What we Loved About Sydney

It’s spectacularly beautiful. You can’t beat the walk between Bondi Beach and Coogee Beach for natural splendor. But not only is the natural scenery gorgeous, but there is some amazing architecture here that adds to the beauty. It’s hard not to whip out your camera every time you turn a corner and see the Opera House. The buildings at the Circular Quay glitter in the sunlight. And the Sydney Harbor Bridge is elegant and incredibly picturesque.

The public transportation system is one of the best we’ve ever encountered. You really can get from anywhere to anywhere cheaply and efficiently. The busses are on time, the trains and beautiful and clean, the ferries are a joy, and it’s all cheap. Not only that, but you can use your credit card to swipe when you go in and out of the system – no need to buy a separate card and keep it charged.

We loved the huge trees, the beautiful birds and seeing kangaroos in the wild!

There are green spaces everywhere. We lived very close to the spectacular Centennial Park, but even in little corners of streets, Sydney is full of little pocket parks that offer a quiet little rest in a city. And the trees offer a nice spot for the wonderful wild parrots and cockatoos that inhabit the neighborhoods.

We made lots of friends. It was very easy to connect to the community. Maybe it’s because there’s no language barrier, but we just had a great time with the people we met.

What we didn’t like

The costs in Sydney are a lot higher than nearly every other nest we’ve visited. While most museums are free, we felt we had to be careful about money and not go out to eat as often as other places. Day to day living is pretty pricy here.

While it was very comfortable, it didn’t feel exotic to us because the culture is similar to home. We commented that Santa Fe felt more different than Sydney. There are K-Marts, 7-11’s, Targets, and lots of other chain stores and restaurants we see at home. The food is basically the same, and there aren’t a lot of surprises culturally.

It rained while we were here. A lot. Maybe more than usual, but be prepared.

Because of the big difference in time zones, it was very difficult to schedule meetings for work.