Oh Sydney... what have I been missing?

A few weekends ago, I spent a weekend in Sydney. I have never been a huge fan of this city. My favourite Australian city is Melbourne, hands down, for its quirky culture and personality. Next comes Perth, with its sunny weather, laid back vibe and gorgeous beaches.

Upon reflection, I realised that Sydney trips for me have always been work or family related. I have either been stuck in meetings in boring, clinical offices, or engaging in obligatory small talk with distant relatives. I decided to embrace Sydney as a tourist, see it through a tourist's eyes... and when I did this, I realised that it's actually got a lot to offer. I still wouldn't choose to live there, but for a visit, it's rad.

The first thing I noticed was that Sydney shopping malls have some super decadent Christmas decorations. I LOVE decadent:

The huge Swarovski crystal tree in QVB is the bomb

 You can see how even without Xmas decor, QVB is simply stunning

 There are plenty of permanent art fixtures throughout the shopping precinct, one just has to stop and observe (it's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this big city... and miss out on the delightful surroundings!)

 I was surprised to find (once I actually opened my eyes) that Sydney CBD has some wonderful architecture! Old buildings juxtaposed with the new...

 Town Hall by night

More QVB eye candy / porn

Things I like about Sydney / Lisa's Guide to Things to do in Sydney:

1/ The city is always buzzing. You can get KFC chips at 3am if you have a craving for them. I did. 

2/ The architecture, artwork and attention to detail in retail displays. Less quirky, more precise than Melbourne. There is some beauty in this.

3/ Kirribili markets, and Kirribili generally with it's cute laid back cafes.

4/ The Coogee to Bondi trail, and having brunch at a yummy cafe along the way. Next year, I plan not to miss Sculptures by the Sea. We have it in Perth and it's fantastic - this year life got in the way and I couldn't get down to Sydney while it was on. There are photos of the sculptures on this blog and I'm kicking myself that I didn't get there.

5/ The Fish Markets, for super fresh fish, crabs and prawns (and on a rainy day, you sort of feel like you're in Asia... gotta try it to understand it)

6/ When the sun is shining, the Harbour looks amazing and much can be forgiven. 

7/ TimeOut magazine, because it's always full of great ideas and photos of places and things I want to try. It's your window to the slightly alternative side of Sydney.

8/ Hidden laneway bars. They're all the buzz because they're hidden, yet you'll find a great guide on Timeout Online. They're a little bit quirky, themed, decorated... some have great cocktails. A slice of Kreuzberg in Berlin IMO, which is a super amazing place to spend time. I have a dedicated post on these coming up.

9/ Chinatown by night (late night). Tacky neon lights, filthy restaurants and big servings with cheap food. The non-Asians in our group got given forks. Fried ice cream was yum. Dead cockroaches in bathroom. It's an experience, right?

10/ Queen Victoria Building. It is stunning, it has nice tiling and decor... and I found something to buy in it. Smiles all around.

More SYDNEY to come, including my shopping purchases, dragonfly sex (yes really!) and quirky hidden lane way bars by night....