Sydney

I had 6 nights here, a nice amount of time to recover from the jetlag and see everything the city has to offer. It was winter but still 19C and sunny most days – winter is a good time to do the east coast as the weather is still pretty good (it gets warmer the further north you travel) it’s not as busy or as humid as the summer months. I stayed with my brother but did a few site inspections at some favourite hotels - it’s all about the location in Sydney. Having said that wherever you are everything is within easy reach either by foot, bus, train or tram. Here are some of my Sydney highlights:

Guided tour of the Sydney Opera House - the construction of it is a great story beautifully told by our guide, we also had a peep into rehearsals for the opera that was starting at the weekend. Have a look at what shows are on while you are there and book in advance (of course we can help you with that).

Ferry to Manly – I walked along the beach, watched a surf lesson and had some delicious locally caught fish & chips. 

Bondi to Coogee coastal walk - a 15 minute bus ride from central Sydney, its beautiful and takes about an hour.

Botanical gardens and Art Gallery - they have a new north wing which is spectacular.

Tina Turner the musical at the Theatre Royal – what a show I loved it and the theatre is beautiful.

Superb restaurants – I have put together a great list; some will need to be booked in advance.



Blue Mountains

This was a flying visit but well worth it - if you are into your scenery and/or a bit of hiking, then I would recommend staying for a night or 2. It could also be done as a day trip on the train from Sydney it’s a scenic ride up. 

Hunter Valley

Such a beautiful part of the world, quiet, windy roads lined by vineyards with the odd kangaroo hopping across! We stopped for a visit to Running Horses vineyard for some wine tasting – quirky and fun with some great wine. Dinner was at Leogate another great vineyard, a lovely spot with an excellent meal.

Port Stephens
Port Stephens, Guud Ji Yiigu is part of the country of the Worimi Aboriginal Nation. Home to giant sand dunes and some amazing coastline with spectacular views – just perfect for a spot of dolphin and whale watching! We stayed at the Koala Sanctuary, a fairly new operation with a mix of cabins and glamping tents, set amongst the koala’s and the koala hospital. It’s well run, and you get an early morning tour and talk of the sanctuary included to watch the koala’s having their breakfast. It’s a lovely spot and something a bit quirky however, it’s about a 15-minute drive out of town.



Port Mcquarie
A coastal town with a pretty walk along the waterfront – great spot for fishing and watching the world go by. Whale spotting in season from Tacking Point Lighthouse is a stunning view and if you’re lucky you may spot a humpback! Great choice of seafood restaurants we ate at the Waterfront a gorgeous setting with excellent food.

Byron Bay

We stayed at The Byron at Byron Bay Resort & Spa – it’s about 10 minutes drive outside of Byron set in a private 45-acre rainforest setting. It is a completely unique location, a real oasis for us to relax and rejuvenate on our journey North. I walked along the beach, enjoyed an afternoon cocktail by the pool and had an excellent freshly prepared locally sourced meal under the twinkling lights of the canopy of the Forest restaurant! Early morning yoga on the veranda was an excellent way to start the day before heading off to explore Byron. Famous for its beaches, surfing and snorkelling. It has a chilled beach vibe with gorgeous boutique shops, organic cafes and restaurant, I loved my Acai bowl for breakfast at Bills café.

Brisbane

Brisbane is a city gearing up for the Olympics in 2032, I think when the building works are all finished it will be excellent. A great way to see the city is by the free ferry that takes you up and down the river. The chargeable City Cat takes you a bit further and a golden ticket can be bought from any 7/11 shop. The food scene is up and coming, the Howard Smith Wharf has a great vibe with some excellent restaurants and bars (its on one of the free ferry stops).

Hervey Bay

A sleepy coastal town 3 hours north of Brisbane, with long stretches of beach, where you can spot dolphins and whales (May to October). While we were watching the sun go down, we spotted a shoal of dolphins playing it was just magical. You can take several trips from here, but we chose to visit K’gari (Fraser Island).



K’gari (Fraser Island)

A short ferry ride from Hervey Bay takes you to this UNESCO listed island which is the only sand island in the world to have a rainforest. It is 90% vegetation, there are no roads and can only be travelled around using 4WD, it is also one of the only places you can see Dingos in their natural habitat. I recommend a guided tour we had Butch to take us around for the day his knowledge on the history, vegetation and wildlife was incredible! We swam in Lake Mackenzie (one of the most photographed lakes in Australia) famous for is white silica sand and unique PH crystal clear water. The water has a high acidity and along with the perfectly spherical sand means a scrub and a swim in Lake Mackenzie claims to make you 10 years younger! Am not sure that was the case, but my skin felt lovely for ages after. There is no running water in or out of the lake so take care with sunscreens/soaps and leave nothing behind. We spotted dingo’s on the beach and took a seaplane flight (one of only 2 places in the world you can take off/land on sand) the views over butterfly lake were spectacular and we managed to spot 5 humpback whales! This island is completely unique and a real highlight of my trip.

Port Douglas

A short flight from Brisbane to Cairns and just over an hour's drive along a pretty coastline brings us to Port Douglas. Port Douglas is a beach resort town nearly as far north as you can go along the coast and a great base to visit both the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, and Daintree National Park, home to biodiverse rainforest. Macrossan Street is lined with boutique shops and restaurants, we had some of the best seafood and meals here, the restaurants are such high quality and prepared by up-and-coming chefs. Four-mile beach is stunning with a backdrop of mountains in the distance, a perfect spot for some energising yoga on the beach which happens every day at 8am – I managed to make it a few times. We prebooked a trip to the Daintree Rainforest and the Barrier Reef both of which were really special. Port Douglas has a great climate and we enjoyed warm temperatures even though it was their winter. There's so much to do, you could easily spend 2 weeks here, we had 7 nights a perfect balance to the travelling we did for the first half.