Monday 19 March 2018

Sydney by day

What a magnificent city! widely spread and much bigger than I had imagined, Sydney is a beauty all on it's own. A bustling city centre, famous architecture and a wealth of natural beauty around every corner makes Sydney a tourist gold mine! Unfortunately I only had limited time to explore so here are my absolute must do's on a time budget! 

If you only have 1 day in Sydney there are a few things that are not to be missed but if you can only do 1 thing, please go up the Harbour Bridge.
You can do a bridge tour where you strap into a harness and actually climb up the bridge on the one side [yes all the way to the top] and back down the other side. I personally am not that brave when it comes to heights but people who have done it highly recommend it! Apparently the best time to go is early in the morning while temperatures are still manageable to do all that exercise in! Taking a slightly safer, less acrobatic way up, I just went up the tower and it was breathtaking.


1. Going up the harbour bridge
You have to climb a few flights of stairs to get there but it is worth every single step. The Unspoiled 360 degree views of the city left me speechless and in awe. It was the first time I realised just how big the city really is. Standing there looking out over the opera house and manly beach, all across the harbour to the other side as the suburbs stretch out along the coast, you honestly feel like you are on top of the world and everything else just fades away.  



2. Drinks at the Opera Bar
If you are in Sydney, chances are the weather is great and what better than a cocktail on a warm summery evening! The opera bar is located - you guessed it - right next to the opera house and has unspoiled views of the Harbour Bridge. After having a drink, watching the boats come in, you can pop next door for some great food! As much as what Sydney is rated one of the most expensive city's in the world, I found both restaurants to be very reasonable especially given the location. You can easily get a meal from $15-$30 AUS 

3. The opera house 
What a sight to be seen! When in Sydney there is no leaving without going past the world renowned building - and it lives up to all expectations. The structure, the architecture, the simplicity in the design yet so intricate - it really is out of this world. 


4. Dinner on King Street - Newtown
Located about 20 minutes out of the city centre but full of life - whatever you are in the mood for you will find it here! With an abundance of vegetarian and vegan options as well as cuisines from all around the world, it is all right there. Not all restaurants have a liquor license so you have to bring in your own alcohol should you wish but again, bottle stores are within walking distance as well!



Plantation Bay


Where do I begin to talk about the piece of heaven that is Plantation Bay
Since 2011 my now husband and I have talked about going here, so when our honeymoon planning rolled around this was the obvious choice. And let me tell you - it lived up to everything we hoped it to be and then some!

We booked a water's edge room (they have several options to choose from) so that we could step off our balcony, directly into the water. 


The whole resort is completely lined with palm trees and perfectly raked sand. There are bicycles for hire if you wish to cycle along the resort or there are golf carts that will take you where you want to go. There are several restaurants, all serving different cuisine so you don't run out of options!

The main restaurant is where the guest breakfast is served and every day holds a new adventure as every morning there is a different country that influences the buffet! 

In addition to the restaurants, there are several bars located along the resort. A coconut bar that specialises in coconut based cocktails as well as a beach bar that allows you to look out over the water as you sip a G&T or a fresh juice. 

We normally aim to explore every new culture and every part of a new place we can but when we came to The Plantation Bay we got absorbed into the peaceful life there and didn't leave the resort for 4 days! 
We hired SUP's and canoes and peddled around the lagoons at the resort, we had lunch and took afternoon naps. We played ping pong and hired bicycles, I got a henna tattoo and we sang karaoke at the bar at night. We rode jet ski's and made friends with the incredibly friendly staff. It was honestly the most relaxing getaway we could have asked for.

We had incredible treatments at the spa - Japanese in design it is a cellphone free zone that will take your breath away. Bridges and bamboo, waterfalls and cave sauna's, you feel like you have been transported to a completely different world. In addition to an wide selection of heavenly treatments they also offer a free Chakra Alignment treatment that is to die for! When you book a treatment you also get free use of the spa for the rest of the day so all the sauna's, hot and cold pools, steam rooms and waterfalls are yours until 10pm.


We spent the most glorious week at this amazing resort, spending our days in the sun and being lulled to sleep by live music every evening until the inevitable day came that we had to go back home. We had an early flight out so we caught a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise over the resort as we were driving away. It was one of my hardest goodbye's and would come back here any time!