Rediscover Sydney
As someone who lived only an hour south of Sydney until eight years ago, I thought I had seen all the city had to offer. But only a weekend in this multicultural hub proved otherwise. “Sydney just keeps spreading — everyone comes here,” my Uber driver tells me on our way to Olympic Park for the Saturday. I spot a nice Lamborghini on the highway and idly make comment on how it’s one of my dream cars. “Never say never,” he says firmly, explaining how he moved to Australia from Uganda without knowing where he was going or what he was doing. He got chatting to a Sydney-sider on the plane over, who gave him advice for work, housing, finding friends, and permanent residency when the time came. It’s been 18 years since then, and now he has his own home in Sydney, a good full-time job with Uber on the weekends and many friends to spend time with. This man is just one of many people I met over the weekend who are more than happy to have a friendly chat with tourists and tell their story. There are many events on at Olympic Park, I discover as I manage to secure an early check-in at the hotel, but the one I’m here for is held a leisurely 15-minute stroll down the road — the Dollhouse and Miniature Fair. Cyclists meander past in couples and families, while small children play in the fountains as their parents chat nearby in the warm sunshine. Were it not for the far-off thrum of traffic, it would be easy to forget I’m actually in Australia’s biggest city. I make an impromptu decision to spend Sunday at Darling Harbour. After all, it has been a good decade since I was there last, and now Aquarium Wharf has a Madame Tussauds wax museum as well as the aquarium and zoo. Some research reveals I need to catch a bus and then a train before walking the last 20 minutes to Darling Harbour. Turning the corner brings me face-to-face with the wharfs of Darling Harbour — a hub of activity that strangely keeps a very laidback feel with bright blue water. While you could probably spend all day exploring here, I head straight to Madame Tussauds as there is limited time before I have to catch the train to the airport. Aside from seeing many of my favourite famous people as realistic wax figures, the best part of the visit is getting my very own wax handmade. Before I begin the journey home via the massive Paddington Market, I stop for lunch at Nick’s. As I sip on my beer, I ponder the weekend and come to the conclusion that it was well-worth the trip and should be repeated soon.