without having an understanding of how things came to be.

*Steps off pedestal, coughs*

... but those selfies be poppin’ right?

Museum of Contemporary Art: Speaking of getting the perfect shot, I’d recommend getting pictures from the outdoor balcony at the Museum of Contemporary Art. They have a great view of both Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Besides the views, they have a wonderful free collection of art. One piece that stood out to me was tall man by Vernon Ah Kee. This 11-minute video portrays a 2004 riot that broke out in Palm Island, Australia. An Aboriginal man was detained for swearing at the police. An hour and a half later, the man was found dead in his cell from internal bleeding. After this news was released, the community set the police station ablaze, and the policeman who killed the Aboriginal man was never convicted. It keenly portrayed how white people sling our privilege by treating others like dirt, and get away with it so often. It’s disgusting to me. The English who settled Australia claimed it was uninhabited land before creating a colony of convicts in Sydney. Even the convicts who were sent to serve their sentences halfway across the world had it better than the Aboriginals who were treated as if they didn’t even exist. It’s still happening all over the world to pretty much anyone who isn’t white or male, and I often find myself wondering, what is there (practically) to do about any of this?

I’m Free Walking Tour: On this tour, I was able to get such an expansive history of Sydney, and our guide, Sarah, was an absolute treasure! She was so knowledgeable about her hometown, and authentic in her enjoyment of giving these tours. She herself is a traveler, and she took us through some fantastic spots in Sydney including the Queen Victoria Market Building, Hyde Park, The Mint, and The Sydney Hospital. She also brought us to this really cool alleyway in Angel Place with a ton of birdcages hanging from above. This art installation plays the bird call of fifty birds that were located in Sydney before losing their habitats to English settlement. I highly recommend this 2.5-hour tour, which makes a fantastic introduction to Sydney.

Beaches: Last, but not least, one of the main attractions to Sydney are the beautiful beaches. The most popular ones we visited were Manly and Bondi. Both are majorly tourist-y areas. The attraction of Manly Beach is the ferry ride to and from Circular Quay. (If you time it correctly, you can get a stunning sunset view behind Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge). But, honestly, I thought Manly Beach was a bit dirty in comparison to Bondi Beach, which is the cleanest beach I have ever seen. Hundreds of surfers were catching waves. I’d think because of the amount of tourism this place gets, that the beach would be gross, but it was pristine. Bondi boasts incredible artwork along the walls of its boardwalk. This is also the starting point of the “Bondi to Bronte Walk”, which is an easy, hour long path along the coast that unfolds the most captivating views of the beaches in Sydney. The tide has the largest waves I have ever seen in my life. In fact, they are so tall and powerful that I almost lost my glasses while swimming in them. Lesson learned!

Bondi to Bronte Walk: During this walk, we discovered an interesting place, which does not always exist. There is a beach across from the Gaerloch Reserve, located between Tamarama Beach and Bondi Bay. This beach is completely covered by ocean during high tide, and normally looks just like typical ocean. But during low tide, the ocean reveals rocks above the sand, which form an easy pathway down to the small beach. The beach is much less populated, but has the same fine sand, tiny barnacles, and powerful waves as Bondi.

Travel Tips:

Sydney is a city with a rich (albeit, short) history. The city has a clear dedication to tourism, as indicated by the Chinese New Year Festival decorations that appeared literally the day after Australia Day. It is definitely pricier than most cities, so if you are on a backpacking budget, my first recommendation is to to cook most of your meals. Eating out in Sydney is mad expensive (Did you notice I didn’t put any restaurants in this blog?). Go to the grocery store, and don’t forget to buy Tim Tams for dessert - these addictive chocolate layered cookies are a local favorite! Save the rest of your money for sightseeing activities! Most of what I have mentioned above is cheap or free. But I can’t wait to come back again and experience more of this fantastic city!

My second recommendation is to find cheap accommodation. Our accommodation was FREE thanks to Trusted Housesitters. Real Talk - I would not affiliate myself with a service unless I absolutely 150% believed in it. Travel is, for me, one of the most important things I could do with my time. But it costs a lot of money to book accommodation! So, how do I get free accommodation anywhere in the world? TrustedHousesitters allows for just that. After doing a few housesits near home, we have already been able to find 6 weeks of housesits internationally. We get to spend time with some adorable animals in actual homes, and we’ve saved $1500! Below is Scorpio, the most adorable 1 year old roommate we could have asked for. He has asked us to notify everyone that he will give cuddles in exchange for ear scratches. If you’re into the idea of free travel, don’t forget to: click my link!

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