Editor’s note: I just love Hedy Maessen’s viewpoint on travel and the world. Her way of meeting people everywhere she goes is incredible, and I can speak to that firsthand, being one of the random people she met and befriended along her way when we were both participants in a cocktail making class in Curacao. (And we have seen each other in a different country every year since, most recently in Istanbul, Turkey.) So yeah, food, drinks, and friends makes an amazing experience, as she relates here from Sydney. For more of Hedy’s adventures, click here to visit her index page.
When we think of Sydney (Australia) we think of the Opera House, Bondi Beach, and lots of sunshine. Recently I had the fortune to spend a good two weeks there. And while I enjoyed all those things that make Sydney famous (except for the sunshine, as the weather was not cooperating), I just loved being surprised by the hidden gems of Sydney.
Normally I like to plan and strictly coordinate all of my travel plans, but this time I decided to channel my inner Aussie and become a very laidback traveler, and see what locals would recommend and just try that out.
When I arrived in Sydney, one of the first things I did was meet a Sydney greeter and walk around a part of Sydney for a day. How that works is, when going to any major city in the world, you can check on https://internationalgreeter.org if there are greeters in that place. You fill in a contact form with some travel information, and your likes and hobbies, and they try to match you with a local who will show you their favourite spots of the city. In Sydney I got matched with the lovely Jenny, who showed me around the neighbourhood of Newtown. And honestly, I wouldn’t have gone there if she hadn’t taken me. It is a bit of an alternative, grungy area with some nice murals but no special attractions. But the shopping and especially the restaurants and bars here are fantastic. Jenny took me to some really cool shops with locally made products, one of which was Hunter Candles.
Now you have to know I don’t like candles, especially the ones with a smell, so I wasn’t jumping for joy when we went in. But here, the hand poured candles have very unique smells, not the usually sickly sweet potpourri stuff, but think leather, tobacco, or burned hay smells. And luckily for me they also make fabric sprays, so my Sydney souvenirs were already found after one day there. After some shopping, Jenny took me to a wonderful deli called the Continental Deli for a special drink: a martini in a tin. Yes, they can their martinis and serve them from the tin. But it’s not just a gimmick, they are delicious too. And with your drink you can select some wonderful local and international cheeses, meats, and other bites.
After the little food break we continued exploring Newtown a bit more, but the weather wasn’t cooperating so we decided to just go chat and hang out in a bar. We had such a good time that we decided to go for another meet-up, together with Jenny’s daughter (also a big gourmand) at a fancy restaurant. And that is how meeting a stranger ended up in a really good day of getting to know Sydney and its Sydneysiders a little bit better and making new friends.
My second meet-up with a (semi)local was with a friend I met during earlier travels. She lives in Canberra, but has a lot of family in Sydney. And she took me to something I would never have considered doing, a sports game. To be specific, the Sydney swans vs GWS Giants, two AFL (Australian Football League) teams originating from Sydney. AFL is a sport played with large teams of 18 people each, on an oval field with two large and two smaller goalposts on either end. The goal is to kick the ball (think a rugby ball) in between the two largest posts for six points or between a large and small one for one point.
Though the precise rules are still vague to me, it is high-paced with lots of running, throwing, bouncing, and kicking the ball. A very new experience for me, as I am mostly used to watching soccer (often involuntarily), where scoring and action on the field can be zero for the entire 90 minutes. But what I noticed most was that the pleasant atmosphere in the stadium was the best; everyone was enjoying the game and having a good time, with no (mean) shouting, rioting, or throwing things. All in all a great experience that I can recommend anyone coming to Sydney or Australia in general: visit an AFL game, you won’t regret it.
The last surprising thing I got recommended by a local was by my AirBnB host. He said I should definitely ride the ferries around Sydney. And not just hop on one to cross to the other side of the water to avoid going over the busy bridge. No, make a full day trip of taking a ferry to one of the outer edges of the city, enjoy the surroundings, and have a nice ride back. I love being on the water, so this was an easy recommendation to try. My first ferry trip was to Watsons Bay, right at the entrance of the Sydney Channel, with high cliffs overlooking the sea. It is a lovely area for a good walk, with gorgeous views both on the city as well as the ocean (and if you’re in the right season, you can even see whales!). But the ferry trip itself is just good, because you get an unspoiled view of the Sydney harbour and the famous opera house. And honestly, that gave me goosebumps. I’d seen the opera house before, from land, and I didn’t get the fuss about it. But when you’re on a ferry and you see it from the water with the beautiful Sydney skyline at the back of it, it made me realize I was truly living my dream of visiting Australia to finish my goal to see all continents before I turned 35. And I think very few people coming from far, far away to visit Sydney will be unmoved when seeing this iconic building (while on a ferry).
My other favorite ferry ride was from Sydney Olympic park all the way back to Circular Quay over the Parramatta River. The route itself isn’t particularly interesting, even though there are some beautiful houses along the way and some fun stops for a lunch or dinner with a view. But I was lucky enough to know the captain (my host) and ride the ferry from the captain’s cabin. Now I know this was very special, and not everyone will be able to do that, but at least one can just ask when boarding the ferry. The Dutch saying ‘Nee heb je, ja kun je krijgen’ (you have a no, but you could get a yes) is how I would recommend anyone to try and see if you can ride along with the captain. What you get in return is a fantastic experience, with the best thing being the view of the harbour when arriving at Circular Quay.
All these shared experiences with (Sydney) locals made my stay in the city so surprising as I did, saw, and tasted things I would otherwise never have. But my take home message from my adventures there is that wherever you go in the world, don’t hesitate to connect with others. It will take you on an adventure that you will treasure forever, and that for me is the reason for traveling in the first place.
How to eat your way through Sydney
Eating your way through Sydney is impossible; believe me I’ve tried. It is such a melting pot of different cultures that everywhere you go you find something new to taste or try. But I will try and give a few tips for you to start your food journey in Sydney.
Rising Sun Workshop. This motorcycle-workshop located on a small street in Newtown houses a surprising secret. It has a fantastic ramen restaurant inside. Big portions, bold flavours, and the noises and views of the garage make this a must-visit on a shopping trip in Newtown.
Saint Peter. This is a high-end restaurant that completely revolves around (local and sustainably caught) fish and seafood. They are extremely creative and inspiring by using everything of the fish (eyeballs included) to minimize the food waste. They even dry-age fish (similar to meat) and that is absolutely surprising flavor-wise, as it adds so much depth to the fish. Try to get a spot at the chef’s table so you are treated with a view into the kitchen the entire time.
Sydney fish market. A more budget friendly seafood spot is the Sydney fish market. Here you can get everything fish and seafood, sometimes in very interesting new forms (sushi donuts and sushi tacos). You can buy fresh fish or sashimi to take home or eat at one of the many stalls at the market, but beware of the seagulls because they will try to steal your food!
Cabramatta. When you feel like you’ve had enough of downtown Sydney, take a 30-minute train ride to the neighourhood of Cabramatta. And wear stretchy clothing because this place is food heaven. Cabramatta is a dominantly Vietnamese neighbourhood, and it feels like you’ve been transported to Southeast Asia without having to fly there. This is the place to be to eat excellent authentic Vietnamese food outside of Vietnam. Go where the locals go and you can’t go wrong.
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