5reasons for a SYDNEY GETAWAY
The best bites, flights and sites the city has to offer
When our pals across the ditch invited us to join them in Sydney for a spot of house-sitting, off we went on a sun-filled mini-break.
1 Wing it
Our mate works for Virgin Australia, so thanks to him we flew standby at a fraction of the normal holiday prices. It was a little nerve-racking waiting for the last-minute news that we were on our chosen flight, but thanks to other standby veterans in the queue, it turned out to be fun. It’s always worth checking cheapoair.com and the like for affordable fares over the Tasman. I’ve been known to pick up a flight for less than $300 return, flying an airline I’d never heard of at a time no-one would normally bother with.
2 Dip it
As the house we were helping to “sit” had a shady pool, we could quite happily have stayed in it for the whole three days of our visit. However, it’s physically impossible for me to go to Sydney and not go to the beach, despite the fact I’m not much of a sand lover. For this reason, swimming at Clovelly beach (between Coogee and Bondi) is the ticket. There is sand at the end of the bay, but leading up to it are vast concrete platforms with stairs going down into the sea so you can get straight in the water, skipping the gritty, sticky stuff. Great for swimmers and snorkellers.
3 Watch it
We were staying near Centennial Park, Sydney’s beautiful inner-east green lungs, so a walk before it got too hot was a perfect way to start the day. A night-time highlight of our stay was going to the Moonlight Cinema – an outdoor summer movie experience set up in one corner of the park, where you lie on bean bags and watch a film as the stars (real, not movie) twinkle behind the screen and bats fly above it. It was quite surreal watching Winston Churchill chucking back the champers and barking out orders in DarkestHour, but I would highly recommend this al fresco night out if you’re in Sydney between November and April.
4 Eat it
When it comes to eating out we normally stick to the same old haunts, but this time we headed for a fab little restaurant in Chippendale, off Broadway, which is something of a foodie hot spot these days. At Automata, tables are shared and every bite of the set menu is a taste sensation – it will be added to the haunt list. But if you’re looking for something more on the fly – and cheaper – Spice Alley directly across the laneway is a maze of eateries that wouldn’t look out of place in Singapore. Order your food from a selection of hawker stalls, then find a table outside or in a room of one of the little workers’ cottages, and tuck in.
5 Try it
In a city of four-millionplus people, popular pockets can erupt almost overnight. One pal works in a place called Precinct 75 in St Peters in the inner west, which has gorgeous showrooms, a wine bar, bakery and an axe-throwing venue! This time round, we tried The Cannery in Rosebery, between Alexandria and the airport. This former soup factory houses a butcher, organic store, homeware shops and the fabulous Archie Rose distillery. Sit in the bar tasting vodka, gin and whisky or see how it’s made in the attached distillery. Or if you’re going the seat-only route, grab lunch at the likes of 5th Earl before taking your bargain flight home.