A holiday to Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many Brits.
Last year, almost 50,000 UK travellers headed to New South Wales, with a stop in Sydney a must-do.
But when you’ve made that mammoth trip, you want to make the most of it.
The good news is, that’s not hard to do.
Here’s are all the jaw-dropping moments I experienced in Sydney, in just 24 hours.
Kayaking at sunrise
I lower myself into the kayak and for a moment everything wobbles: the water, the horizon, my nerves.
I’ve been in kayaks before but not one in Australia, in Sydney Harbour. This is on another level.
I glance at my guide, Laura Stone, co-founder of Sydney By Kayak, who gives me a reassuring look. ‘You’ll get it in about 30 seconds,’ she says.
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She’s right. The wobble settles and, with only the sound of the paddle creaking, I glide off.
The sky is charcoal, edged with the first hint of colour because it’s not yet sunrise in New South Wales. And then there’s the Harbour Bridge, towering spectacularly overhead at 440ft.
From my kayak, I’m reminded of its affectionate nickname, The Coathanger, due to its distinctive steel arc. It’s nearly a century old, having opened in 1932 after eight years of construction – and from my vantage point it’s easy to see why it has been much-loved ever since.
Laura has been guiding on Sydney Harbour with husband Ben since 2013. They started with small group tours, but when Laura noticed rubbish bobbing about during lessons, she decided to clean it up. Some 41,000kg of rubbish has been hauled out of these waters since.
Sydney By Kayak has also been putting AU$15 from every seat sold into the SBK Conservation Fund since 2018 – and that money has built a mangrove nursery, a Seabin to collect rubbish in the water and even the world’s first Living Seawall – tile-like panels that turn concrete structures into thriving homes for marine life.
I paddle towards it to see the mangrove shoots and tide pools.
Catch a flight to dinner
The city is awake by the time I’m back on land. Sydneysiders are early risers and treat coffee more as a religion than a habit, and the harbour side cafés and waterside kiosks are buzzing. Brunch culture runs deep here, too.
I’m fast learning that Sydney’s food scene is laid-back on the surface but ambitious underneath – punchy restaurant menus display an obsession with fresh, seasonal produce.
If you’re chasing something a little more special, the northern beaches are worth the trip. I take a flight with Sydney Seaplanes, which runs a fly-and-dine package to Bert’s Bar & Brasserie.
The engine coughs into life and we’re skimming the harbour surface, spray flicking past the window until the water falls away beneath us and the magnificent Sydney Opera House shrinks from view behind us.
We trace the coastline over Manly before settling onto the water with a soft, satisfying thud – and then taxi in towards Newport for a short boat transfer. I arrive at Bert’s slightly windswept but manage a straight posture as I walk into its richly upholstered, sun-filled room.
It’s an ultra-glam, old-world brasserie-style place and the menu is all about letting good produce shine.
I let the waiter order for me and then settle in to enjoy it: warm bread and butter first, a flaky, perfectly cooked fish next and then finally a steak so good it needs nothing but its own sauce.
Making friends with humpback whales
And then their are the whales. Each year humpbacks make their epic migration along Australia’s east coast, heading north to warmer waters to breed before returning with their calves.
It turns out I’m here for whale season – and this lot might just be in the mood to perform. I jump into a small boat with Ocean Extreme, which runs two-hour tours out through Sydney Heads and into the Tasman Sea to track humpbacks.
It’s fast, intimate and close to the water. I scan the horizon, half-listening to the skipper radioing other boats to track down the most active whales.
Then, out of nowhere, there’s a huge plume of spray and a flick of a tail, and suddenly a whale launches out of the water, twisting in mid-air like a ballerina before slipping back under. Did that just happen?
I’ve got nothing on my phone to captured the moment but no regrets. Not everything needs a click to prove it happened.
Some moments are better left just as memories without distractions.
A running trail at Twilight
Sydney after dark is a completely different beast. The city seems to switch on the lights with added colour, vibe and energy.
My visit coincides with Vivid Sydney, a winter festival of light, music, food and ideas. The three-week event attracts more than 2.5million visitors and is Australia’s best-attended annual cultural event.
The centrepiece is the Light Walk. Energised by the vibe, I take an evening walk along the free, four-mile trail running from Circular Quay through The Rocks to Barangaroo.
My timing is perfect as I get into Darling Harbour, where I’m staying at W Sydney. The room on the top floor gives me an enviable position to witness the festival’s Sky Symphony music spectacular and Laser Lightfall.
Water is part of daily life for Sydneysiders, with the harbour, beaches and waterways shaping how they spend their free time.
For more on Sydney and New South Wales, visit their websites.
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