A 3-Day Visit to Sydney, Australia, Sydney, Australia

Finally, G&N landed “down-under” on a 30-day Australian “bucket list” trip - it had been a 25-year discussion.

Described by friends as “Vancouver without the mountains” and “Stockholm with more people,” Sydney is Sydney without any comparable. Not entirely sure what to expect of the five-million person (not including visitors) metropolis the twosome stumbled out of their Darling Harbour hotel to explore the highlights. Late morning, after the 20-hour transit including a 16-hour flight leg the only thing on Nutmeg’s mind was finding a strong flat white coffee (maybe two).

At lunch-hour in the financial capital, you could be the last pin standing in a bowling alley with a 10-pound ball careening your direction. G&N were buffeted by runners squeezing in their mid-day fitness regime along Sydney’s beautiful waterfront and designated pathway system. However, the worst offenders were the Sydneysiders streaming from their corporate offices (Sydney’s workforce makes up nearly 20% of the national total) to restaurants with their heads buried in their smartphones oblivious to yet another wayward tourist (2015 tourism statistics).

G&N cobbled together a “what to do in Sydney” list from suggestions they had received from friends, into manageable targets for three days. Their shortlist was then “buttered up” by a friendly Air Canada flight attendant who recommended a few additional stops. The following are some highlights for a short stay in the capital of New South Wales, an amazing city that threads together beaches, fine dining, markets, city parks, shopping and an economic engine called tourism. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).