Syndey Bliss

On our first day in Sydney, we walked down to the harbour and took a harbour cruise run by the state (least expensive). The cruise gave us great insight into the geographical layout of Sydney and showed us a city that is spread out over many miles. The cruise provided good views of the bridge and opera house (photo opportunities), together with fantastic views of the various beaches coves and fabulous waterfront houses. Sydney CBD is busy, but compared to London, there are a lot less people and traffic.

Quick Tips:

Don't buy a Sydney pass; it works out cheaper to pay as you go. Bottle shops provide take-out beer and wine, but we were disappointed that the cost of wine was more expensive than in the UK.

Best Way To Get Around:

From Potts Point, there was nothing better than a leisurely walk down the Hordern steps, past Woolloommooloo Finger Wharf and through the royal botanical gardens to the CBD, Opera House, or Harbour. Sydney is not the flattest city, but most people would be able to manage the walk. Alternatively, it was easy to catch a cab from Victoria Street.

This is an air-conditioned one-bedroom apartment that has great views of the Sydney city skyline, botanical gardens, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge. There's a good-sized kitchen with a breakfast bar, a living room with TV, a balcony, and a phone for free local calls. Full laundry. The bedroom has a large, comfortable bed and good storage. Clean bathroom. The apartment is located in a high-rise block with good security. Victoria Street is a leafy street with Victorian-style houses -- some for rent and some turned into the most delicious eateries. There's a cafe at the entrance to the apartment block and a supermarket 200 yards away. There are plenty of local restaraunts in the area, and all the ones we tried were excellent value. Victoria Street is not far from Kings Cross, which sometimes gets negative press. We found Kings Cross to be perfectly safe, if not a little on the seedy side. Access to the rest of Sydney is either via foot or by cab.

The Pie Floater -- steak pie, mushy peas, and gravy -- is absolutely fantastic. Great location, with seating provided in the form of a large railway sleeper. Cheap food, with a vast range of pies -- simply great pies -- makes this place highly recommended. We were married in the morning, had a Pie Floater for lunch, and then enjoyed a seriously good restaurant meal in the evening.

I booked a table from the UK over the Internet, explaining that it would be our wedding day and we would like a table with a view. We had our table with a fantastic view of Sydney Harbour. The food, wine, and espcially the service were first-class. Good service can sometimes be a bit intrusive, but at Aria, the staff was exceptional. We would not normally spend so much on a meal, but as it was our wedding day, the $300 (Australian) was a great value.

We tried to eat here more than once, but it was always busy. We finally got a table, and the wait was well worth it. Pizza and calzones were very good. There were plenty of original pizza toppings. The restaraunt also provided a very popular take-out service.

We booked a table over the Internet from the UK and received confirmation of the booking via email. When we got to the restaurant, though, there was no booking, but they had a table available.

The views are spectacular, but the food was very poor. The tables are exceptionally small and badly lit. In the 2 weeks we spent in Sydney, this was the only place that that was a disappointment.

Our trip to Sydney was initially a holiday of a lifetime, which we had booked a long time in advance. After booking the holiday we decided that we would like to get married while we were there. To get married in Australia, you need to contact a celebrant (Pauline Faulkner) and fill in an "Intention of Marriage" form (received by e-mail) which needs to be signed by a solicitor. A copy needs to be faxed to the celebrant to start the ball rolling. We decided that the Royal Botanical Gardens would be our location, so we let Pauline book the venue, transport, photographer, and witnesses (two were required, one being the photographer). I hired a suit in the UK, which I took in my suitcase, and my fiance bought her wedding dress, which was packed separately. I contacted the air lines (BA and Qantas) to ensure there would be no problem (or charge) for carrying the extra hand luggage (which there wasn't).

The wedding day arrived, I went to fetch the bouquet from a nearby florist (arranged when we got to Sydney), my fiance had her hair done, and we waited for our wedding car. The car arrived on time, and we were taken to our wedding venue. The ceremony took place in the Royal Botanical Gardens with Sydney Harbour in the background. The ceremony passed without a hiccup, and we were soon man and wife. You need to show your birth certificates and any divorce papers to the celebrant to complete the paperwork. A presentation marriage certificate is provided on the day, and the official certificate is sent by post some weeks later. The photographer took loads of photos before and during the ceremony. The post-ceremony photos were taken at various vantage points as we made our way to the Sydney Opera House. If you are thinking of getting married in Sydney, I would highly recommend it; having both been married before, it was a lot less stressful than the first time, if not a little selfish, as we did not tell a soul we were getting married.