Travelling to and living in Sydney for a month definitely counts as my greatest 2018 adventure.
Technically, I was on my month-long overseas medical electives with the University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital's Endocrinology department, but it was so chill that it felt like an extended holiday.
Weather
Sydney's weather is fickle. One day it could be freezing at 16 degrees Celsius (I know it's nothing compared to the harsh winters in Europe but please don't scoff at the wimpy Singaporean who believes that anything lower than AC temperature equates to "chilly") and the next day, temperatures could soar up to 39 degrees Celsius. Keyword? Layer. Remember to bring along cardigans, jackets, whatever outerwear you have to layer over your summer clothes.
Communications
For my phone plan, I purchased Vodafone's pre-paid SIM card at a promotional price of 25 AUD at their airport booth (original price 40 AUD), with unlimited local calls and SMSes, and a 16 GB data plan for 35 days.
Transportation
Public transport in Sydney is not the most convenient, for their "CBD-to-suburb" trains run at a frequency of one ride per 10-15 minutes. If you ever miss your bus (heaven forbid), the next will take half an hour to arrive. In fact, the most running I've ever done in Sydney was to run for the trains and buses. Opal card is Sydney's version of the Ez-link card/ metropass. Just top up your card with any amount, tap in or out at station gantries, and download the Opal app to manage your trip details. Each ride would set you back by around 3 to 4 AUD, depending on the time period which you are travelling at. To be honest, if you have a viable license and you are in a group of 4 or more, it would be cheaper to rent a car for the trip (parking fees and road tolls excluded). Personally I would recommend Bayswater Car Rentals for their good-quality, fuss-free services.
Sydney is a paradise for nature lovers, thrill-seekers, museum geeks and cafe-hoppers. For my trip, I included both the classic spots and those off-the-beaten-track.
Here's a breakdown of my adventures in the land down under!
For our 3-day-2-nights roadtrip from Sydney > Blue Mountains > Hunter Valley > Port Stephens > Sydney, we had quite a few hits-and-misses.
At the Blue Mountains, we realised that Hassans Falls, Echo Point & Three Sisters and Leura Lookout were the 3 most impressive spots. Covette's Leap and Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens could be included if you had spare time but Jellybean Pool is definitely a no-go.
Hunter Valley is great for wine-lovers. Besides wine-tasting in award-winning wineries, even the drive itself is enjoyable. You can simply watch the fields roll by with farm animals roaming around in them. That's what I call the true country life.
Port Stephens would be the highlight of the entire roadtip. The vast expanse of almost-white sand dunes is the perfect spot for swoon-worthy instagram photos that scream #wanderlust. You can experience sandboarding, camel-riding and horse-riding. Birubi beach, located right beside the sand dunes, is also a nice tranquil beach to chill at. If you are there from April to June, you may even catch a glimpse of dolphins and whales when you join their Port Stephens cruises.
On the way back from Port Stephens, we passed by Lake Macquarie and spotted some furry wild kangaroos. They are surprisingly mild and non-aggressive. Do prepare apples and carrot sticks for these cute little creatures if you want to get up-close-and-personal encounters with them!
Even after 1 whole month in Sydney, I can't confidently say that I've explored the entire city properly. There are simply way too many gems in and around this beautiful city. All my pictures won't do justice to this amazing place.
Sydney, I'll be back :)
