Spotlight :: Sydney :: Surf City Meets Metro Cool

[trip style = urban] {more pictures below}

In Sydney there are two kinds of suits: well tailored pinstripe and tight fitting neoprene. People wear both, and like quick-change artists they transition from one to the other in a matter of seconds. After all there’s only so many daylight hours, so it’s surf then work, or vice versa. To dispel any stereotypes, not everyone surfs and has natural bleach-blond hair, but, there are quite a few bombshells and hunks traipsing around in wet suits, bathing suits…and business suits.

Where else in the world can you run down an icing sugar-like beach and surf big swells, then hit up work for a few hours, and finish off your day with a beer and shrimp on the barbie? Speaking of which, when I asked some Australians about Paul Hogan’s {aka Crocodile Dundee} iconic “shrimp on the barbie” saying, they laughed and said they cook sausage or chicken on the barbecue, but that it was a popular tourist campaign in the mid-80s.

With the juxtaposition of a splashy cosmopolitan city and the laid-back vibe of a beachy town, Sydney seems to do the impossible: achieve balance, and once you get beyond the city, you’re more and more taken by the diverse land mass Australians have the pleasure of calling home. I just wish it wasn’t so far away, but maybe that’s part of its exotic allure?

Must-Dos

• The Bridge Climb {more on this thursday!}
• Opera House photoshoot
• Manley surf n’ brunch
• Bondi beach day and drinky-poo at Icebergs, just bring your most fabutan beach cover-up, it’s a fairly swish place…

Where to Stay
Expect to pay $250+ for a 4- to 5-star hotel in City’s CBD {city centre}, here are a few I suggest:

• Shangri-la Sydney {Stayed here. Great location and aside from Radisson, only hotel to have free wifi}.
• Park Hyatt Sydney is currently undergoing massive renovations, so big they’ve closed down to redo the whole property. Expect it to be fab when it reopens in November 2011.
• Lots of locals and websites with curated lists and impeccable taste suggest: The Establishment {luxe boutique}.
• Locals like BLUE Sydney A Taj Hotel on the waterfront, and who knows, you might spot Russell Crowe who lives in a penthouse nearby.
• For a budget option, try The Blues Point Hotel just outside the city, with a bar featured in design blogs serving $3 champage on Friday nights}

Where to Eat

• Manly Pavilion
• Bondi Icebergs
• Blue Bar lounge on the 36th floor of the Shangri-la Sydney {the bar and restaurant, also on that floor, are good too.}

What To Know

• Expensive – food prices are like London’s and hotel prices are like New York’s. I didn’t totally expect this. A muffin is between $4-5 and a basic main at a nice-ish restaurant is $50.
• “Internet Included” means internet is included but you’ll pay extra for it. As mentioned above, the only two major hotels in Sydney with complimentary wifi are the Shangri-la and the Radisson.
• Getting to and from the Airport – is easy via the train. For $15 each way you can easily and safely connect to Sydney’s CBD.
• Tipping – you don’t really tip in Australia, but it’s common and appreciated  to round up the bill {up to 10%}, for example, for $28 you could give $30, or for $95 you could give $100. We tipped a little extra to people who gave extraordinary service like the skipper and first mate of our Whitsunday Cruise or the pool bartender and server at qualia.

Australia Month
Planning a Trip Up Australia’s East Coast
JetSet Jingles :: Australia
Spotlight :: Syndey {today}
Travel Trends :: Bridge Climbing {Thursday, May 19th}
A Heavenly Hut and Hellish Ride :: Wilson Island {Friday, May 20}
Tea, Tim Tams & Turtles :: Whitsunday Islands {Wednesday, May 25}
Thirty-two and a Small q :: Hamilton Island {Monday, May 30}

PS – did you know that we have destination spotlights like this one for 30+ cities in the US, Canada and internationally?

{photos taken by @tripstyler and @nate_fri}