With a mix of sophisticated culture, casual outdoor atmosphere, and some of the best beaches in the world, a holiday to Australia in 2014 should include a visit to Sydney, the largest and oldest city in Australia.
Sydney, Australia is an international port city on the Pacific Ocean. It’s a top destination in Australia, receiving more than ten millions tourists in 2012.
Like most large port cities, Sydney is a mix of old and new, metropolitan and multicultural. You can enjoy a lazy day on the beach soaking up some UVA rays or surfing, to a night at the opera house and dinner at a Michelin five star restaurant.
photo: Wikimedia Commons, by Amazing Race
It’s a wonderful city for a quick weekend break or longer, and no matter how much time you spend there, you can make the most of it by being prepared for the climate and the wide variety of activities available.
The weather is generally temperate, so think mainly warm weather clothing and gear, but the winter can be quite cold, and rain is common throughout the year.
photo: Wikimedia by Kevin Gibbons
So what to pack?
In the summer, casual beach wear will be wardrobe staples: shorts, tank tops, sweaters, jackets, skirts, jeans, and halter dressers are all appropriate for the ladies. Men can bring jeans, shorts, slacks, and button down shirts, which can go from casual to dressy.
Bathing suits are obviously a must and since they take up little space, bring several. Or shop for a new suit in one of Sydney’s high end shops. If you wear a stylish one piece tank, it could double as a top with jeans or a skirt and you can dress it up even more by adding a light sweater, jacket, scarf, and of course jewelry.
Sydney is a very cosmopolitan city; depending on what your plans are you may want to add some wardrobe drama. For a night at the famous Sydney opera house go glam. To ramp up your look: ladies in a skirt and heels or a long summer dress, and men in slacks as opposed to jeans, and perhaps a jacket.
Layering is the key whatever time of year you chose to go. For both men and women I think a Smart Wool T-shirt and tank top would be ideal as a base layer in winter, under a light sweater and jacket.
Whether it’s winter or summer, you definitely want to bring a hat! The sun is intense below the equator.
A variety of footwear is important too. You’ll want a shoe with good support for hiking or long walks in one of the many parks like the Royal Botanic Gardens or a day trip to the famous Greater Blue Mountain area, another UNESCO World Heritage site.
An umbrella could do double duty for rain protection or shade from the sun. And speaking of sun, you’ll want to make sure you bring along a sunscreen that you can use every day no matter if you’re at the beach or just touring around – remember you are south of the equator! For your lips, be sure your lip balm has at least an SPF 15 and reapply frequently.
photo: Wikimedia, Hai Lihn Troung
A few things you might want to do while in Sydney: learn to surf at Manly Beach, take a dinner cruise around the harbour, hike the many trails around the waterfront, and enjoy the spectacular views from the Harbour Bridge (known locally as “the coathanger”), listen to an opera at the Sydney Opera House (a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to the third busiest opera company in the world), or simply people watch from one of the many water side cafes.
As you can see, with such a wide variety of outdoor and cultural activities to engage in, a bit of preparation and attention to wardrobe will make your time in Sydney even more enjoyable.
1 comment
Always a good job, congratulations!