Our trip to Austria didn’t quite start as planned. We had originally booked flights from Auckland to Munich, but after the conflict involving Iran disrupted air travel, our Qatar Airways flights were cancelled with no replacement options available from New Zealand. Rather than postpone the trip, we adjusted our itinerary and added a stopover in Sydney, flying there with Air New Zealand before continuing on to Europe.
In hindsight, it turned out to be a fantastic change of plans.
Winter is, in our opinion, one of the best times to visit Sydney. The temperatures are mild, making it perfect for exploring the city on foot. Apart from the occasional rainy or windy day, the weather is ideal for sightseeing without the intense summer heat.
Sydney is a city that never fails to impress. From its thoughtful urban design to its beautiful waterfront, parks, and vibrant neighbourhoods, there’s always something to discover. Many of the city’s iconic attractions are within easy walking distance, making it a pleasure to explore at your own pace.
One of the biggest surprises of our visit was stumbling upon the Vivid Sydney festival. We hadn’t planned our trip around it and didn’t even know it was taking place. As night fell, the city transformed into an incredible display of light projections, interactive art installations, and fire performances. The harbour and city centre buzzed with energy as thousands of people filled the streets to take it all in. It was an unforgettable experience and an unexpected highlight of our stopover.
Found a super cheap apartment in Barangaroo, close to the city center.Hyde Park.Exotic birds wandering around.St. Mary’s Cathedral.The skyline right behind the park.Enjoying the walk.What a tree!The botanical gardens are simply stunning.Mandarin harvest.At the Calyx.Cozy bench.At the tropical plants garden.Pink bananas!What a view.Perfect lawns.Hello from the Opera House.An impressive building, so well located.The skyline keeps growing fast.The cloud gods meant it well with us that day.What a skyline!At the piers.Cool from every perspective.With or without cruise ship.The harbour bridgeSunset walk around Barangaroo Reserve.Up and down, every rock.Hurry up!I’m flying!Literally!I’m here.It’s evening and the lights around the bay go on.Next day: Tall new tower, tall boy!Rainy day means indoor activities. The aquarium.Walking under sharks.Whoah, stingrays!Mommy’s highlight of the week: The crustacean platter dinner.He’s filling the Italian restaurant with noise, we’re long past the embarrassed point and just laugh about it.Next day: On the ferry.We’re heading to the Zoo!Greeted by sleeping koalas.Colorful birds.Underground nesting birds.Rainbow doves.Lazy tasmanian devil.Lazy kangaroo.Dangerous snakes.Scary large turtle.Color changing chamaeleon.Posing elegant giraffes.Lazy apes.Surprised by a seal show that happened right when we were there.Much more impressive than we thought it would be.Scary tigers.Riding the safari truck in the tiger enclosure.Hello beauty.When the beak is larger than the rest of the bird.Next day: Museum with dinosaurs.Vivid Sydney!The opera is now a canvas for animations.Last stop at our favorite tapas bar. Sooo good.Back to the airplane.Bye Sydney! Until next time.
