Sponsored by lastminute.com.au
One of my passions is travel. Give me a
passport and an airline ticket and I will happily go almost anywhere. But when
lastminute.com.au asked me to share my thoughts on Sydney, I realized
that sometimes the best breaks are the ones that are a little closer to home.
And there is no better city to be in than Sydney come summertime!
I love Sydney. I adore her fancy ways. I am
lucky enough to live close to the action. From my kitchen window, I can hear
the sound of the big cruisers toot their horns as they leave our harbour. I can
gaze up from our backyard and watch the fireworks on New Years Eve. I can throw
a stone from our street and almost hit the Opera House. But really, it took
this particular assignment to make me open my eyes to the wonders of the city,
and everything it has to offer.
My
Mission?
To sample some of Sydney’s finest fun.
My
accomplice?
The woman whose loins I sprung from.
My time
frame?
24 hours.
My
level of interest?
Extraordinarily high.
Let us begin.
The 24-hour period commenced when Mum and I
arrived at our hotel, dumped our bags and immediately hit up Oxford Street in
Paddington. You see my Mum lives where Sydney ends and the country begins in an
area not known for lovely shops. So when she hits the big smoke, she does so
armed with an Amex and a Visa card.
She literally tries on everything! She
makes best friends with the sales assistants. That is the great thing about
shopping Oxford Street. You actually get assistance! I try to remain patient
with Mum as she phaffs about, but have you ever seen a lady so happy?
I always
take a shot of the store High Tea with
Mrs Woo, because it is my name, without the G…..
Cocktail hour arrives mercifully quickly so
I bundle Mum and her bundles into a cab and arrive for dinner at an eatery
called Café Sydney. The view is completely terrible…
KIDDING! The view is one of the
best in town. The dishiest waiter our eyes ever did see, dished up dinner. When you combine great service, incredible food and that view… THAT
VIEW… how can you have anything but a kick ass time.
Inside that steamed pud?
Apple and rhubarb. I know… a perfect summer dessert.
When you are full of good fare and wash it
down with a martini, sleep comes easily. Even with the gentle, ever-present
kitten snoring that Mum emitted.
We bunked down at
the Blue Hotel, EASILY one of my favourite places to stay in Sydney. The
building was completed in 1910 and was originally a wool and cargo handling
facility. Now the old girl bursts with life as it hosts the hotel, many fine
and fancy restaurants as well as private residences. You can walk almost
anywhere in the city from here and there is always some joy in knowing that you
are sleeping over water.
I am a fussy bed,
linen and pillow person, but the quality ticketed all the boxes. I am also an
advocate of extreme blackout blinds, because hey! I AM SPENDING THE NIGHT AWAY
FROM MY KIDS AND MOMMA NEEDS AT LEAST ONE SLEEP IN THIS YEAR…
Sleep in? TICK.
We woke hungry and
so took breakfast in the restaurant. We had to eat lightly; because there was
something interesting we were looking forward to.
Whoever came up
with the concept of a walking tour focusing on chocolate and gelato needs a
medal. So that medal should go to Shelagh who runs Chocolate Espresso, a touring company with a difference. Focusing
on Sydney’s finest chocolatiers, we were bombarded with information on the
process, as well as plenty of samplings and enjoyed learning about the history
of Darlinghurst.
Shelagh told me
that most of her clients were women. I was not surprised by these findings. I
was fairly unstoppable in the tasting part of this tour, and even ate something
that should have actually been rubbed into my hands. It was coco-butter and
tasted foul. By this stage though, I was operating on a hand to mouth only
basis.
By walking in
between places to visit, I figured that I was cancelling all the consumption
out. I never knew that Sydney had these interesting things to do. I will warn
you however. This tour is for HARD CORE CHOCOLATE FANS! If you are not that way
inclined (and still have a pulse, who are you?) Chocolate Espresso also
conducts tours for coffee addicts as well.
So there you have
my 24 hours escape to my own city. Enjoyment level was extreme. Who knew there
was so much to do in a city that I take for granted everyday.
I want to you do
something new in Sydney too. Maybe not eat as much as we did?
Please leave a comment, telling me which experience YOU would spend
$250 from the activities listed HERE.
It needs to be Sydney based
and the winner will be selected by the good folk at lastminute.com.au and announced here on Monday 17th December. The price is a
$250 voucher, so you can break out of your everyday and mix it up a little.
So, what are you waiting for? It is Summer in Sydney!
SCOOT!
For bookings and
information regarding Blue Hotel CLICK HERE
For bookings and
information regarding Café Sydney and the cute waiter CLICK HERE
Please note that
all opinions are my own. Apart from when Mum tells me that I am wrong!
