Sydney-siders have such a healthy lifestyle which I eventually adopted. Every morning, on my way to work, I would walk by the beach (this view never got dull) to see surfers already in the water, joggers, boot camps and morning yoga classes and think they were crazy to get up so early to exercise. I was still in UK mode where I would never dream of getting up at 5am as it was way too cold! Eventually, waking up at 5am was not a struggle at all, especially with the company of the sunshine, heat – oh and sometimes dolphins!
Activities
A lot of people tend to associate Sydney with just the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge but there’s so much more of Sydney to see. There are over 100 beaches in Sydney that all vary in size with some that have the most amazing nature walks around them. If you’re looking to escape the city and are interested in a bit of bushwalking surrounded by eucalyptus forests and waterfalls, the Blue Mountains is an easy 2 hour train or car ride from the Sydney CBD. The perfect weekend escape from the big city!
Transport
Ever thought of travelling by ferry to work? This is the most surreal form of transport I had ever been on to get to work, but it’s the norm for Sydney-siders! Just think, you miss all the rush hour traffic, go past the Opera House and see the amazing skyline view of Sydney every day – not to mention the bright blue sea rather than browny green Thames! The buses and trams are extremely good – very much like London except you have an Opal card rather than an Oyster card. Oh, and the trains are hardly ever delayed and will not get cancelled if there are ever too many leaves on the track!
The People
I don’t want this to sound like I don’t love my fellow Londoners, because I do, but it’s just something that Sydney does to you that makes you a more relaxed and happy-go-lucky person (it might have something to do with the weather!) I always get asked if it’s difficult to make friends in Sydney and I say definitely not! Londoners are renowned for constantly rushing or getting angry about something but in Sydney, I don’t think I can recall a time I had been pushed to get onto a train or huffed at because I was walking a bit slower than everyone else. Sydney-siders just have a different calm and easy approach – or they just leave earlier so they don’t need to rush!
Like I say to all my friends and family who are thinking about moving or traveling to Sydney – just do it! If you don’t like it, you can always come home – you won’t want to though!
If you’re an Australian resident looking to make the move back to Sydney or a working holiday visa candidate about to start your Aussie adventure in Sydney, we’d love to hear from you. Click here to find out more.
