#Flashback – My favourite Sydney spots

Living in Sydney was the greatest experience ever. Its an incredible place, and I thought I should list 5 of my favourite spots in New South Wales! There is so much more to see than Darling Harbour and the Opera House (though they are pretty cool in themselves).

Palm Beach, The Boathouse

Australia is known for its beaches. But it’s not all about Bondi! There are countless beaches in and around Sydney. My all time favourite beach is Palm Beach, up in the Northern Beaches suburbs of Sydney. Palm beach has miles of sandy shore line, kitchy saturday morning markets and a beautiful walk up to a the Palm Beach lighthouse.

The highlight of Palm Beach is The Boathouse. I bully my partner into taking me to the Boathouse every single time we go to Palm Beach! It’s a beautiful café bistro, with an amazing outdoor jetty onto the water. The food is incredible, but there is always a massive queue! So get in early!

Photo taken from; https://www.facebook.com/theboathousepalmbeach

Hunter Valley, McGuigan Winery

Hunter Valley is renowned for its numerous wineries but it is also full of fantastic restaurants and beautiful surroundings. I can not recommend a destination more. I originally took a day trip to the Hunter Valley from Sydney, but I loved it so much I had to go back for a full weekend a few months later!

If you have the time I would recommend a full weekend in the Hunter Valley. Spend the first day sampling numerous wines at different wineries. My favourite wines came from the McGuigan winery, which also provided a cheese plate that I really enjoyed after so many glasses of wine! I would then recommend sampling one of the great restaurants that Pokolbin has to offer. For example, my partner and I went to Il Cacciatore, a lovely rustic Italian restaurant. On the second day I would suggest exploring the local countryside. The Hunter Valley Botanical Gardens is a really beautiful spot. Take a picnic and relax in the peaceful quiet of the gardens.

Newtown, H2 Extreme Gelato 

Newtown in itself, is pretty god damn cool. Full of interesting independent vintage stores, bars and restaurants. The Enmore theatre keeps the atmosphere around Newtown electric. If you’re visiting Sydney, try and spend a few days in Newtown exploring the area. As I am obsessed with food, especially desserts, my top spot in Newtown is H2 Extreme Gelato.

Yes, that is a nutella ice cream with crushed pretzels topped with a krispy kreme doughnut. It was unbelievable. Each dessert is made to order right in front of you by flash freezing gelato with liquid nitrogen. All the servers wear lab coats and eye goggles, it’s very kitchy and cute.

Go to Newtown, go to the Enmore theatre, hit some fun bars and whatever you do, get a decadent gelato from H2 Extreme Gelato.

Blue Mountains, Leura 

The Blue Mountains is one of the most iconic geographic landscapes in the NSW. It is a pretty spectacular sight. The three sisters, Katoomba Falls and Wentworth Falls are all a must-see if visiting the Blue Mountains. I spent a weekend exploring the national park and having picnics atop the mountains. It was just lovely.

We visited the Blue Mountains in the autumn, just as all the leaves were changing colour and the weather turned a little crisp. I really recommend visiting the Blue Mountains at this beautiful time of year. My partner and I loved exploring the cute town of Leura in the autumn, as its full of cosy breakfast spots and coffee shops. There is a great selection of antique stores and galleries to explore on an autumn sunday afternoon.

Church Point, West Head Lookout

West Head Lookout is a fantastic place to view all of the Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It’s a super beautiful lookout in the middle of a national park. The walk down to the beach really makes you work for it, because it is pretty steep and treacherous at times! I would recommend not wearing your flip flops for the walk back up from the beach. However, it is one of the most beautiful bays in the Northern Beaches. The water is exceptionally clear and its a perfect picnic spot. My partner and I spent an incredible afternoon hiking the national park and then having a lovely afternoon picnic on the sand.

If you’re up for a walk, then definitely check out West Head Lookout in Church point!

These are just 5 spots in the Sydney area, there are so many more! Comment some of your favourites and I’ll check them out! Thank you for reading!